Your morning routine sets the tone for the type of day you will have. Productive engineers embrace the morning and use it to strategically map out their day and give them guidance when prioritizing tasks and getting the most from their eight-plus hours on the job. Here are six things productive people do to begin each workday that you can adopt now.
They Eat Breakfast
Many Americans skip breakfast because their morning routine is so hectic. Productive people, however, know breakfast helps them stay mentally sharp and fuels them for their morning. If you don’t have time to eat at home, bring something along for your commute or keep instant oatmeal or breakfast bars in your desk.
They Get to Work at Least 15 Minutes Early
The way you start your morning can have a ripple effect throughout the day. If you consistently rush into the office in a harried mess right on time or even a few minutes late, it will impede your productivity throughout the day. Productive people get to work at least 15 minutes early so they can take a few minutes to breathe and set up their day for success.
They Review What They Did Yesterday
You can’t know where you’re going today if you don’t review where you’ve been. It’s smart to review where projects stand and your own progress each morning, but this is especially important on Mondays or after holidays when you’ve been checked out of work mode for a while. Reviewing what you did previously also helps you prioritize emails or follow-up materials you may need to send out first thing.
They Make a List
Productive people make a task list every morning, and they prioritize the three most important tasks that must get done that day. Typically, they tackle those important tasks first, so the rest of the day is freed up for less pressing but no less important tasks.
They Plan Their Day
Once productive people make a list of what needs to be done that day, they develop a plan for tackling those tasks. They block off an approximate amount of time for each task so the rest of the day will have a flow and a rhythm that facilitates productivity.
They Check Email and Then Close the App
Email is one of the biggest time sucks of the modern worker. Productive people check email first thing in the morning, reply to emails as necessary, send out what they need to and then close the app. It helps to block time during the day to check email, at 10:00, after lunch and at the end of the day, as well. If a team member has an emergency and you don’t reply right away, they will pick up the phone and call.
If you are an engineer or technical professional in the Atlanta metro region seeking new opportunities, contact the recruiting experts at Selectek today. We can match you with an opportunity that will help you take the next step in your career.