Research tells us that the way we start our day has a big impact on our productivity levels. In this series we ask our soloist community to share the little rituals that help kickstart their day.

Do you action/plan/do anything specific to prepare for the morning the night before?

I generally plan for the week on Sunday evening.

I write up my 3-5 non-negotiables which must be achieved in the week ahead no matter what the week brings for me.

I also produce a list of all the smaller items I want to get through. These are often guided by my quarterly goals I set for the business. 

I also set up my days so that I have an overall focus. It makes me more efficient. Monday and Tuesdays are non-client facing days. Mondays I do all my sales calls, following up on proposals, pitching for new business. It’s all about generating new income. On Tuesdays I work with my team member, Kristina, working on client assessments, research projects, strategic marketing plans and preparing for speaking engagements, board briefings and workshops. It’s all about producing the work. Wednesdays and Thursdays are all about client delivery and Fridays are my strategic days where I am working on the business. This might involve developing new presentations, service offerings and refining my processes and reviewing my progress against my business objectives.

What time do you wake up? And how do you do it?

I’m a night owl so it’s an alarm for me all the way. Having said this, I’m generally up by 6:30am although on speaking days it can be earlier. Once I’m awake, I’m awake and ready for action. 

What is the VERY first thing you do after you wake up? If you eat, what do you eat?

I tend to get the kids organised first. I have three teenagers and they need to get out the door by 7:45am. My husband often drops them down at the train station leaving me to enjoy a Chai and review my emails to assess if there is anything which must be urgently attended to. I tend to fast weekdays until around 11am and then I’ll enjoy an early lunch. 

What is your first drink of the day? Where are you when you’re drinking it?

I drink a Prana Chai to kick off the day at home. I gave up coffee about 17 years ago. The headaches coming off coffee where so intensive I vowed I would never drink it again. I now enjoy a Chai once the kids have got off to school.  Sometimes I’m in a coffee shop, other times I’ll brew it at home. 

What part of your morning routine makes you feel the best?

Being well organised and having a clear strategy provides with me great comfort. Having a focus or theme for the day works really effectively for me. It sets me up for a great day and ensures I get everything done. 

What part of the routine could you really live without?

Interruptions. The texts from my kids start at 3:38pm asking what they can eat, to can I pick them up from the train to save them catching the bus. Knowing this, I try and ensure the bulk of my work is completed by then so I can be available to them and ferry them to and from their sporting commitments a few days each week. I find it’s important time to check in with them and find out what’s happening for them. I’ve found that that incidental time with teenagers can’t be underestimated. It counts.

Describe your ideal morning

If it is a weekend I’d definitely say a sleep in! 

If we are talking about the weekday, an ideal morning is just having things go to plan. I often record my podcast with US guests on a Wednesday or Thursday morning and just having my equipment (and their equipment) working without incident is an ideal morning. It’s also a great way to start the day as I find so many of my guests really inspiring and it puts me in a great mind frame to achieve things.