My goal today is to show you how 5 minutes in the morning can help you be productive all day. This is not rocket science. In fact, you might even dismiss this all together because of its simplicity.  So far, since implementing this system my productivity has increased dramatically. What is great about what I have shared so far is that it has been effortless to implement with my existing time management system.

I am currently using Workflowy as my productivity tool of choice. My biggest reason for this is because it is simple and I can focus on just getting things done. I am able to capture any and everything into WorkFlowy.

Where I have been lacking in the past is in taking daily action like I want to. Probably because I am just too hard on myself. Anyways, by implementing the 18 minutes system it has filled the missing piece for me.

How 5 Minutes in the Morning Makes Me Productive All Day

I actually use the exact formula that is presented in the 18 Minutes Book. The idea here is to set aside 5 minutes in the morning to think through exactly what you want to accomplish in the 5 critical areas of your life.

I am using a normal spiral bound notepad. Every morning I draw a new box and then divide it into 6 squares. From there I take two steps to determine what my focus should be for the day.

• Look up at my whiteboard that has my 90 day goals listed and see what action step I can take to move closer to reaching my goals.
• Review my list of “to-dos” in WorkFlowy. I categorize everything into 1 of 5 “contexts.” You guessed it! The context is my 5 areas of focus.

I go through my “5 areas of focus” and “tag” what I want to get done for today. In Workflowy you can easily do this by adding #Today at the end of your to do.  Watch the video below as I show you exactly how I do this.

If you cannot see the video above, watch 5 minutes in the morning directly on YouTube.

Get It Done Now Task – Set Aside 5 Minutes in the Morning

I would encourage you to set aside 5 minutes in the morning and do some quick planning for your day. Make the habit of starting your work day here and not in your email. Nothing can get you “outside of your 5 areas of focus” quicker then checking your email first thing in the morning.

On the flip side, nothing feels better, than to select a task that is attached to a major goal and make significant headway first thing in the morning. Michael Hyatt calls it “Slay Your Dragons Before Breakfast.” It is a great post and something you must read.

Tomorrow I will share with you specifically how to manage your day so that you stay on task, minimize distractions, and get stuff done! Stay tuned.

If you are just joining this Get Productive Challenge, Start Here.