How I create each day for maximum success.

We all have daily drivers. They are the influencing forces that determine how we spend our time each day. They can be internal or external. Productive or not. (And if we are getting technical, the drivers could also be Donald, Minnie or a 1-wood.)

Your drivers, whatever they are, become your operating system, your scheduler and the determining factor of how you budget your most valuable resource — your time.

What drives your day?

• A to-do list.
• Your email inbox.
• People who call and stop by to talk.
• Phone notifications.
• Your success list.
• Addiction to cat videos and bargain yarn sites 
• Requests of family and coworkers.
• There is no driver. Days are just giant improvisations.

To create each day for maximum success, my morning routine involves getting on top of my day before my day gets on top of me. To do this I start with a daily success list.

My Daily Success List

1. At the top of the page I write the major areas of my life (like my business The Weaponry, my health, my family, my writing etc.) and the related initiatives I am prioritizing. 
2. Then I write a few motivating cues and phrases about making things happen at the top of the page. Like:
   1. ‘Move all trains forward’
   2. ‘Focus!’
   3. ‘Things do not happen. They are made to happen.’
   4. ‘Get sh!t done!’
   5. ‘More & Better!’
   6. Or dollar values related to goals. (Like Dr. Evil’s $100 BILLION Dollars….)
3. I list my prioritized actions for the day.
4. I find time for each of the actions on my calendar.
5. Then I start attacking the list.   

(Note: WordPress served up a number-on-number outline above, versus numbers-to-letters-to-Roman numerals, which would be clearer. I would try harder to fix it, but I have other things to do today if I want today to be a success.) 

Key Takeaway

Know your goals and long-term priorities and let them drive your days. Start your morning thinking about them. Script action items that help you make progress towards them each day. Find time in your schedule for those actions to make sure you have time to get them done. And protect that time. It is the only way to assure you will make progress each day.

*If you know someone who would benefit from this idea, please share it with them.