Utilise Hour One

In project management, every minute counts sometimes. When deadlines are due, projects are going off the tracks or clients are being demanding - time always seems to be of the essence in this business.

Have you ever noticed that when things start to go wrong in the morning; perhaps you burnt your toast, got caught in the rain or your train was late - it seems to set the rest of your day up to be a bit rubbish? Or perhaps the first hour of your day is not very productive and you find the rest of your day ends up being a constant game of catch up? The way you start your day at work really does affect how successful the rest of your day will be, so it's time to make sure you're utilising that hour.

Here Are A Few Ways To Help You Utilise Hour One Of Your Day

Set Yourself Goals For The Day

Take five minutes to set yourself some goals for the day. That could be arranging some professional project management training for yourself, refining your project management framework or simply getting important tasks completed in time for the weekend.

Remember, it's not always in your control what happens in the first hour of your work day, but most of the time it is. Make the most of it and make it count, it will have a knock on effect in relation to the rest of your day.

Eat Right And Hydrate

Although many of us might always have the best intentions of eating breakfast in the morning, more often than not it simply doesn't work out that way. You get up, having pressed snooze several times, find you have ten minutes to somehow get dressed and clean and get to the train station, and before you know it you're in Starbucks buying a greasy croissant and an espresso to have at work.

These days happen to us all, but they don't have to, or at least not most of the time anyway. You need to be well hydrated to get your brain lubricated and to stave off fatigue. Take a slice of lemon in some cling film and add some hot water to it in a mug when you get to work. This will hydrate your brain and get your metabolism going. Opt to make your breakfasts the night before so you can grab it and go. Opt for slow release carbs and protein. Nutty porridge is ideal and you can take it dry in a tupperware tub, then add water when you get to work and microwave it.

Avoid Your Email

It is usually the first thing everyone does when they get to their desk, but it's actually the worst thing you can do. It's an 'easy task' and one that can wait for an hour. It's also likely to lead to you having to do various followups which stop you getting to the 'real work' as quickly as you could. Get an important task done straight away, which will automatically set you up for a productive day and help you feel you have achieved something even if everything else goes a bit wrong.

Avoid Social Media

This doesn't need explaining - you know it's not productive so stay away until lunch!

Go Hard Or Go Home

Don't opt for a quick and simple task you know is easy. Go straight in for the hard work you will likely avoid all day. That way you'll get a great sense of achievement completing it so quickly and you'll feel like you've had a weight off your shoulders for the rest of the day.

Don't Get Chatty

This is going to be really difficult, but it is important not to get gossiping about the weekend or last nights big news story as soon as you get to work. This will automatically take your mind off the game and provide a distraction for you. That's not to say you should be ignore everyone though. Connect with your team by saying hello to everyone you see on the way in, this promotes teamwork and a good atmosphere in the office.

Check Your Calendar

If you have a well organised calendar it should tell you exactly what you need to achieve today. If it's not up to date with new tasks or deadlines, update it there and then so you know everything you need to do is logged.

Clean Your Desk

You don't have to do a complete overhaul, but a tidy house is a tidy mind and the same applies at work. Give your desk a little tidy when you get in so it's a nice place to work.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.