Saturday, June 6, 1998

Start off right

Do you ever have one of those days when you don’t seem to get anything accomplished? For many people, it’s a rare occurrence when they don’t have one of those days.

You start each day with the best of intentions. Then life gets in the way. The phone rings. A crisis comes along. Deadlines loom. Things take longer than expected. Suddenly, it’s the end of the day and you’re further behind than when you started.

Here’s a great suggestion. Get up a little earlier if necessary, and spend an hour or two working on the important things -- before you start answering the phone, before you check your e-mail, before you schedule any appointments, before you delve into the “urgent” stuff.

Then, no matter what happens later in the day, you’ll have already accomplished something substantial. And a big added bonus is in the attitude that you will carry with you for the rest of the day. Having already made progress on something important, it’s amazing how much less resentment you’ll have, and how much more effectively you’ll respond to all the other things that come up. Start the day with accomplishment, and watch the positive momentum build.

— Ralph Marston

Recipe for greatness       Pay attention

Copyright ©1998 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.