Tired of “dime a dozen” time-management tips?

Looking for fresh ways to consistently perform at a higher level?

Maybe all you need to do is adopt a few new habits.

Regardless of their profession, experience or level of seniority, all successful people have one thing in common: they practice habits which match their focus and energy level to the importance of the task at hand. What rituals do they follow to maximize their performance?

Let’s take a look:

The Morning Ritual

Even high performers have mornings where they feel tired and uninspired. But, by practicing a deliberate morning routine, they take control of several factors that maximize energy and focus – and set themselves up for a great day. Here are a few tweaks you should consider making to your morning ritual to supercharge your performance:

• Hydrate with lemon water – it’s nutrient-packed and provides a natural physical and mental energy spike in the a.m.
• Get moving – even 10 minutes of exercise releases key neurotransmitters linked to better brain functioning.
• Eat protein – so your muscles and brain have the fuel they need to perform.
• Spend time with loved ones – to sustain a positive mood throughout the day.
• Skip the screen time – so you focus on accomplishing your morning routine.

The Distraction-Minimization Ritual

Your ability to think clearly and learn can vary by as much as 30 percent over the course of a day. And studies of geniuses show that most are at their sharpest early in the day (2.5 to 4 hours after waking).

The takeaway? Plan time each day to do high-priority, focus work during your peak mental periods – and ruthlessly eliminate distractions (bye-bye, calls, emails, social feed notifications and visitors) during those times to ensure you accomplish your highest priorities.

The Check-In Ritual

Throughout the day, high performers ask themselves important questions to keep their efforts focused – and their productivity high. Here are a few questions all successful people ask themselves:

• Am I waking up early enough, to take advantage of precious morning hours? If not, set your alarm for 15 or 30 minutes earlier to include some of the morning habits above (and yes, this means you’ll need to go to bed a bit earlier, too).
• Have I accomplished my top priority for the day? If not, revise your schedule – and vow to plan better for tomorrow.
• How am I feeling? If your energy or focus is dipping, take a break, grab a snack or switch to a different activity.
• What difficult things should I be doing more of? If you’re avoiding unpleasant tasks or simply don’t have the time, consider delegating or outsourcing B- and C-level tasks – so you have time to “eat more frogs.”

The End-of-Day Ritual

High performers realize that every great morning starts with careful planning. Here are a few success habits you can practice at the end of the workday to set yourself up for a productive start to the following morning:

• Vet urgent communications. Review incoming messages across channels, addressing what you must and deferring what you can.
• Reflect. Consider what, when and why things went right (or wrong) during the day. Learn what you can, and apply those lessons to make tomorrow even better.
• Plan your next work day. Leave your office with a clear idea of what you need to accomplish the following day. Lay out your top three or four priorities, and resolve to tackle your most challenging or unpleasant task first. When possible, schedule high-priority, high-focus work during your peak mental acuity period.

Want to be more successful?

Turn a critical eye to the way you spend your day – and resolve to adopt at least one of these new habits.

Exact Staff is here to support your success.

Serving organizations across the nation, Exact Staff provides a wide range of talented people – and a full complement of staffing solutions – to make you more efficient and successful. Whether you need to fast-track a project, delegate non-core tasks or free up more time for your high-priority work, we have you covered. Just give us a call!