Early Mornings
I'm not a morning person. For years it has been hard for me to get up early and get my day started. Over the last few years I've discovered that being an early riser helps increase productivity. While getting up early is always a challenge, the productivity benefits are amazing.
As I write this, I am on the second day of my 8th anniversary trip with my wife. It's 5:30 in the morning and my wife is sound asleep, and I am trying my best not to wake her with the tapping of the keys. The quietness of the morning is a valuable tool to getting things done in the morning. In our busy and nosy world, it's too easy to get distracted.
The early morning removes a lot of the distractions that come at us. There are no emergency emails, no team meetings, no sales calls, no kids (depending on their ages), nothing but you and your thoughts. The world is still and just starting to move, you can be alone and focus.
I tend to do most of my writing in the early morning before I go into work. It allows me to focus and clear my head before jumping into the day. I also jot down a few notes to myself and organize my todo list for the day. By doing this I am able to get ahead of my day, rather than being reactive all-day long.
I still hate the mornings, I'd rather sleep in. But now I control my day instead of the letting the day control me.