I read a round-up article that summed up what some young entrepreneurs do to start their day. Each has a different routine.
Some said they make a plan for the day. Some said they check their plan (and calendar) for the day.
Some read, some write. Some exercise, some check the news. Some check their email, some check their stats.
One interesting response: “I start every workday by writing three thank you notes.” Color me impressed.
I liked the one who said she follows the same checklist every day. She checks her calendar, reviews her project list, answers email, answers voicemail and texts, and clears her paper file. She says this allows her to process her inboxes and makes starting the day effortless.
One said she tackles her biggest priority first, “the one thing on my list that contributes the most to the bottom line.”
Similar to the previous response, one entrepreneur recommended the “Eat That Frog” approach: “Do whatever it is that you don’t want to do, but need to do most first thing in the morning”.
Another writer disagreed: “I’m not really a fan of the whole “Eat That Frog†concept. I start my day with three of the easiest tasks on my to-do list. This makes a little dent in my list right away, which makes me feel as though I’m on a roll. I always find that when this is the case, I burn through more tasks than I would when focusing on my biggest list items first”.
Me? I’m with the last guy. I don’t do my most important tasks first thing, I clear up a few easier tasks first, as a warm up for the day. Typically, that means checking email, calendar, and task list, to get a feel for what’s on tap for the day.
Once that’s out of the way, I sit down and do my MITs (Most Important Tasks).
But I don’t do any of that until I’ve had some coffee, do some light reading, and send articles and ideas to my Evernote inbox.
How about you? What do you do first?
