Trade Tips:Start Your Morning

Off Right

By Nicole Hayes

How do you start your work day?

A caffeine jolt?

A big breakfast ?

While these things may help, we're here to share

additional ways to jumpstart your morning.

In a Fast Company article,Kevin Purdy shares

the following five tips:

1. Don’t check email for the first hour

“Reading e-mails at home never feels good or productive,” Tumblr

founder David Karp says. “If something urgently needs my attention,

someone will call or text me.”

1. Don’t check email for the first hour

Train coworkers to not expect instantaneous responses to anything they send in your off-hours.

1. Don’t check email for the first hour

Note: Use your judgment. Do what is

standard for your client or company.

2. Gain awareness, be grateful

Give thanks for your day and the new possibilities that

await you.

Spend at least 10 minutes envisioning everything for

which you are grateful.

3. Do the heavy tasks first

Get the heavy stuff behind you and cruise to the easier

tasks during the rest of your day.

3. Do the heavy tasks first

Do whatever research is needed so completing the task will be a snap.

4. Are you doing what you want?

Feeling unfulfilled at work shouldn’t be something you realize months or years too

late.

4. Are you doing what you want?

Ask yourself:If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do

what I am about to do today?

4. Are you doing what you want?

If the answer has been NO too many days in a row, it

may be time to change something.

5. Develop your own “customer service”

• Keep in touch with old contacts

• Check in with coworkers

• Ask questions of mentors

5. Develop your own “customer service”

As you maintain regular engagement with people, you’ll likely have a more reliable roster of helpers when the time comes.

In addition to

Purdy’s tips, I

have found

success by

creating my

day’s agenda

the previous

night.

This presentation was adapted from our Voice Matters Blog.

To learn more about McKinney & Associates, visit www.mckpr.com

McKinney & Associates was founded in 1990 with a commitment to social justice that has prevailed for more than 20 years. From the beginning,

McKinney passionately and skillfully practiced Public Relations with a Conscience for local, national and international organizations.

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