I came across this article on Inc.com this weekend that basically said that if I did a certain type of schedule, I would save up to 20 hours a week in time. 20 hours?!! I’m in! 

The articles entire focus is surrounded by the idea of “taking back the morning”…citing that the early mornings are when you’re the most energetic and can do the most work however it often tends to be a time when there are the most distractions. It gives lots of great advice on how to eliminate distraction, maximize time and keep your body and brain motivated. Mornings are for output, not input (I love that!) meaning wake up early, eat right, don’t schedule meetings before noon, focus on your biggest priorities, eliminate   distraction wherever possible, listen to brain music to stay focused… and more… so I decided to try out their suggestions. Why not, right?

DAY ONE.

Total number of hours worked: 13.5

I woke up at 6 AM. I was at the grocery store by 630 to grab healthy supplies and at my office by 7 AM with a plant based protein shake in hand. Being at Wegmans that early when no one is around is definitely strange. I was sleepy because I’m not the easiest early riser… that is for sure. I avoided Facebook and Instagram like the article suggested, too. Once I got to my office, I wrote down all of my goals for the day, outlining even the smallest ones on the list. Based on the articles suggestions, I started on the list – starting with the most important.

Boy was I surprised! Between 7 AM and 930AM, I was shooting out emails left and right, checking items on my list and felt very focused. The brain.fm music really helped me maintain my focus. I made an exception to their rule by taking a meeting at 10 AM with the landscaper returned back to my work quickly.… but left all my other meetings for the afternoon – which worked out great! 

I didn’t take a break like it suggested between 9 and 11 AM for exercise which I should have…  exercise gives you a much-needed boost. But I do plan to incorporate this into the schedule at some point this week. I did however follow a very good meal regimen… The protein shake allowed me to last until noon, I had a banana and a bagel with peanut buttern for lunch, an ice coffee and a hearty granola bar around 3 PM and a small soup for dinner around 8:30pm. I didn’t eat that much – I couldn’t believe how much my body maintained steady energy all day!

Overall, I was able to get 90% of the work done today and finish working at 8:30 PM. It was a long day (13.5 hours!) filled with hundreds of tasks however, even as I write this 11:44 PM, I just don’t feel nearly as exhausted as I normally do!

Anyhow, day one feels awesome. Tomorrow I’m challenging myself to wake up a little bit earlier… 5:30 AM! The catch of all this is to see if it really sticks… waking up early isn’t easy and knowing me I want to snuggle in bed… Lol. 

Btw, This was the only photo I took the entire day. I guess I was crazy focused! This is one of our recent renovations… It’s a beauty! 

I promise to take more photos tomorrow!