Morning Productivity Accountability Partners
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Up Bright And Early...
I'm adding a few minutes of high-quality reading into my morning routine. This morning, I read about the importance of having a good attitude -- identifying areas of bad attitude in our lives and replacing them with more useful attitudes.
For me, there is one definite area where I can well afford to work on attitude. Good discovery for only 15 minutes of reading!
For me, there is one definite area where I can well afford to work on attitude. Good discovery for only 15 minutes of reading!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,431
8:23 am Central US time
Yes, I've been reading the 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management before bed--
1 "Secret" per night--very helpful
I'm starting a new one "The 5 am Miracle" this weekend.
I get up early anyway, so why not put some structure on things and get
ahead with tasks I avoid?
I'm taking it a bit easy today--I have some tasks booked for the afternoon
but had a 14 hour day yesterday so am tired.
I tried a new CD which was Ocean Waves embedded with Theta, which
is for meditation, but had the effect of knocking me out and I slept like
a rock. Your brain entrains to the Theta waves and it really seems to work.
I ordered some more--Alpha, Beta, Delta and nature sounds combined.
I don't like sappy new age music, so I just went with natural sounds of
forest, rain, stream, etc. as I often listen to these anyway instead of music
while working.
The reviews said the Beta in particular was good for focusing on tasks.
Boring, but effective. That's what I'm after. . .
This might be something to try if it interests you?
Yes, I've been reading the 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management before bed--
1 "Secret" per night--very helpful
I'm starting a new one "The 5 am Miracle" this weekend.
I get up early anyway, so why not put some structure on things and get
ahead with tasks I avoid?
I'm taking it a bit easy today--I have some tasks booked for the afternoon
but had a 14 hour day yesterday so am tired.
I tried a new CD which was Ocean Waves embedded with Theta, which
is for meditation, but had the effect of knocking me out and I slept like
a rock. Your brain entrains to the Theta waves and it really seems to work.
I ordered some more--Alpha, Beta, Delta and nature sounds combined.
I don't like sappy new age music, so I just went with natural sounds of
forest, rain, stream, etc. as I often listen to these anyway instead of music
while working.
The reviews said the Beta in particular was good for focusing on tasks.
Boring, but effective. That's what I'm after. . .
This might be something to try if it interests you?
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Hawkeye, do tell more about the "5 am Miracle." Is it anything like "The Miracle Morning," where you get up early and push very positive and productive activities into the first hour of the day?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,601
Morning! 9:50am here. Was up at 7:30. Did my morning reading and meditation. Talked to my sponsor for 15 min. Swept and swiffered my room. Emptied the trash, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. Just eating some breakfast. Going to hope in the shower in a few. Gym at 11. Then going to get my nails done with my sponsor and another friend...will grab lunch and poke around. Perhaps the 6pm beginners meeting near me. Then dinner and Netflix with a friend tonight. Pretty full day! XOXO
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,431
Yes Sis, book is called 5 am miricle: Dominate your day before breakfast
Seems to be essentially the same thing.
This is what productive successful people consistently say:
Schedule things in your daily planner as planned appointments, & don't put them on a "to do list" and important things should be scheduled early in the day. That's what I'm trying to do instead of putting them off and procrastinating.
Here is the link at Amazon:
Amazon.com: 5 am miracle: Books
He also has a podcast I've been listening to--he synthesizes the ideas
from other writers and as I don't have time to do all that, it's been helpful so far.
He's young, says "awesome" too much for my taste, but pretty much anybody below the age of 35 seems to do that these days
I haven't been through the book really yet, but it seems to be about setting
specific quarterly goals, organizing time priority-wise, etc. with a 30 day jumpstart.
If just that last part is helpful, I'll be satisfied it was 10 bucks well-spent.
I need an external kick at the moment, so will allow his enthusiasm to carry me for awhile. . . .
Seems to be essentially the same thing.
This is what productive successful people consistently say:
Schedule things in your daily planner as planned appointments, & don't put them on a "to do list" and important things should be scheduled early in the day. That's what I'm trying to do instead of putting them off and procrastinating.
Here is the link at Amazon:
Amazon.com: 5 am miracle: Books
He also has a podcast I've been listening to--he synthesizes the ideas
from other writers and as I don't have time to do all that, it's been helpful so far.
He's young, says "awesome" too much for my taste, but pretty much anybody below the age of 35 seems to do that these days
I haven't been through the book really yet, but it seems to be about setting
specific quarterly goals, organizing time priority-wise, etc. with a 30 day jumpstart.
If just that last part is helpful, I'll be satisfied it was 10 bucks well-spent.
I need an external kick at the moment, so will allow his enthusiasm to carry me for awhile. . . .
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Hawkeye -- Sounds like you're onto something. If you only get one good nugget, you've got your ten bucks worth. I'm gonna procure that book myself!
Today's chapter in Make Today Count is right on track with that. Keyword is "priorities." Use the Pareto Principle (20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results) and identify the activities that produce the most important results for you.
Start each day knowing what is REQUIRED of you -- job? appointments? family obligations? Schedule those. Then, fill in those high-impact activities that yield your big returns. AND, do not neglect adding a few things in which fulfill you.
I'm adding doing this Priority Exercise to my evening ritual each night, to see if it helps yield rich and fulfilling days!
Today's chapter in Make Today Count is right on track with that. Keyword is "priorities." Use the Pareto Principle (20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results) and identify the activities that produce the most important results for you.
Start each day knowing what is REQUIRED of you -- job? appointments? family obligations? Schedule those. Then, fill in those high-impact activities that yield your big returns. AND, do not neglect adding a few things in which fulfill you.
I'm adding doing this Priority Exercise to my evening ritual each night, to see if it helps yield rich and fulfilling days!
Life Goes On
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 6,069
I'm not so great at to-do lists, but what I do occasionally kick butt with is my email in-box. Email stays there until the task is done or delegated, so I think maybe I'll do a trial with that. I've already done this to a limited extent without thinking about it as an organizational tactic. I get satisfaction out of seeing my email count going down and if I break it up so that it's one task per email, that should make it manageable. If I send just one or two emails to myself/day with personal tasks, I think it might just work out.
As far as starting the day by setting a positive attitude, that's what posting on SR in the morning has done for me. I'd like to add to that, but have to get to the point where I'm getting enough sleep to get up early. I don't think I've discovered how much I need yet, but it's definitely more than I've been getting.
Perhaps this week I'll start setting a "time to go to bed" alarm on my phone. I'm down to two nights of IOP, so that might be effective most nights?
As far as starting the day by setting a positive attitude, that's what posting on SR in the morning has done for me. I'd like to add to that, but have to get to the point where I'm getting enough sleep to get up early. I don't think I've discovered how much I need yet, but it's definitely more than I've been getting.
Perhaps this week I'll start setting a "time to go to bed" alarm on my phone. I'm down to two nights of IOP, so that might be effective most nights?
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Obladi - I have to set a "Bedtime Alarm" as well. Actually, I set it an hour before bed, to remind myself to transition from day activities to bedtime prep. It really helps! Left to my own devices, I do tend to stay up too late. And that definitely impacts my mood and productivity throughout the following day.
Oh, and FWIW, the author I'm reading doesn't put any faith in To-Do lists, 'cuz he thinks they tend not to get done. He suggests instead actually scheduling those items, with an assigned start and end time. For a nasty procrastinated task, it helps me to know that I'm only going to work on it for one hour. Usually, at the end of the hour, I've made enough progress that my attitude has changed and I can go ahead and see it through to completion!
Oh, and FWIW, the author I'm reading doesn't put any faith in To-Do lists, 'cuz he thinks they tend not to get done. He suggests instead actually scheduling those items, with an assigned start and end time. For a nasty procrastinated task, it helps me to know that I'm only going to work on it for one hour. Usually, at the end of the hour, I've made enough progress that my attitude has changed and I can go ahead and see it through to completion!
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Originally Posted by MidnightBlue 
Wow, guys, how did I manage to miss this thread!
Let me put my plan together - I'll be back)
Let me put my plan together - I'll be back)
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,431
Originally Posted by SoberinSyracuse
Hawkeye -- Sounds like you're onto something. If you only get one good nugget, you've got your ten bucks worth. I'm gonna procure that book myself!
Today's chapter in Make Today Count is right on track with that. Keyword is "priorities." Use the Pareto Principle (20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results) and identify the activities that produce the most important results for you.
Start each day knowing what is REQUIRED of you -- job? appointments? family obligations? Schedule those. Then, fill in those high-impact activities that yield your big returns. AND, do not neglect adding a few things in which fulfill you.
I'm adding doing this Priority Exercise to my evening ritual each night, to see if it helps yield rich and fulfilling days!
Today's chapter in Make Today Count is right on track with that. Keyword is "priorities." Use the Pareto Principle (20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results) and identify the activities that produce the most important results for you.
Start each day knowing what is REQUIRED of you -- job? appointments? family obligations? Schedule those. Then, fill in those high-impact activities that yield your big returns. AND, do not neglect adding a few things in which fulfill you.
I'm adding doing this Priority Exercise to my evening ritual each night, to see if it helps yield rich and fulfilling days!
Those are the things I will schedule into my daily planner.
I can do this if I would just do it, for heck's sake . . .
Sober since October
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: In the world in my eyes...Somewhere I've never been before...
Posts: 7,355
Well, I am at GMT+4 time zone which means I've already screwed up the part where I go to bed early.
But anyway.
My morning plan:
- 5 a.m. - Wake up and meditate for 10 minites.
- 5.15 - 1 minute 30 seconds of plank
- 5.20 - Shower and coffee.
- 5.40 - Morning journaling and some writing.
- 7.00 - Off to work.
But anyway.
My morning plan:
- 5 a.m. - Wake up and meditate for 10 minites.
- 5.15 - 1 minute 30 seconds of plank
- 5.20 - Shower and coffee.
- 5.40 - Morning journaling and some writing.
- 7.00 - Off to work.
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Midnight, tell me more about the plank. I know what one is and have done it, but tell me more why you select that as the exercise to start your day.
You see, one of my challenges is that I feel like I'm walking through concrete when I first get up. The solution, of course, is more movement earlier in the morning. You see my quandary, right?
Perhaps a plank would get the humors moving while not requiring too much coordination or explosive energy. Your thoughts?
You see, one of my challenges is that I feel like I'm walking through concrete when I first get up. The solution, of course, is more movement earlier in the morning. You see my quandary, right?
Perhaps a plank would get the humors moving while not requiring too much coordination or explosive energy. Your thoughts?
Sober since October
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: In the world in my eyes...Somewhere I've never been before...
Posts: 7,355
SoberInSyracuse - I hear your about walking through concrete)
Plank for me both the easiest thing to execute in the morning and the challenging one too.
Easy - because I just simply crawl down from bed to my yoga mat I keep near and I am good to go.
It doesn't require immediate movement , but though being static it engages lots of muscles - abs, arms, shoulders, legs, back.
It doesn't require a lot of time - 2 or 3 minutes are enough to wake up muscles and break some morning sweet. 5 minutes would be a real deal.
I've been doing it a while for now and it sets mood for my day.
Plank for me both the easiest thing to execute in the morning and the challenging one too.
Easy - because I just simply crawl down from bed to my yoga mat I keep near and I am good to go.
It doesn't require immediate movement , but though being static it engages lots of muscles - abs, arms, shoulders, legs, back.
It doesn't require a lot of time - 2 or 3 minutes are enough to wake up muscles and break some morning sweet. 5 minutes would be a real deal.
I've been doing it a while for now and it sets mood for my day.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: USA
Posts: 113
I picked a wonky time to start this - in the midst of a big work push. So my week 1 report is that I succeeded in getting up by 7:15 (or 7 plus two snoozes - 7:18) each weekday and was working by 8:15. I did not carve out time for morning stuff pre-work; though I did *better* with separating work and non-work. I took better breaks including ones outside or having quick times of movement. This week will be similar so I am not going to update objectives as it'll be another stretch to hit about half of them.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 11,431
Welcome Midnight and Rally;
Progress is progress--you are paying attention and that's a great start.
Just take note of what you are able to do, aren't able to do, and stratagize
from there for tomorrow.
Happy Monday and good luck all for a productive week!
Progress is progress--you are paying attention and that's a great start.
Just take note of what you are able to do, aren't able to do, and stratagize
from there for tomorrow.
Happy Monday and good luck all for a productive week!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,601
Morning all!
My morning routine goes like this:
6:15 - Wake up
6:20-6:40 - Daily Drill (pp 83-88 of big book and then 20 min of quiet time/meditation)
6:40-6:55 - Shower
7:00-7:20 - Hair, make up, dressed
7:20 - COFFEE!!!!
7:30 - Call sponsor
8:00 - Work
My morning routine goes like this:
6:15 - Wake up
6:20-6:40 - Daily Drill (pp 83-88 of big book and then 20 min of quiet time/meditation)
6:40-6:55 - Shower
7:00-7:20 - Hair, make up, dressed
7:20 - COFFEE!!!!
7:30 - Call sponsor
8:00 - Work
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Originally Posted by RallyAly
I picked a wonky time to start this - in the midst of a big work push. So my week 1 report is that I succeeded in getting up by 7:15 (or 7 plus two snoozes - 7:18) each weekday and was working by 8:15. I did not carve out time for morning stuff pre-work; though I did *better* with separating work and non-work. I took better breaks including ones outside or having quick times of movement. This week will be similar so I am not going to update objectives as it'll be another stretch to hit about half of them.
Life Goes On
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 6,069
MB,
LOVE the idea of starting the day with a 90 second exercise!
It would be so easy to eventually parlay that to 5 minutes and onward.
I've stumbled on a new good/better way to start the day.
Dog always needs to be taken out and I always make him wait. Which is unpleasant because he has taken to whining and barking. Can't really blame the guy - he's been holding it all night!
A better approach seems to be get dressed right away (this requires having showered the night before as necessary) and walk. This is a change to what I've been doing and I'd much rather start the day by checking in with y'all, but concessions are necessary sometimes.
I think I'm going to get a whiteboard for my room because as soon as I leave here, I forget the great ideas I'm going to execute. Adding that to my shopping list on my phone "quick note" app right now.
LOVE the idea of starting the day with a 90 second exercise!
It would be so easy to eventually parlay that to 5 minutes and onward.
I've stumbled on a new good/better way to start the day.
Dog always needs to be taken out and I always make him wait. Which is unpleasant because he has taken to whining and barking. Can't really blame the guy - he's been holding it all night!
A better approach seems to be get dressed right away (this requires having showered the night before as necessary) and walk. This is a change to what I've been doing and I'd much rather start the day by checking in with y'all, but concessions are necessary sometimes.
I think I'm going to get a whiteboard for my room because as soon as I leave here, I forget the great ideas I'm going to execute. Adding that to my shopping list on my phone "quick note" app right now.
Sober since October
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: In the world in my eyes...Somewhere I've never been before...
Posts: 7,355
Hi, guys)
I didn't wake up as planned - no wonder though. But I did my plank.
So, early to bed today and the second launch attempt tomorrow.
Have a great day all.
I didn't wake up as planned - no wonder though. But I did my plank.
So, early to bed today and the second launch attempt tomorrow.
Have a great day all.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
