Want a More Productive Day? 11 Things You Should Do as Soon as You Get to the Office

Want a More Productive Day? 11 Things You Should Do as Soon as You Get to the Office
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Before you throw your bag down and get straight to work, make time to do the following things the moment you get to the office. You'll be amazed at the effect it has on your day.

A. Say Hello to Everybody

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While it doesn't seem like much to simply greet all your co-workers, I often get very valuable insights from simple morning small talk. That "hello" can quickly evolve into a more serious and productive discussion. It also sets the expectation that I'll be conducting daily morning rounds. - Charles Moscoe, SkinCare.net

A. Create a List

2016-10-26-1477494580-1420718-MattDoyle.pngI like to create a list of all the big-idea tasks I'd like to accomplish each day. This reminds me to structure my day better, and it gives me that little boost of confidence when I get to cross something off. - Matt Doyle, Excel Builders

A. Find a Small Win

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The first thing I do at the office is knock out a task or a "to-do" -- something at the top of my list or something that's been hanging out at the bottom for too long. It should be small enough to finish, but big enough to matter. This sets the pace for the rest of my day and gives my confidence and mood a boost, making me feel positive and productive. I like taking control of my day instead of letting it control me. - Robby Berthume, Bull & Beard

A. Tackle Your Hardest Task First

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If you tackle your hardest task first thing in the morning, you're able to use all your energy to give it the attention it deserves. This paves the way for the rest of your day to be more productive and helps you create a mindset of getting things done, regardless of their intensity or difficulty. - Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now

A. Gather for a Motivational Meeting

2016-10-26-1477494675-3407756-ElleKaplan.pngBefore delving into work, I like to have a mini cheerleading session with my team to let them know what inspiring work we have on the horizon and how we're making a difference. Often, it's hard to tie the daily grind into the big picture, so this helps get the entire office motivated. It also wakes everyone up and keeps us focused on the day ahead. - Elle Kaplan, LexION Capital

A. Unpack

2016-10-26-1477494702-8344617-ShalynDever.pngAt the beginning of every day, I always sit down, unpack my bag, and set up shop before I start working. It's easy to just throw my bag anywhere and start diving in, but I've found that spending a moment to get comfortable in my workspace really gets me in the mood to work. - Shalyn Dever, Chatter Buzz

A. Zero Out Your Inbox

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Having a zeroed-out inbox (absolutely nothing in unread) is one of the daily rituals I've gravitated to in the last few months. It was hard at first, but it impacts my day to know everything that's going to be coming at me. I'm a better planner now, and I structure the rest of my day more efficiently. - Adam Steele, Loganix

A. Talk To Your Team

2016-10-26-1477494757-4654397-DaisyJing.pngTalking to my team and receiving updates from different departments helps me plan my tasks for the day. It allows me to allot a specific time to tackle issues that have popped up and gives me a better idea on which task I should assign each team. This way, I already have a bigger picture of what our day will look like, giving me more time to plan ahead. - Daisy Jing, Banish

A. Hold a One-on-One Meeting

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Every morning when I get to the office, I take a few minutes for one-on-one time with my executive assistant to go over calls, meetings, schedules, project statuses, goals and open items for the day. This helps me feel organized and have a clear understanding of what to look forward to and what to prep for. It ensures that we -- and the rest of the office -- are aligned and ready for the madness. - Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media

A. Meditate

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For me, starting the morning with meditation is the best way to set the tone for a focused and productive day. It slows things down and improves my concentration throughout the day. It grounds me and lets me address myself first so that I can better address clients, employees, friends and associates that I'll go on to encounter that day. - Brian Lischer, Ignyte

A. Review Results and Identify Improvements

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I start each morning with a thorough performance review of one of our clients. This helps me ensure that we are adding the substantial amount of value that I expect, while quickly alerting us to areas that have room for improvement. Most of all, it focuses my mind on the need to continually generate results for our customers and on how best to accomplish that each day. - Jeff Jahn, DynamiX

These answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

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