I take 30 minutes before 7:30 a.m. to plan out my day. During this time block, I either start working on my two or three musts or I schedule time to get them done later in the day. If I am home, I try to start this planning session at 7:00 a.m. when the last one of our kids leaves for the bus. These 30 minutes are critical to my success. By setting up your day to make sure that you focus on the right things, as Jeremy does, you prime yourself to be much more productive and successful in accomplishing your goals for the day. The concept of 30 before 7:30 a.m. cannot be done once you walk into the office. You must do this at home or at your favorite coffee shop or on the train or sitting in your car in the parking lot. Im not kidding. The moment you walk into your office and answer that first email or take that first call, your day is gone.

Professor Sune Carlsson studied how CEOs get so much accomplished. What was the secret of these high-powered executives? They worked at home for 90 minutes because there was some chance of concentration. At work, they reported being interrupted every 20 minutes. And what did I tell you about interruption? Its the kiss of death to productivity. Why else is it important to plan and do the most important stuff first thing? Remember, as Dr. Ariely told us, the first 2 to 3 hours of the day are the best hours for the brain to focus on the tasks or goals that advance your own personal or professional goals. Filling that time with unimportant stuff is stupid. Answering emails, taking phone calls, and sitting in meetings have a way of taking over your schedule and rarely lead to making major improvements in your life. For your own happiness and to protect the time necessary to focus on the deep work, the first few hours of your day must be grabbed by you, for you. Fight for it.

If you work on two things you consider important, you are making progress on projects that matterand are winning the long game. Waking up early and planning out your day has huge benefits. Just ask Mari: By jumpstarting his mornings with early wakeups (no snooze!), checklists, and rituals, he has been able to take control, set his priorities straight and find time to start working on a new book. I followed up a few weeks later, asking Mari how the morning ritual was going: Thats amazing, Mari, day #54 of being a boss. Tony did the same and found his way back into the gym every morning at 5a!: I know its hard to get up that early and get right into a workout, but when you 54321 to find the activation energy to beat those feelings of resistance, you not only set yourself up to be the boss of your day, but you also activate your greatest self. 7. I plan my quitting time.

Heres something else I learned from research. In addition to planning my day, I also plan the time I will stop working. Thats right. Every day, when I start my day, I determine what time I will stop working and hang out with my family. Having a deadline for stopping or redirecting does two things: it makes me more intentional with the time I have and that makes me more productive. Theres a principle called Parkinsons Lawwork expands to whatever time you give it. So give your workday a deadline. A deadline is important for stamina and mental health. It forces you to focus and be serious about taking the break from work. Its a break that we all need to be present with our families and give our brains the time to rest, recharge, and reset that they require. Im not going to lie, Ive had to use the rule to force myself 54321 to turn off the computer to stop working for the day more often than I would like to admit.