Folgers was on to something when they said, “wake up and smell the coffee” - well at least partway... WAKE UP is right! The first hour of your day sets the tone for the rest, so right now, YES, at this moment in time, decide how you will start your day. Need some help? Checkout what other successful people do... here's a few from ‘The First Thing Successful People Do Every Day’ by Robert Locke:
- Tony Robbins practices gratitude and visualization - “Take thoughts and turn them into actions, turn them into results, turn your dreams into reality.” —Tony Robbins
- Tim Cook does his email at 4:30 a.m. - Tim Cook, the Apple CEO, firmly believes in getting them out of the way first. He says it leaves him time to concentrate on the top priorities when he gets to the office.
- Mark Twain recommended doing the hardest task first - “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”—Mark Twain
- Howard Schultz believes in getting priorities established - The Starbucks CEO usually spends the first hour getting priorities sorted. But he has already done some cycling with his wife and still manages to arrive at his office by 6 a.m.
- John Grisham believes in a strict routine - Writing, according to the great author, requires self-discipline. He had to write a page a day, whether it took him 10 minutes or two hours. It was only then that he would start his law work.
- Todd Smith always greets colleagues appropriately - Nothing’s worse than people not saying “good morning,” or ignoring you altogether. It is very important to build teamwork, boost morale and also to bond with the people you work with by greeting them or exchanging a friendly word or two. This is especially important in the first half hour as people are feeling fragile or have low morale.
- Steve Murphy devotes morning time to planning - The CEO of Rodale urges people to set aside the first hour or so to thinking time and jotting down ideas and priorities on a notepad. This makes his work much more strategic and proactive. It was William Blake’s quote that inspired him to start doing this. “Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night.” —William Blake
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