Its simple. If you are an entrepreneur and business owner, you need to have great productivity skills and that all starts in the morning. As a fellow entrepreneur and business owner, I have tried countless ways to improve my own skills so that I can turn productivity into profits and high levels of customer satisfaction. Some of my productivity methods are scientifically proven and others were discovered through trial and error over many years.

>> Read Janine’s “Magic Formula for creating a new ROUTINE” too.

Here is my list of the BEST productivity tips that you can use to turn your morning routine into success throughout the day:

1. Wake up early!

I cannot emphasize this enough. Its true, the “early bird get’s the worm”, so waking up early is the most important part of your morning routine. (Hint: this starts with going to bed early!)

2. Banish coffee. For real.

I know, I know… this was hard for me at first too! Replace your morning coffee with a warm water & lemon or herbal tea. This is something that I learned from my wife. Lemon will energize you and you will avoid the caffeine crash that coffee inevitably brings. It also has other benefits such as making your body alkaline (once digested), curbing your appetite, stimulating your good ol’ morning BM, fighting illness, and giving you lemony fresh breath.

3. Meditate.

You should give it a try. It is amazingly effective at creating focus and you do not have to be an expert or have any special skills such as levitating off the ground. A simple five to ten minutes of closing your eyes, listening to your breath, and letting yourself relax in a calm space is a great start. There are plenty of meditation videos on YouTube to help.

4. Review your goals for the day before you start working.

This really works if you plan your goals and set your tasks the day before. Prioritize what you need to do for the day and stick to it.

5. Do something for yourself before you start work.

This could be reading a book, writing, saying affirmations, cleaning your space, watering your plants or even going for a quick walk in nature. Just don’t watch any TV before you work or you are sure to have the energy sucked from you.

6. Try 15-30 minutes of Yoga or some type of stretching.

This is surprisingly energizing and motivating. Not only does it get the blood flowing and relax your body, it affects you on a mental level and can literally energize you for the entire day.

7. Eat something healthy. 

Start your day by having a green juice, berries, sprouted nuts, yogurt, eggs or anything “very healthy” for you. Try to avoid anything with processed sugars, breads, meats, etc. as they will contribute to that energy crash later on, especially if you are drinking caffeinated drinks. My wife makes us a fresh pressed juice or Vega protein shake every morning and keeps a snack drawer filled with healthy treats like yogurt parfaits, chia pudding, protein bars and cut fruit & veg to keep us fueled.

8. Invest in tools and systems that save time & increase productivity.

Try using something like Todoist for task management and and apps that help you focus such as the Focus Time App, which incorporates the “Pomodoro Technique.”

9. Do something for others.

Giving is a sure fire way to lift your spirits and keep them there for the day. Perhaps a random act of kindness, writing a nice note for a loved one, showing support for a cause, getting a gift for your assistant, complimenting someone or playing with your pet are all great ways to spread the love and get an energy boost in return.

10. Schedule some time for yourself, your family, and your friends. 

There is a point to all this working, right? Make sure you are scheduling time for the most important people in your life – you, your family, and your friends. There is nothing better than knowing your hard work is amounting to something by sharing your success with those closest to you. Schedule some real quality time and celebrate! You and everyone else will notice your effort and appreciate it.

11. Listen to uplifting music.

Music is a powerful way to motivate and inspire focus and productivity. It pays to create some uplifting music playlists as your goto everyday.

12. Let the light in.

Turn on those lights and open a window. Let the energy of light enter your eyes and wake-up your brain.

13. Do the most important priority before any other priorities.

Many people procrastinate and avoid the BIG PRIORITY TASK of the day. Just get it done first otherwise it will weigh you down until you get to it. Don’t do any other tasks or communications until this is done.

14. Don’t read email!!

This is one of the worst ways to start your day. Save email until after 12pm or at least until you have completed the single biggest priority of the day.

15. Hide your smartphone.

And turn off the bloody notifications! This is the single most distracting item in your life, so get if off your desk or out of your pocket. Just hide it and save it for a break or until after you have followed tip #13 above.

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Good luck entrepreneurs and business owners!

Sincerely,

Shane Keller

p.s. If you have any tips to share on your morning routine please leave a comment below.