Take some advice from the best minds
Each successful person has their own story to tell about how they rose to fame. The one thing they have in common, though, is how well they structure their day to make the most out of it. Here are six of the tips from millionaires on how they plan their day to produce the best work they can.
1. Wake up earlier
The age old advice of starting your day early – we have heard it so many times that we usually scoff it off. But, there is some truth to this. According to Kelsey Humphreys, who has her own show The Pursuit interviewing today’s top leaders, many of the multi-millionaires wake up as early as 4 am or 5 am, knocking out tasks before the world wakes. Thomas C.Corley, who spent five years studying rich people, also found that 44% of them wake up at least three hours before their workday actually begins.
‘My mind is clear, not yet caught up in the multiple internal conversations that we all conduct with ourselves once we gear up for our first meeting of the day’ shared CEO and co-founder of Ellevest Sallie Krawcheck as she explains why she starts her day as early as 4 am.
Even if you can’t bring yourself to wake way before sunrise, consider committing to getting at least a good few minutes earlier to plan your day ahead. The key here is that there is certain power in getting focused at the start of your day without any external interruptions and fresh energy.
2. Be proactive with your time
When you are planning for your day, decide how your day will go. Out of all the highly successful people that Humphrey interviewed, all of them agreed that you cannot be reactive to your time, but rather than take charge of it. Focus on your priorities and non-negotiables and get them done first. As Humphrey says, “make sure you run your day then letting your day run you.”
That means checking and answering emails first thing at work may not be the best way to start your day. If you start reading emails about the next person’s priorities and schedules, it can derail your own. Brendon Burchard, the founder of Experts Academy explained “If you jump right into your email, you automatically set the frame in your mind to react to other people’s needs. And you’re just reacting to the world, you’re not strategically thinking, ‘What are my moves forward?’ And so when I begin the day, I’m moving myself forward before I’m replying to anything, and that’s the secret.”
3. Break your day into blocks
Understandably, an architect has a very different day than a writer, who has a different day than an entrepreneur. The common factor among the millionaires, explained by Humphrey, is to envision your day as blocks. Assign these blocks to a certain activity or task that you have to complete and give yourself uninterrupted time to finish them. For example, set blocks for content creation, blocks for replying emails, blocks for exercise and so on.
Michael Hyatt, the founder of Platform University and New York Times bestselling author shares that ‘working in batches’ makes him more efficient. “I really focus on the things that I do the best, which is content creation. I only do meetings, generally speaking, internal meetings on Monday and I do external meetings on Friday,” he shared.
4. Knock out the hardest task first
Have a task that you absolutely detest? Make it a point to complete the least desirable yet crucial piece of work first and get it out of the way. This will save you the stress from anticipating the unpleasantness of the task. You are better equipped in the morning when you are well rested and have the highest level of energy to take on tough projects. Your day will get easier and you will end your day on a higher note!
5. Give thanks and enjoy some silence
According to Humphrey, the most surprising find is that all the top leaders she interviewed make time for gratitude every day. Most of them take at least a few minutes each day to take note of what they are thankful for and some include meditation or a prayer. Be alone with your thoughts and enjoy the silence. Take some time off your busy day and only focus on the good. Investor and author James Altucher shared, “One of the most important things is something you could do for free when you wake up in the morning, which is to just find four or five things to be grateful for. And not just easy things. No one thinks, ‘Oh, how can I be good at gratitude?’ It’s actually really hard. And to exercise, to make that muscle sweat, is incredibly valuable.”
6. Take care of yourself
To say that the entrepreneurs are incredibly busy will be an understatement. That being said, something that the successful entrepreneurs do is to prioritize the basics, like getting ample amount of rest, quality time with family, drinking enough water and adequate exercise. As found by Corley, 76% of the highly successful people exercise for at least 30 minutes, every day. It seems rather counter-intuitive to not spend every waking minute bettering your business, work, or studies, but it will pay off in the future if you start taking care of yourself now. Your body needs all the fuel and rest it can get to power you through.
