Admittedly, I am a morning person – I really enjoy getting up before the sun and starting my day.  Now, while my love for getting up early may seem insane to a night owl, I would venture to say that no matter our preferences, we all tend to desire a productive start to our day.  There are many distractions that compete for our attention and can prevent us from starting the next day off well.  But, no matter what our vocation, from a mother to the President, I would submit that these basic steps will get us started in the right direction.

1 – Start the night prior.  I love starting a new day with a plan.  Having a plan helps provide a framework for how the day is structured, helps remind me what is important, and allows me to critically think about what my priorities are.  Before I go to bed, I look at my calendar and plan the day out – look at where I can gain efficiencies, combine errands, set priorities, see where I need to focus, and where I can relax.

2 – Prep for the morning.  I get my coffee ready to brew, set my clothes out for the new day (both running and work clothes), gather the items I need to take to work with me, and make my lunch.

3 – Sleep!  I am an 8 hour guy, so I ensure that I have 30 minutes to wind down prior to sleeping.  For me, this means laying in bed and reading a novel.  This 30 minute timeframe is a social media and news free zone – it is absolutely forbidden!

4 – Upon waking up, get into my running clothes (laid out the night prior), and grab my cup of freshly brewed coffee.

5 – Sit down in my quiet, dark, living room, turn my reading light on and pray, meditate, and read Scripture.  This is my favorite time – just me, God, and coffee!

6 – Check the news.  No in depth reading of articles, simply scan the headlines and read the first paragraph – just to ensure that the apocolypse has not occurred.

7 – Work out!  This is my second favorite time of the morning – get it out of the way so the rest of the day is free.

What I have found, is that by adhering to the basic framework outlined above, I have taken care of myself and connected Spiritually.  In this manner, I can now connect with others and give myself freely to them.

Of course, as we say in the Marine Corps, no plan ever survives first contact, but planning your day out at least gives us a place to start and a framework to veer from.  In short, by forming a basic plan and taking care of ourselves, we give ourselves the opportunity to be productive.