How To Use Your Mornings To Grow Your Business

We’ve all heard, and used, the phrases, ‘night owl’ and ‘morning person’, and perhaps you even have a relatively good idea of which you are. However, did you know that, regardless of your ‘work personality’, utilising the mornings to their full potential could be one of the best ways to grow your business?

Let’s look at this logically; there are so many less distractions in the morning, as all of the tasks that have a habit of cropping up during the day are yet to raise their ugly heads. Imagine being able to complete every important task before that mid-morning meeting, or enjoying a guilt-free cup of coffee long before lunchtime – sounds good, right? We also have a tendency to generate more willpower, and better motivation, early on in the day, as any work-related fatigue is yet to set in. More than that, though, getting up and at it earlier on in the day will set you off on the right foot; whatever else you’ve got planned, starting off with a productive morning can really set a positive tone for the rest of the day. Productivity is infectious, you see, both for you and the team around you. Greet your staff, show them that you understand, and appreciate, their efforts, provide encouragement, and let them know what you expect from them. This early morning briefing will ensure they share your can-do attitude, and really get the most out of your business.

Tips for getting started

Understanding the benefits of early morning productivity is one thing, but setting those practices into motion can be quite another – isn’t that what the snooze button was invented for? So, what are the best ways to make the most of your mornings, and how easy is it to get into new habits?

Strategise: Knowing exactly what you want to do with your day is tantamount to increased productivity, enabling you to think clearly about your most important tasks, and the ways in which you can improve business. Prioritise jobs, make lists if you need to, and be sure to spend time on the activities that will make the most difference, as well as getting the most important chores out of the way first; regardless of whether it’s general housekeeping or answering an urgent email, mornings were made for increased productivity.

Visualise: What is your perfect morning? Ideally, what must be achieved by lunchtime in order to break the back of the hard work? Now, put those ideas into practice, think about the sort of day you’d like, and run with it; imagine yourself getting a lot of work done, make mental, or literal, notes of everything that needs to be achieved by the end of the day, and use those happy thoughts to inspire increased productivity.

Minimise distractions: We are all guilty of relying on our phones a little too much. Perhaps you use yours as an alarm in the morning, are used to checking emails and social media as soon as you wake, or keep the volume on loud so that you’re alerted to every message, email, and call. However, one of the best ways to make the most of your mornings at work is to be proactive, rather than reactive; hold off checking your emails until you’ve fulfilled the tasks you had already planned to do. That way, you won’t be tempted to interrupt your morning with unexpected tasks, or stray from your planned productive pathway. It’s also a good idea to exercise restraint, and refrain from checking social media until at least lunchtime; keeping up with the rest of the world can be a good way to relax between emails and meetings, but is it really the most productive way to operate?

Regardless of whether you’re normally a night owl or a morning person, maximising your productivity during the first hours of the working day can be hugely beneficial, and help you to grow your business in a way that may have evaded you up until now; imagine being able to free your time for unexpected tasks that may occur later on, providing your work force with the encouragement it needs to operate at its best, and improving the attitude of those you work alongside, and for. Suddenly setting that alarm won’t seem so bad, and you’ll begin to look forward to making things happen – I know I do.