Five Things I Do to Start My Day with More Focus

A clear sign that I’m at my best and things are going well for me is when I’m able to get through a daily morning routine. I know it’s not news around here, but how I start my day I a definitely sign of how the rest of my day will go.

Trying to balance a full time job plus the blog, Youtube and other projects I do (which is basically another full time job) is not always easy. There are always a running to do list of things I need to get done within any given week to move things forward. Not to mention, I’m a human who still needs to take care of herself, have some kind of social life and practice self care! There are only 24 hours in a day, and I try to take advantage of all of them.

My energy levels (probably like yours) decrease as the day goes on. I’m more amped to get things done between 6am-10am and catch a second wind around 4:30pm if I’m lucky. Now that I’ve taken a vow to cut off coffee after 2pm, that second wind doesn’t last nearly as long as it used to, which is for the best. So for the most part, the mornings are where the magic happens around here. I’m editing this blog post at 7am before getting ready for work.

Making my mornings count is all a matter of knowing my highs and lows and taking advantage of the energy that comes with each ebb and flow.

The early start

Starting early is essential to me, but I don’t think “early” has to be the same for everyone. I usually wake up between 5:30-6am. To some, that seems excessive but it works perfectly for me. Define starting early however bests suits you — I’ve said before that you don’t have to rise with the sun in order to be productive. Yet in still, there is that quote about the early bird catching the worm.

On top of being ready to work in the morning, I love having that early time before the day starts to focus on myself a bit. I usually journal, read my bible and devotional, journal and read a bit before I’m hit with emails or jump into tasks.

Skip the multi-task

Once I’m up, I try to keep myself focused on one task at a time. I’ve tried to balance my phone, laptop and breakfast all at once and it just doesn’t work for me. Knowing the difference between multitasking and being pleasantly distracted is so important.

Do Not Disturb mode is a huge help with this. My phone won’t show me any notifications or unlock social/email apps until 7:30am. That way working on a task is just me doing that task without being distracted by Instagram.

Intentional routines

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m big on routine. Especially in the morning. Keeping my routine intentional and productive helps me to center and focus within the first half hour of being awake. And on the days that I change things up a bit, I keep in mind the intention behind what I’m taking away or adding.

If waking up to push start on the coffee pot throws you off or makes you late, make it a part of your routine to turn the auto brew on before bed. Or if showering in the morning helps you to clear your head, start with that instead of checking email which might leave you stressed or overwhelmed.

I know it helps me to read, journal, and pray early in the day so I intentionally add those into my mornings know they’ll make a huge difference.

Be mindful of time

How many times have you been getting ready only to realize you should have left the house five minutes ago? Part of my rationale for consistently waking up early is so that I have time to fit in everything I need to fell ready to go, without being rushed. Cooking breakfast, doing my hair (which is much easier post hair cut) and getting dressed all need to happen without a certain time frame.

Always assume that it will take you 10-15 minutes longer to do any simple task (walking to the subway, stopping at the atm, ect). That will help eliminate surprise and keep you on time and focused on the tasks at hand instead of playing catch up. Can you tell I hate being late?

Make a list

Every. Single. Day. I create dozens of lists each week, all with a different purpose. Mainly because a list is a great visual representation of what needs to be done. It also feels amazing to cross something off! Before bed, I make a mini list of things I need to focus on during the morning shift. Some days, I wake up, and start writing out blog posts and others I’m finishing edits on a video or working on a pitch. If I just sit down at my desk without having thought out what I’m sitting down to do, I’m guaranteed to waste my own time.

How do you find and keep your focus during the day?

This post was originally posted in 2015.