Early Mornings Can Help Your Business!

Everything seems to be going your way for once. The office is really coming together to make that big business deal you've been trying so hard to get for months. You shake the CEO's hand and seal the deal. You stroll out of the office with a spring in your step and get in the taxi to head home for the night. But the cab driver is playing loud music - so loud that it just sounds like screeching in your ear. And then you wake up, your alarm clock ringing at max volume. It's 7:00am, and it's time to go back to the office that feels like a prison, and your employees the inmates.

Not everyone is a morning person, but according to time management expert Laura Vanderkam's book What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, mastering the early hours of the morning can benefit both you and your business in ways you'd never guess. Here are a couple of tips that can help you make the most of your mornings.

No Distractions at Dawn
As the owner of a small business, your day is filled to the brim with appointments, business meetings, and paperwork. Your day is literally packed before you make it to the office in the morning. By the time you leave the office, you're so exhausted you don't want to do anything. In order to prevent this, make personal matters or important business matters an early-morning thing. You're likely to get it accomplished, as distractions are less likely to make you put it off at 5:00am.

Willpower is Everything!
Vanderkam states, "Willpower is like a muscle [that] becomes fatigued with over-use." She argues that, just like your arm muscles or back muscles, they will be stronger in the morning after a good night's rest. As your day goes on, your willpower is used up dealing with your workplace and making difficult decisions, so it's best to do important work early in the morning while you're still fresh. The time to draft that important speech or business proposal is right in the morning, before the rest of the day wears at your patience and willpower.

Start the Day the Right Way!
We all know the phrase, "woke up on the wrong side of the bed." You sleep through your alarm clock, or you miss the subway, or forget your wallet at home. Unfortunately, these little defeats can throw off the rhythm of your entire day and set a precedence for failure. Don't let this happen. Waking up early and accomplishing something great can improve your mood for the rest of the day, and the results can be incredible; when you feel good, your work and concentration improves drastically.

If waking up at the crack of dawn instead of the crack of noon doesn't sound appealing, there's still hope for you! Vanderkam has these tips that can give any nocturnal animal some morning glory.

• Keep a time journal detailing how productive you are with your time in the evenings. Try and cut down on negative productivity and put that time toward productivity in the mornings.
• Plan your morning ahead of time. If you give yourself a sense of purpose, you'll be more likely to get out of bed and be productive.
• Ease into your new schedule instead of diving in headfirst. You likely won't be able to make the adjustment that quickly if you are waking up significantly earlier than you are used to. Take your time with it and use small increments to get to bed earlier and wake up earlier.

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs of all-time were early risers, and it can only benefit you to take a page out of their book and wake up earlier than you normally do. You'll have more time to focus on your business while your mind is still fresh and ready to go! For more best practices, contact Macro Systems at 703-359-9211, or share your secrets to success in the comments below!