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How to Spend the First 10 Minutes of Your Work Day Do you check your email – first thing in the morning at work? We spoke with strategy expert Ron Friedman to learn a better way to spend your first 10 minutes of the work day. He says by checking your email first, it puts you in a reactive mindset. That’s not good. It’s easier to go from a proactive mindset to a reactive mindset throughout the day. So take some downtime before you step into work to send your important emails, such as on the subway commute. But once you’re at work, you’re in a different environment that requires more attention. Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to best utilize the first 10 minutes of your day. Like a chef organizing his workstation before preparing a meal, you want to be prepared for what is to come. First, determine what is urgent, which may give you instant gratification versus what is actually important. Now, it’s time to draft your list. Friedman suggests to take strategist David Allen’s advice and break down your general goals into specific actions that start with a verb. For instance, instead of just writing down your task of “Make Sales Call”, you should break it down into specific components that will bring you to your overall goal, such as researching the company, scheduling a meeting with the assistant, clearing time in your schedule for the phone call, and reserving a meeting room – all before making the actual call. Next, choose the things that take the most willpower and focus to do first. We lose these abilities as the day drags on. The fun stuff and pure grunt work can be saved for the end of the day. By using your first 10 minutes to plan, you’re utilizing your fresh mind, which will only diminish as time goes on; it will also give you concrete tasks that are easy to follow as you lose concentration. So put your email on hold and seize the day.
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