We all hear about how you can wake up at 5 AM, be super productive and accomplish so much before even starting work. But for me, and maybe you, waking up even earlier than we already do, is just not going to work. More power to you if you enjoy being up before 7 AM and getting through all your emails before 9 AM.

My morning routine looks like this:

6:30-7:00 AM wake up, take the dog out

7:30 AM shower, then make breakfast

8:00- 9:00 AM meditate, make to-do list, get coffee, read fav blogs

9:00 AM GET TO WORK!

I still have plenty of time throughout the day to take breaks, workout, cook meals for myself etc. Your mornings may require more time than mine. Maybe you have to get your kids ready for school, drive to work, or like to workout first thing. I am by no means saying that your morning should look anything like mine, but here are five ways I have been able to sleep as late as I want and get what needs to get done, done.

ONE: Take breaks! I know this sounds crazy but by working out or taking a break just to pick up around my apartment I can go back to my desk and feel refreshed and attack whatever project I have with new vigor. This can even be accomplished with a walking meeting. If you have a phone call take it in the park and get outdoors.

TWO: Go into your day with a list of what needs to get done, what you want to get done, and what can wait until tomorrow. Making lists is key to prioritizing instead of getting sidetracked by five different email requests.

THREE: Take back your inbox. Dedicate certain times to check your email. Do not sit on your email all day just responding to everything that is coming in. When you do this, you never get the important things done. There are almost no circumstances where if you don’t respond within an hour something catastrophic happens. I check my email three times throughout the work day and usually once before bed. Setting these hard limits will give you hours of your life back, and your clients will start to learn your routine or won’t even notice the change.

FOUR: Do whatever you hate first thing! We spend more time dreading a certain task than it takes to even do it. For me this task is laundry. I could spend an entire day just thinking about how I have to do that laundry and how I don’t have any more socks, but if I just wake up and pop it in the washer before I have even had my coffee then it’s done before 9 AM. Whether it’s scheduling doctors appointments, writing a blog post, scheduling your social media calendar, or whatever you hate most, the key is to do it first.

FIVE: Outsource what you don’t need to be doing. It is important to remember that just because you can do it all doesn’t mean you should do it all. Maybe you need someone to help clean up the house, or you get your groceries delivered, or you hire a VA to do the tasks you hate doing. I have been helping @bemorewithless on several social media tasks over the past five years and if you ask her, she’ll say handing those tasks off to gain an extra 5-10 hours a week has allowed her to grow and enjoy her business that much more. If you are looking for more time in your everyday then let’s work together! Check out this page to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call.