Productivity Tips to Start Your Morning Right

Friday, January 27, 2023

How many people in the history of time have uttered the words,  

“I am not a morning person.” 

No, you are not. And you are not alone, because very few people will describe themselves as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as the sun launches skyward from the horizon and a new day begins.  

Unfortunately, those of us who are night owls- no need to raise your hands because you know very well who you are- have to navigate a morning person's world every day and are not always up to the task.  

There are ways, though, to adjust how to approach mornings with more energy and a positive focus. So, start brewing your coffee, grab your daily planner, and let’s get to work.  

It Begins the Night Before 

You cannot wake up prepared to take on your personal and professional world if you did not set the stage the previous night. Think about how you ended your day. Did you feel that you had accomplished your goals and met deadlines? Did you fall asleep on the sofa with the television blaring? Or worse yet, did you doom-scroll on your smartphone during the time you should have been shaking off the stress of the day and preparing for a restful sleep?  

Try to finish out your day in a calm, relaxed environment devoid of screens and other distractions. A little stretching and some deep breathing to relax muscles and clear away cluttered thoughts can do wonders for initiating some quality sleep. There is nothing you can do about anything in your life at that moment, whether it is solving a childcare issue or meeting a deadline at work. All you can do is allow yourself to relax and recharge your internal batteries so you can start again the next morning.  

You Snooze, You Lose 

Hitting the snooze button multiple times is BAD BAD BAD. Sleep cycles do not react well to back-and-forth sleeping and waking. If you must use an alarm to awaken every day, set a realistic time to get up and break the snooze habit. You will feel more rested, and your thoughts will start the day clearer and not muddied by an on-again, off-again alarm.  

A Morning Routine 

Do you have one? Creating a daily morning routine with steps to form the foundation of a productive day can immediately help to pivot your thinking to what is positive and healthy.  

There is not a one size fits all strategy for what can make your morning the start of the day that you want. It is essential that you create a process that works well for you. Including variations and degrees of exercise, breakfast, organizing family logistics, and checking the day’s appointments are unique to every individual and family. But it is the perfect time for everyone to check their wall calendar or daily planner to get the lay of the land for what comes next.  

Advantages of Your Daily Planner in the Morning 

All of us juggle multiple obligations every single day. We have to balance personal responsibilities with work projects and goals. As busy professionals, it is expected of us to be successful in accomplishing all we set out to do, but we cannot do it without the tools to map out each day. 

Think of your daily planner or calendar as your personal assistant. It knows what you must do, where you need to be, and whom you need to see. Incorporating your planner as an invaluable part of your routine every morning and throughout your day is a crucial tool for staying on task, thereby reducing stress and improving productivity.  

Have you ever been late for a meeting or completely forgotten a dental appointment? These errors in our schedules can upheave the course of an entire day. Have you ever missed a deadline at work or forgotten to pay a bill? There is no shame in saying that we all have had to own up to these issues at some point, but there are simple ways to reduce the possibilities, and consistently checking a daily planner each morning is the best place to remind us of what each day has in store.  

Your Daily Planner as Self-Care 

You may think all this productivity advice has taken a strange turn. Isn’t self-care eating right and drinking more water and reducing stress? These are all examples of self-care, but they can be reinforced as healthy reminders in your daily planner. Maybe your daily planner can’t pour a glass of water, but it can remind you that it is 11:00 am and time for eight more ounces.  

Usually, we think of familiar ways to reduce stress like taking a walk in nature or sharing a conversation with friends. There is no doubt that both are excellent examples but imagine other methods that reduce worries about responsibilities. Staying organized by applying a targeted approach to using a calendar or daily planner every morning will jumpstart your productivity and allow you to finish off your day feeling satisfied, not overburdened.  

Think about how you are utilizing your daily planner. Is it gathering dust or is it becoming dog-eared with so much use? Stay on top of your days with House of Doolittle planners and calendars and you may just turn into a morning person.