“Before the rest of the world is eating breakfast, the most successful people have already scored daily victories” - Laura Vanderkam
Today’s edition of PT Reading Corner features a productivity book called What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast” by Laura Vanderkam. The purpose of this book is to provide readers with an idea of how to manage and prioritize their time. She lays out a blueprint for individuals to follow in order to re-do their morning routines and provides supporting examples from individuals who have changed their routines to achieve their goals. There are 3 main components for a happy life according to Vanderkam: self, career and relationships. Let’s explore them further:
1. Finish Important Tasks First
Vanderkam highlights that willpower is at its peak in the morning, helping you to achieve activities that might need a little extra self-motivation than usual. This doesn’t mean spending time doing chores or laundry since those tasks will tend to get done regardless, but to focus on activities that help with personal and career growth. For example, if you’re a clinician who wants to spend more time reading journal articles, the morning is probably an ideal time. Once you’re into the flow of your normal workday, it can be difficult to find time to sit down and read articles that are a few pages long. The morning allows you to take time to pay full attention to tasks without having to worry about distractions.
2. Make the Needed Changes
The best way to implement a change in your morning is to track every minute of your time. Since each week has 168 hours, in order to manage and improve your time you need to make a meticulous list detailing each hour. Secondly, picture your ideal morning and how things can be different. For example, would you wake up at 6 am instead of 7, would you go for a 30-minute run? The key here is separating what an ideal start to the day would look like, versus your perfect morning. Finally, figure out if your routine is practical by mapping out all the time you will need for activities and then try the new morning out. Since it takes time to develop new habits, make sure you’re patient with yourself and give yourself a week or two to get adjusted to the new schedule.
Overall, altering your routine will allow you to make mornings less hectic and improve your productivity. By keeping track of your time, you can make the necessary changes and utilize your hours more efficiently. We, at PT Business Corner, would like to thank Darryl Yardley for the book recommendation and helping us make our mornings more productive!
