Regular readers of my articles will already know that they should begin each day with a plan. Hopefully, all of you are thinking a little bit about what you want to accomplish well before you sit down at your desk first thing in the morning, and it is a habit that’s helping you make better use of your time.

But how often do those plans really work out?

For most of us, the answer is “not often enough.” Often, it only takes an unexpected phone call, meeting, or quick crisis to throw our plan out of whack and make us feel a bit distracted or preoccupied. There is an easy way to reset from these disruptions, though, and literally double your daily productivity… and it only takes five minutes.

Here it is: Give yourself a quick reminder. This can be a simple exercise – something like writing down your goals, pulling out a sheet of paper with a visual reminder of what you want to accomplish, etc. – to help you to refocus and prioritize your day, not to mention get you moving forward again when you feel tired or frustrated. In other words, it can help you prevent a small interruption from becoming a bigger distraction.

In fact, this might be a great tool for you even if you are not feeling distracted. Most of us have different parts of the day where we start to slow down a bit, and giving yourself a quick motivational refresher can be a great way to focus and get more out of those hours that would otherwise have been lost. The hardest part about being productive and managing your time is keeping your priorities at the front of your mind, so why not do yourself a favor and make it as easy as possible?

It only takes five minutes to clear your mind and refocus on your goals, but it can have a huge effect on your productivity. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

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