Here’s How to Crush Your AM Productivity #46

In our last elite daily, we explored the power of being Creative Before Reactive—starting your day with deep, meaningful work before diving into distractions like emails, texts, or social media.

Let’s talk about how to make it happen every morning. These simple but powerful strategies will help you stay focused, energized, and unstoppable as you crush your #1 Heroically SMART Goal.

Top Strategies to Start Your Day Creative Before Reactive

1. Define Your #1 Priority the Night Before: Before bed, write down the ONE thing you’ll focus on in the morning. Ensure it’s directly connected to your #1 Heroically SMART Goal.

2. Design Your Environment for Success: Clear distractions from your workspace and set up everything you need for a productive session. Keep your phone out of sight and out of reach.

3. Time Block Your Deep Work: Dedicate the first 60–90 minutes (or 30 minutes if that’s all you have) of your day to creating without interruption. Treat this as sacred time—it’s where your transformation begins.

4. Delay Inputs Until After You Create: No emails, texts, or notifications until your session is complete. Protect your focus fiercely.

5. Start with Intention: Begin your deep work session with a few deep breaths or a quick reflection on why this work matters. (Asterisks, of course, as you have your own idiosyncratic constrains of your reality so your day may look different.)

The Heroic Elite Mindset

Starting your day Creative Before Reactive is one way elite performers prioritize their energy and focus on what matters most.

This isn’t just about productivity—it’s about consistently moving the needle on your #1 Heroically SMART Goal over these 101 days. Every morning, you have the chance to show up for the person you’re becoming.

Action for Today

Set yourself up for success tomorrow morning:

1. Write down your #1 priority tonight.

2. Create a distraction-free environment for your deep work session.

3. Decide when you’ll start—and commit to it.

Every morning matters. Start strong. Let’s be creative before we’re reactive.

P.S. For more on this, check out the Philosopher’s Notes on:

• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• The ONE Thing by Gary Keller