Time management training tends to focus on individual workplace productivity; and while that’s all well and good, most of us actually work within team environments. It’s not a good idea, therefore, to just ignore the productivity issues affecting your coworkers. Your team workflow process can’t function smoothly if the individual parts are broken.

Raising awareness of group productivity issues requires little more than circulating an informal survey among your teammates, and then distributing the results. Simply ask something like, “What are your X biggest time management challenges?” You can make “X” any number you like, depending on how much time and resources you have to dedicate to the issue.

Needless to say, your team’s manager bears the ultimate responsibility for maintaining an awareness of overall productivity issues; and if you manage the team, then you can implement the survey yourself easily enough. If you don’t, consider approaching your manager and offering to take on the responsibility. They’ll probably appreciate your initiative.

Admittedly, this means a little more work for you. However, it takes very little time to initiate the process, and if handled properly, it will increase your team’s overall productivity—which should shave some time and costs off your organization’s bottom line.

I recommend you circulate the survey quarterly, and then make an effort to help your colleagues address their biggest problems. Again, this needn’t take forever, especially if you leverage the copious resources available online; and in a time = money sense, it certainly justifies any effort you put into it.

Even better, you can invest a few bucks in a copy of my new book, What To Do When There’s Too Much To Do, scheduled to hit the bookstores in mid-2012. This slim volume includes simple, direct ways to cut back on your task list and face down the workplace productivity monster. Watch for it!

Related posts:

1. Time Management Skills: Email Tips
2. Time Management Skills: Upcoming Webinars
3. Time Management Skills: The Fine Art of Putting Things Off

“Reflective thinking requires the continual evaluation of beliefs, assumptions, and hypotheses against existing data and against other plausible interpretations of the data.” — John Dewey, American educator.

“Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.” — John C. Maxwell, American author and leadership guru.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.” — Confucius, ancient Chinese philosopher.

As a savvy SuperCompetent, I suspect you take a few moments occasionally to examine your workflow process, carefully considering what works and what doesn’t so you can maximize your productivity going forward. Psychologists call this process “reflective thinking.” Whether you call it that or not, you almost certainly practice it on some level, because reflective thinking underlies and informs any effective workplace productivity schema. It also acts as a touchstone for how you react to new situations, especially emergencies and other crises.

Put simply, reflective thinking represents a process of learning from experience. You spend time in thoughtful reflection, integrating new knowledge, deciding how to handle specific situations in the future, and identifying what you want to improve. It may also include decisions about which practices to abandon, and which new ones to adopt. Ultimately, every change you make to your personal productivity efforts—every time you tweak a system, implement something new, or trim away something that no longer works—is rooted in this process.

In many ways, reflective thinking resembles metacognition, because it involves thinking about how you think and coming to terms with how you learn. Some researchers consider the terms synonymous, and at the very least, they do overlap somewhat. Certainly, both allow you to take positive advantage of your self-knowledge, whether in terms of your general education or, more specifically, in how you hone your productivity at work.

You can do your reflection and the resulting winnowing on the fly if you have to, and many of us do. However, I consider that akin to fixing a car as and when it breaks down. It keeps the motor running for a while, but eventually, things will grind to a halt as failures cascade through the system—failures that could have been avoided if you’d spend some time reflecting on the system overall, so you could find and correct the problems point by point.

Long-term success at any business venture requires you to occasionally step away and look at the big picture, so you can then home in on the “problem children” in your workflow. If you don’t already regularly set aside some time for reflective thinking, do so. Put it on your task list as a Priority 2 item—important, but not urgent—and keep those appointments with yourself so you can locate and fix the bugs in your workflow machine.

Reflective thinking has a second component that relates to but diverges from the metacognitive one, in that it bears directly on one’s ability to adapt to the changing work environment without either freezing up or going off half-cocked. This form of reflective thinking is the opposite of multi-tasking—which doesn’t give you enough time to really think about your situation—and the antithesis of the “fools rush in” attitude of doing something just to do something.

Admittedly, when events come to a head, you can’t just stand there doing nothing; you have to make a decision, probably quite quickly. As I’ve pointed out elsewhere, action beats meditation any day. That said, you need to contemplate the situation long enough to decide the best course of action. If you react too quickly, the results can be disastrous. So study the context and gather as much information as you can before you respond.

Effective communication requires the consistent use of this form of reflective thinking. If you say or write the first thing that comes to mind, especially in response to a tense situation, you may make things worse; whereas if you let things cool a bit and offer a measured reply, you have a better chance of remedying the situation.

As long as you don’t over-think things, both forms of reflective thinking positively impact your workplace productivity by smoothing out and tightening up your workflow. On the one hand, reflective thinking about your systems, processes, habits, and tasks can help you cut wastage and improve your personal efficiency. On the other, the “look before you leap” form of reflection helps you avoid unproductive situations and mistakes that might, ultimately, crash your personal productivity, at least temporarily.

So implement reflective thinking and its sibling, metacognition, in your personal action plan. Step off the merry-go-round now and again, so you can stop and think—and focus on what really matters. If it helps you get things done more efficiently and keeps you from making as many mistakes, then it’s well worth the effort.

Related posts:

1. Personal Productivity and Your To-Do List
2. Increasing Productivity: Five Things to Do at Work Every Day to Boost Productivity
3. Increasing Productivity: HR’s Strategic Role in Improving Workforce Productivity

” Remember self-help tapes? You used to throw them into your car [stereo] or Walkman when you were going on a lengthy trip so you could ‘grow on the go’ and hope to return home all the better for it… Well, podcasts that discuss various aspects of productivity very well could be the evolution of those self-help tapes.” — Mike Vardy, Stepcase Lifehack.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” — Paul J. Meyer, American motivational speaker.

“None of the world’s problems will have a solution until the world’s individuals become thoroughly self-educated.” — R. Buckminster Fuller, American author, designer, and inventor.

From a productivity standpoint, the relentless march of technology allows for all sorts of new opportunities for self-education. And make no mistake: you have an obligation to constantly hone your personal productivity skills, lest you find yourself suddenly overwhelmed by your workload as it evolves to meet ever-changing workplace conditions.

Fortunately, productivity training can be as simple as sitting around and listening to other people talk—which brings us to the topic of productivity podcasts. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can acquire a whole host of these simple audio presentations for free, and with very little effort. Some focus on specific professions, from the creative arts to software development; but many handle general productivity topics, often in gratifying detail. A good podcast can last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, making them perfect for filling up your downtime gaps or drive time that you might otherwise waste. Just download them to your MP3 player, and off you go!

A quick Google search will net dozens of these little productivity programs, whereupon the problem becomes which of the many to spend your limited time listening to. Luckily, you’ve got me to round ‘em up for you. In this exciting entry, I’ll give you the scoop on five productivity podcasts I believe you’ll find both enlightening and educational.

43Folders Podcast
Although the entries appear very irregularly and it hasn’t updated in a while, Merlin Mann’s 43Folders podcast is both helpful and fun. But this podcast goes beyond mere infotainment, because while he’s a pleasure to listen to, Mann’s recommendations have a lot of merit—and he uses them personally in his self-described quest to help you “[find] the time and attention to do your best creative work.” If nothing else, Mann’s exuberance can be infectious, stirring you on to greater workplace productivity.

Accidental Creative Podcast
Todd Henry, the author of The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant on a Moment’s Notice, helms this info-packed podcast. Henry posts new episodes about twice a month, and while he doesn’t joke around as much as Merlin Mann, he’s a vibrant speaker, interesting to listen to, and manages to snag some pretty good productivity experts as guest stars. In recent months, Noah Scalin, Michael Bungay Stanier, and Mark McGuinness have made guest appearances.

The Productivity Show
This Australian-based podcast starts from a Getting Things Done perspective, but ranges widely over the entire productivity field. It draws its guests from a variety of endeavors, including popular music, and often focuses on specialty software products designed to boost productivity. There’s a two-year gap between the last two podcasts in the series, but as of August 2011 the host, Tony Goodman, appears to be back in the saddle; and in any case, the archives make for fascinating listening.

Back to Work Podcast
For those who’d like more Merlin Mann (and prefer to get your fixes more regularly), I recommend Back to Work, which Mann hosts with a fellow named Dan Benjamin. These two enjoy great chemistry, and spend their podcasts exploring topics like personal limits, communication, and solving workplace problems in a chatty conversational style. But beware: these ‘casts often last an hour or more, so they don’t lend themselves to filling small pieces of downtime; they require a bit more investment.

Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips
Stever Robbin’s brief productivity tidbits offer a sharp contrast to the Back To Work crew’s lengthier discussions. They rarely clock more than five minutes, making them just right for listening to while standing in line at the pharmacy or waiting for the traffic light to change. Robbins comes across as witty and interesting, and his to-the-point, time-saving tips make a lot of sense.

Bottom Line
Aside from staving off boredom, these and other podcasts will keep you thinking and questioning what you already know and do, making them valuable tools for refining your workplace productivity schema. It takes just a minute or two to download the individual ‘casts, and if you’ve got an iPod, you can subscribe to many of them via iTunes. So why not embrace this opportunity to better yourself?

Related posts:

1. Personal Productivity and Your To-Do List
2. What’s Your Personal ROI?
3. Increasing Productivity: Five Things to Do at Work Every Day to Boost Productivity

I’m curious to know how often you check your email each day. Please vote in my poll: http://linkd.in/nTAJVK. Please comment; I’d love to hear your thoughts on the impact email has on your daily productivity.

Related posts:

1. During Which Period of the Day Do You Feel Most Productive?
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3. Organizational Skills: How to Process Email and Deal With Information Overload

“If demand remains weak, there’s a danger that businesses may try to boost productivity by cutting jobs.” — Paul Dales, American economist, regarding the recent 2011 Q2 productivity drop.

“Nowadays, business is all about productivity—and our folks produce.” — Senator John Hoeven, former governor of North Dakota.

“[If] you don’t have a very motivated working class, it starts to affect the dynamics of the economy. If workers are disenchanted and disenfranchised, productivity losses will go along with that.” — James Sinegal, American businessman, founder and CEO of Costco.

From a business perspective, productivity is defined as the rate at which goods or services are produced per unit of labor. It’s an important measure of corporate success, and, on a wider scale, a primary metric of the overall economic health of a nation.

As a productivity expert, I’ve always been proud of the fact that we Americans are more productive today than we’ve ever been, despite having to face more distractions and, arguably, more difficulties than ever before. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that setbacks occasionally occur, and that they can be rather sobering when they do.

Case in point: according to a government report released on August 8, 2011, American business productivity has declined for two consecutive quarters, for the first time since the end of 2008. The good news is that the second-quarter decline is a bit less than expected: an annual adjusted rate of 0.3% rather than the anticipated 0.9%. The bad news is that 2011′s first-quarter productivity figure, which was originally estimated at 1.8% growth, was revised sharply downward to reflect a productivity drop of 0.6%.

As unsettling as this news may be, it’s not necessarily surprising to those of us paying close attention to the larger economic picture. No single metric exists in a vacuum, after all, and while there’s reason to be optimistic, the other standard measures have been mixed lately. Furthermore, the recent downgrading of the government’s credit rating, and the related debt ceiling issues that briefly paralyzed the Congress, are ample evidence that not everyone is sanguine about the American economy.

Granted, we’ve experienced a minor economic expansion in the past two years—but the positive effects have been mostly limited to businesses, with very little trickledown to individual workers. Indeed, as some observers have pointed out, many businesses were able to post productivity gains from early 2009 to late 2010 only because they had previously cut costs and made do with less. In the process they pared their workforces to the bone, requiring the workers they retained to work longer and harder, often for the same compensation. This growth might have been good for businesses, but it was built on unstable economic ground…and now we’re starting to see the cracks in the walls.

The easy answer to this problem would be to hire more people and redistribute the workload more equitably. Unfortunately, labor costs are sharply higher this year: 2.2% higher in the second quarter of 2011, on top of a 4.8% increase in the first quarter. Basically, workers cost more than ever before; that’s the cost per unit of labor in the productivity equation. Add in rising material costs and a fear that we may soon re-enter recession, and the ultimate result may be even less hiring, which would damage productivity even further. You can see the kind of downward spiral the economy could fall into, if we’re not very careful here.

An ideal solution is hard to spot, especially given that the current economic downturn is global in scale, and government stimulus efforts haven’t been particularly effective thus far. Productivity might experience an upswing if large employers are willing to bite the bullet, step forward, and expand their workforces, allowing overworked employees to recover while others take up the productivity slack. This assumes, of course, that labor costs can be contained—which isn’t necessarily a good thing for workers and their productivity, if it’s even possible.

One bright spot in the current situation is the fact that increased labor costs translate into increased spending power for those who do have jobs. Economists agree that increased consumer spending is necessary to jumpstart the economy. That’s all well and good; but even if it happens, will that be enough to stimulate businesses to increase their hiring?

It’s difficult to say at this point; but if it happens, we can hope that the hiring will feed back on itself, causing more spending, which will generate a need for more employees, and thus more hiring, and so forth. That’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway. If all goes well, productivity would then rise, which might push labor costs down (the two metrics often correlate).

It will be interesting to see how employers react to the news of the productivity drop, because that will certainly affect which direction productivity will go in the next few quarters. You can be sure that I’ll be keeping a close eye on the productivity news—and I’ll just be one among many.

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“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” — Traditional saying.

“The better a man is, the more mistakes he will make, for the more new things he will try. I would never promote to a top-level job a man who was not making mistakes… otherwise he is sure to be mediocre.” — Peter Drucker, Austrian management consultant and social ecologist.

“Remember, you only have to succeed the last time.” — Brian Tracy, Canadian self-help guru.

In the modern business world, failure is often made out to be something glorious, a virtue that almost inevitably leads to success in the long run. Oft-cited examples include Edison’s 1,000+ unsuccessful attempts to invent the light bulb before hitting on the right solution, and Bill Gates’ unsuccessful first computer business. We’re told, again and again, to fail forward, to fail as fast as possible, to dare to fail, because it makes us smarter and better in the long run.

So it was rather disconcerting—and oddly refreshing—to run across a recent working paper from Harvard Business School that takes the opposite tack: “Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship,” by Paul Gompers, Anna Kovner, Josh Lerner, and David Sharfstein. The authors scrutinized a large sample of venture capital-backed IPOs, and discovered that brand new entrepreneurs succeeded about as often as those who’d tried before and failed (18% vs. 20%, respectively). The most successful entrepreneurs were those who had already succeeded: serial entrepreneurs, as they called them. But even serial entrepreneurs succeeded only about 30% of the time.

At the risk of oversimplification, Gompers et al. basically pointed out that statistically, failure does not necessarily result in eventual success—a rather common-sense “no duh” conclusion, frankly. Furthermore, the authors admitted that they looked at a relatively narrow business segment, and that they failed to control for a number of factors which might skew the results. So normally, I’d take something like this with a grain of salt.

However, the HBS working paper is noteworthy for the fact that it actually tests the assumption that failure is positive in the long run. Commentators who have written about the paper are quick to point out that there’s no real scholarly work that proves that failure is good for the entrepreneurial soul; we just assume that it is. On the other hand, now there’s research that suggests that failure isn’t necessarily helpful in the long run.

Still, I’m not convinced that this means a whole lot. While I do believe that you should focus on things that you’re good at, I also believe that failure can be helpful in defining the things that you’re bad at, and that you should never do again—so that you don’t waste time on such things. In general, then, I would argue that the concept that failure can help you in the long run is in fact a truism, something which doesn’t really require scholarly proof.

Now, a true scientist would howl at the very idea that anecdotal evidence could ever prove a point, but let’s be honest here: the anecdotal evidence that failure can contribute to success further down the road is simply overwhelming. Notice the qualifier in there: failure can help you succeed. It won’t do so automatically. Failure does not anoint you with the oil of future success. I feel that some of my colleagues have gone a little too far in suggesting that it does…or in outright saying so.

There’s nothing special about failure itself; it’s what you do with failure that matters. The real message here is that you’ve got to be willing to risk failure. Don’t be afraid of it. It’s just another opportunity to learn, and in most cases, it’s not permanent. Learning a lesson from what you’ve done wrong allows you to rise phoenix-like from the ashes, to take another grab at the brass ring. Maybe you’ll get it this time; maybe you won’t. But if not, don’t take the failure itself too personally, because that kills your confidence and destroys your chances to learn. You must make every effort to take something instructive away from your failure, or you’ve just wasted your time.

So to answer the question posed by this blog’s title—of course you should learn from failure! The working paper by Gompers et al. is interesting, but while their sample was substantial, the scope of the study was limited—and I don’t think the results apply to most real world situations. The truth is, as long as you can survive a failure, there’s almost always some tidbit to be pulled from the wreckage and taken to heart. There even may be a few intact bricks—e.g., successful aspects or ideas within the broader failure—that can be used to build a new edifice. At the very least, failure can teach you some emotional lesson that you can move forward with, once you’ve put the failure itself behind you.

I’m not going to tell you that there’s no such thing as a failure; of course there is. But you shouldn’t ignore failure, refusing to learn anything, and hope to luck into success. Failure to learn from failure will inevitably lead to more failure, in a vicious downward spiral. Refuse to allow that to happen to you!

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1. Laura Stack’s EFFICIENCY DIGEST: July 2011

I was reading an article in Information Week appropriately titled, “Eaten by the Email Monster.” http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2006/08/eaten_by_the_em.html

It links to several useful articles on how to handle information overload. I thought I’d add my thoughts on how to efficiently process email: the 6-D Information Management System™:

1. DISCARD = Delete it

2. DELEGATE = Forward it

3. DO = Reply immediately if it will take you three minutes or less

4. DATE = Needs work but not now. The key is to somehow get it out of your in-box. Pick one favorite method and try to be consistent, so you don’t confuse your brain about what you did with that email. Options:

* Move to a process folder called “Action” or something similar.

* For emails that require action, move (NOT drag, which creates a copy) them to Tasks (or drag to the to-do icon in Lotus) by right-clicking the message and selecting Move to Folder, and then Tasks. A new Task automatically opens and inserts the email into the text portion of the message, which can now be replied to right out of the task). This physically removes the email from your in-box, not just create a copy.

* For time-sensitive emails (meetings or appointments), follow the same procedure above, but select Calendar after you Move to Folder, which will open a new calendar item and automatically move the email message to the text portion of the window.

* If you’d rather work with a paper copy, print the email and file it in your tickler folder. Create a personal folder called @Tickler and drag email there that requires follow-up. When the paper copy (trigger) comes up in your tickler file, you know the original is in your @Tickler folder. That will save you from having to retype the email message when you respond to it.

* Copy the email into the contact’s record in your contact management software (such as ACT or Goldmine) and schedule an activity to follow up.

* Set an email reminder (NOT a calendar reminder or Task reminder) by right-clicking in the flag area (NOT setting a flag) and selecting Add Reminder. Fill in the day and time you want the reminder on the email, and move the email to the proper project folder. You will get a reminder when the email isn’t in your in-box (Outlook 2003).

* Forward it back to yourself, select Options, and check “Don’t deliver before,” fill in a date and send. Delete original.

* Drag to the proper email personal folder, and write a to-do on your paper planning as a cross-reference to remember to do it.

5. DRAWER = If no action is required, but you’d like to keep the email for reference, create a personal folder for the project or reference type and drag the email to the correct folder. Or you could create a Word or other word processing document and save it on your hard drive.

6. DETER = Unsubscribe from email lists and tell your friends to stop sending you their “joke of the day”! Or use the Office Assistant (under “Tools”) or other Rules to automatically moving email from particular people to certain folders (or just delete it then).

I hope this helps! Force yourself to do one of the 6 D’s every singe time you look at a new email. All the email in your in-box will be new, and you will stop re-reading messages over and over. Do a major processing spree like this at least three times a day, but do NOT check them as they are coming in. Turn off the global alerts, set Rules to play for important people, and control your OCD trigger-happy email finger!

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1. Time Management Skills: Email Tips
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3. SuperCompetent Speaking: How to Cram Lots of Information into Limited Time

Clarity in workplace communication is highly important in any format, and these days, more and more business is conducted through email. Therefore, it’s beneficial to learn how to maximize the content of your email messages, while minimizing the possibility of confusion.

You should start with an informative, keyword-rich subject line that grabs the reader’s attention. Don’t leave the subject line blank, and don’t be vague or non-specific; on the other hand, don’t overuse exclamation points or capital letters. Either might lead an inattentive recipient to think your email is spam, resulting in it getting deleted—something that might range in consequence from minor to disastrous. If you’re replying to an existing email, don’t change the subject line unless you must. Otherwise, the recipient may not realize it’s a reply to their original email, and they might miss or delete it.

Unlike face-to-face or even telephone conversations, with email there’s no tone of voice or body language to help you convey your message. You really do have to say exactly what you mean in order to get your point across. In the body of the email itself, be concise and don’t use vague language. Make sure you have exactly the right word, and use simple terms that are difficult to mistake. Give the email some thought before you even start typing, so you can organize your points and choose your words carefully.

When you do start typing, make your points efficiently and one at a time, wrap it up, and end it. Provide only enough information to communicate the issue, and write in a natural style without being stilted or ceremonial. You can be informal if communicating to someone you work with regularly, but you should avoid using slang, emoticons, or texting abbreviations .

Finally, be sure to conduct an edit and run it through spell-check before you send it; people don’t expect perfection out of email, but they do expect professionalism. Typos can cause confusion, and in some cases they can cause the recipient to take you less seriously than they should; and again, both problems can damage productivity. So get the email as right as you can without falling into the perfectionism trap.

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Please join me on August 31 for a special audio conference through the Workplace Training Center. The topic is HR’s Strategic Role in Improving Workforce Productivity: Working with Your Managers to Create High-Performing Employees
Employees are expected to be competent. But the really successful employees are SUPER competent—the ones that companies fight to get, fight to keep, nurture and develop, and see as future leaders in their business growth. How do you know who the “A” players are?

HR professionals are in a unique position to work with managers to identify productive employees and help them become even greater performers. Using a model that assesses engagement and performance of each employee, HR professionals can work with managers on improving individual employee productivity.

Sign up today to hear some of the best advice, tips and techniques from The Productivity Pro Laura Stack, best known for the business classic Leave the Office Earlier,as well as other titles, such as SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best and What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do (coming out in April 2012).

Learning Objectives:
•Do you know how to increase headcount without increasing salary expense?
•Manage the 2 critical dimensions of productivity impact
•Find out what factors impact an employee’s experience and ability to perform
•Uncover the 5 productivity personalities your employees will exhibit
•Help employees perform at higher levels and foster an environment of excellence
•Discover 6 keys to gaining peak performance from your employees

Sign up today at: http://www.workplacetrainingcenter.com/Prod-2656.aspx.

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“The early bird gets the worm.” — Traditional Western proverb.

“By getting up early in the morning, one also gets more time at his disposal for work as compared to late-risers. Scholar and thinkers get up early in the morning and contemplate.” — Rig Veda, Hindu sacred verses.

You’ve got to admire those night owls—the co-workers who stay well past quitting time to get their work done, displaying an impressive level of productivity in the process. But if you don’t fit that mold, there’s no reason to let them hog all the glory. You can hit the ground running as the sun comes up, and get a head start by burning the daylight equivalent of their midnight oil.

Your goal here is to get into the office before your co-workers do, so you’ll have that quiet, pristine time all to yourself before the world fills up with noise and distraction. Here’s how to do it.

Prior Preparation
One way to get a quick start on the day is to prepare for the next morning before you head out the door every evening. You’ll find that planning ahead makes life a lot easier (if less exciting) than making it up as you go along.

First, put away everything that doesn’t live on your desk. This limits distracting clutter, and makes it easier to find what you need later on. Then spend some time putting together your to-do list for the next day. Consider each task in detail, deciding where it fits on your list and assigning priority as you go. Remember to schedule the tougher, more important tasks for the time of day when your productive energy peaks. For most of us that’s early in the morning, but you may be an exception; in any case, just be sure you tackle those tough items when you’re feeling your best.

Next, gather the materials you need to jump right into your tasks. Have them ready and waiting so you can grab and go when you get to your desk in the morning. Don’t assume that something is where you left it last time; check, so you’re not unpleasantly surprised when you reach for it.

The Night Before
Before you hit the hay, get your mind right. You need to get a good night’s rest before you dive into the next day, so clear out the cerebral clutter first: identify what you know you’ve completed, so you can cross it off your mental list and it won’t bother you subconsciously. As for what’s on your plate for tomorrow, just be aware of what’s in store but don’t dwell on it. At most, touch on it lightly; you’ve already made your to-do list and done your hard thinking.

Speaking of sleep, do your best to get a good night’s worth. Avoid caffeinated drinks and heavy or sugary foods before you go to bed, and don’t stay up too late. You can’t hit the ground running if you’re groggy.

In the Morning
Needless to say, you’ll need to start getting up significantly earlier than you’re used to, assuming you want to arrive an hour or so before your fellow employees. Now, you don’t have to jump straight to rising an hour earlier; you can start with fifteen minutes or half an hour, and work your way up. It won’t take long to reset your personal clock.

However, realize that you’re probably going to want to get up more than an hour earlier, because there are other things you can try to get yourself moving—and some of them take time that you’ll have to make if you’re not doing them already.

For example: if praying or meditation isn’t already a part of your morning ritual, consider trying it, to get your day on track. It doesn’t hurt to think about the day’s schedule a bit as well. You may want to follow that up with some light exercise before you hit the shower.

Next, have a good breakfast. Even if you’re never particularly hungry in the morning, force yourself to eat. You’ve heard it a thousand times, but breakfast really is the day’s most important meal. It takes a serious amount of fuel to get you started and keep you running until lunchtime, especially if you’re going in earlier than usual.

Many of us lose time in the morning by driving ourselves to work; unfortunately, about all you can reasonably do during personal drive time is think. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but if you’re able to participate in a ride-share or public transportation, you can also get started on your to-do list while someone else takes care of the driving. You may not be able to tackle one of your big tasks in its entirety—that would depend on the length of your commute—but at least you’ll have a head start. And who knows? You may actually get to cross something off your list before you even arrive at the office.

In Early, Out Early
Studies have repeatedly shown that people who go in to work an hour or so early get more done in that time than they do in any other hour of the day. If you face the day head-on this way, you can go home when you’re supposed to—and you’ll get to enjoy the rest of your life, an advantage you’ll have over many of those poor, hardworking night owls.

Related posts:

1. During Which Period of the Day Do You Feel Most Productive?