The seemingly easier path to take is to dig into your day, tackle the inbox, put out fires, and react to whatever comes in. That’s a surefire way to be busy.
At face value, to set aside time to plan keeps you that many minutes away from starting your day. After all, the longer it takes for you to start your day, the faster the inbox is piling up!
[did you feel any anxiety thinking about your inbox piling up? you’re not alone.]
There’s a better way to get better results and to reduce your feelings of anxiety.
And it starts with the first 10 minutes of your day.
This post is modified from this HBR article as well as the concept of the “golden hour” or the “sphere of silence” where 10 minutes out of 60 is the same suggestion to plan out your day.
In that 10 minutes, the focus is clear. Ask yourself and declare - What are the 2-3 things that you need to accomplish today? To informing that question, you also need to review the obligations you have for your time [meetings] in that day. You must not lose sight that there will be other requirements of your focus and attention.
Do not “oversubscribe” your time. That is, don’t set intentions for an unreasonable production - there should be 2-3 things that matter and are clearly important. The other things are noise - or should be considered on a future date when they are more of a priority.
The general steps in the process:
Review (Write) your short, medium, and long term goals (so they are in your short term memory).
Review your calendar for today and the upcoming 3-4 days (so that you can take accounting of any upcoming events or due-dates and hold them in your short term memory).
Write out the 2-3 things that appear to be most important to do today given your upcoming schedule and with your goals in mind.
Generally once a week I also look at the upcoming weeks for ‘big’ events that need more than a few days’ preparation. Do what works for you.
Adding into the sphere of silence concept beyond 10 minutes, you should consider regular reflection on which goals you’ve avoided tackling - and why - and how you might unstick those topics and move them forward.
…
In general, most people don’t have a strategy … or a discipline to their strategy. This is a simple habit that you can incorporate into your day that will have a big impact on your personal achievement.
If you don’t have the time at the start of your day, seriously consider adjusting your wake-up time to be 10-15 minutes earlier to add this to your morning routine.
I guarantee you this habit will change your mindset — you will be more positive — and you will see results in the first week.