Compared to ‘picking a priority’ this was so much easier to work into my life. Clearly, I understand what ‘do it earlier in the day’ means a lot more than I understand priorities!
My morning routine is flexible and the time spent on a task can vary. But otherwise, it’s much the same every day. Brush teeth, feed the cat, make a pot of tea, make lunch, eat breakfast, put out clothes, shower, pack bag, exit for the day’s adventures.
I decided to approach my mission in 2 ways. Firstly I thought about things I sometimes did in the morning and whether I should do them more often. Winners here were cooking and exercise. I occasionally cook in the morning. This combines thrift (hello Economy 7) and the luxury of hot lunch or ready to go dinner. I decided that I could do this more often. It’s not that much effort for definite benefits. I’ve been trying to think about whether I want to cook the next morning as I eat dinner (advance planning in action!).
Winning on the day
Exercise is something I’m currently failing to fit in during the day. Other things that are going on often swallow up my plan for a lunchtime walk. Getting it out the way early is working well. A 20-minute walk makes me feel I’ve had some of the day just for me.
The second approach I took was to look at what I did in the evening. I’m terrible at bedtime because I get sidetracked. Namely by writing my diary, updating my expenses, fiddling with job lists and checking Feedly. While I wanted to keep the job lists for the evening I decided to try writing my diary, making a note of expenses and glancing at Feedly would be idea morning activities. In fact, doing them after a walk seems to work well and I am more focused. It does give me a sense I’ve achieved something before breakfast.
So, on the whole, I have to report that looking at getting things ‘out of the way’ first thing is definitely working. It’s also encouraged me to look at my job list and see what I get out of the way to make my afternoon more relaxed. It’s not quite a cure for procrastination but it helps!