12 ways to get your day off to a good start

When we’ve got heaps on and are running round frantically, it can be all too easy to hit the snooze button – but morning can be our best time. Try these 12 tips to get your day off to a great start.

1. Have a stretch – a full-body starfish stretch whilst still in bed, tips of toes to fingertips stretch – and how about a few yoga stretches, such as forward bends? You don’t have to spring out of bed and do the full sun salutation (but of course you can if you like) to get the benefit.
2. Dance – no excuse for not having some feel-good music to hand, so choose something that brightens your mood and do that little dance you do when you’re happy.
3. Walk – you’re hopefully getting the idea that exercise first thing is beneficial. It gives you an energy boost that sets you up for the day. You’re much more likely to stick to an exercise routine first thing than dragging your bones to the gym at the end of a demanding day.
4. Play your playlist – have a few wake-up playlists handy to get you in the right mood for what’s in store today.
5. Meditate – even 5 minutes can help clear the mind. Download an app if you need some help.
6. Give thanks – keep a gratitude journal, reflect on what you’re grateful for this morning, or literally say “thank you” to someone.
7. Make notes – you know, those ideas you have just as you’re waking up, or in the shower, or on the road. You can jot them on your phone or dictate them.
8. Get the news – whether that’s via the radio, on TV, via your blog feeds, or the tactile treat of a newspaper, get up to date with what’s going on in the world. Scan and select just a few priorities to look at in more depth.
9. Have a quick breakfast meeting – you could catch up with an old friend, an ex-colleague, your mentor, a client or one of your team. Takes less time than lunch and yet can be really productive.
10. Identify the priorities – this sounds so obvious, but it’s surprising how many of us default to picking up the stuff that we know we can quickly knock off our to-do list, and chances are it’s not the Big Project that we really should be taking a chunk out of.
11. Do the dirty work first – you know, that nasty job that you keep putting off that has been on your list for days (or even weeks). Get it done first and not only will you be making progress, you’ll get an energy boost for having got the task out of the way.
12. Decide what to delegate – and do it. Don’t wait until you’ve done all your stuff for the day before handing off tasks to someone else. The sooner you can get colleagues contributing to a project, the more productive you’ll all be.

Let me know how you get on!