Clunk. Your head hits the desk as you fall asleep shortly after 9am. Is this how you’re going to impress the boss?
Whoever heard of 9am anyway? It’s not civilised after a night out. Izzit? Well it is if you want to get ahead.
If you really want to know the secret to getting ahead then you need to know the three hacks successful people do before 9am.
There’s a whole three hours of waking time from 6am until you need to get behind your desk, till, machine or steering wheel. Successful people supercharge their days by getting moving early instead of hitting the snooze button yet another time. Read on if you want to leapfrog your colleagues and get ahead.
Successful people supercharge their days by getting moving early instead of hitting the snooze button yet another time
- Map out your day. Lynne Roeder regional director accountancy and finance at Hays does this. She reviews her diary, maps out the day and writes a timed To Do list. If you do this you’ll hit the ground running for a great day.
Not all hours are created equal. So get all the important/difficult stuff done first. “Planning the logistics of your day stops you putting off the things you are dreading,” says Roeder. Whether you need to suck up to the boss or do that job the guy in accounts asked you to do last November, you’ll be better at getting it done if you schedule it in. The 21st century way to do this is with an app such as Carrot or 2Do for your To Do list.
- Exercise. Get those flabby abs looking fab. Exercise gets oxygen into your brain. Your energy levels will rise, says Roeder, and “your brain is going to be stimulated with all that oxygen pumping through you.”
Even a 15 minute routine at home doing squats, press-ups, or the sun salutation will help. To be successful at exercise you have to choose something that suits. That could be doing lengths at the local swimming pool when it opens at 6am, buying a super sleek bicycle and riding to work, using a treadmill, or even doing something whacky like Wii Fit before breakfast.
- Stay informed. Whatever you do for a job build “expert power”. Start the day by reading the newspaper over a coffee or on your electronic device on public transport, says Roeder. Follow industry blogs. It will help you get noticed.
