24 Mar START YOUR DAY WITH INTENTION

Some people struggle to get started in the morning.  I never have had that problem.  I’ve always approached mornings with a clear sense of purpose, direction, and inspiration. I wake up early, feeling eager to commence the day’s activities.  I seek challenges.

Before having coffee, eating breakfast, or getting ready, I already know what I want to achieve that day. Often, I dream about the day’s challenges while I sleep, which helps me mentally prepare. I create a “To-Do” list daily, checking off completed tasks and carrying over unfinished ones to a fresh list for the new day. Keeping this list at my desk ensures I stay organized and focused on critical tasks. Without it, it’s easy to get sidetracked by unexpected issues and forget important calls or tasks.

While some rely on their morning coffee ritual to boost adrenaline and kickstart their day, I’ve never needed that same caffeine kick to function. I enjoy a cup or two, but I’m productive without them. As someone who worked in sales, self-motivation was key to my success. Getting an early start maximizes my working hours and, ultimately, my earnings, as every day provides only a limited window of prime selling time. It’s nearly impossible to achieve what I can do in seven or eight hours in six or less, especially in sales.

Industriousness has always been a value I hold dear. My father, an early riser and the hardest worker I knew, set a powerful example that inspired me to follow in his footsteps. At the same time, I believe (as he did) in doing things correctly rather than rushing through them. The accurate measure of our actions lies in the quality of our results.  One of my managers told me long ago: “Please don’t confuse activity with results.”

Problem-solving has always been a natural strength of mine, and I enjoy it very much. It likely stems from my early career in accounting, where activities revolved around the structured monthly closing cycle. I find great satisfaction in helping others solve problems or achieve their goals. Over the years, I have made it a point to support and guide other salespeople, sharing my knowledge and experience from over 30 years in sales. Seeing them respond positively to my coaching and succeed was deeply rewarding—it reinforced my belief that I had something valuable to offer.

The key is to approach each day as an opportunity to achieve your goals for that day rather than trying to accomplish your long-term goals all at once. The “eye of the tiger” mindset drove me to try to make a sale every day, ensuring I could eat and approach sales prospecting and calls with determination. That can’t happen if you don’t get out of bed with intention.

It reminds me of the meme: “How should one eat an elephant? Answer: Cut it into small pieces and eat one bite at a time.”  The key is to break your goal into smaller, discrete pieces. Some people become overwhelmed when they consider the enormity of everything that needs to be done, so they freeze, and nothing gets accomplished.  If you break the goal into smaller daily or individual tasks and work on completing each task at some point, you will have a greater chance of achieving your long-term goal. For example, if you can accomplish just 5 percent of the total goal each day, you will have completed the goal in 50 working days.

Waking up each day aimlessly, without a clear plan or purpose, leads to working on preferred tasks instead of those with higher priority. People might read emails or play video games rather than tackle necessary but unpleasant tasks, like calling a landlord about plumbing issues.

“How you start your days, consistently, determines the QUALITY of your LIFE! You must set up a morning routine that gets you in a strong, positive mind frame, ready for anything this day will throw our way.”¹ Approach each day positively. Be grateful that you are alive, healthy, and have people who love and care for you.

On the contrary, negativity is a poison that permeates your attitude and approach to work, affecting your conversations and driving people away. It will also impact your productivity and potentially that of others.

Approaching your day with intent will result in a happier, more productive day and, ultimately, a better life.

¹ https://www.fearlessmotivation.com/2017/11/28/morning-motivation-set-your-life-up-to-win-motivational-video/