For a man whose brilliant poems and eye-opening artwork suggest too many afternoons in the afternoon sun without a hat, William Blake also had some down-to-earth things to say about life.
One of his ruminations is particularly apt for executives thinking how they should better organise their working day.
Our Bill opined: “Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.”
This chimes with our research that shows the most successful people do their best thinking in the morning – because that’s when they do the following:
Wake with the larks
No they’re not in the house. They don’t even have to be in the tree outside. The point is rising early as the dawn chorus gives you a head start on a world full of sleepy heads, with plenty of time to think about the day ahead.
Exercise . . . no really!
Yes, this one is going to be contentious. Not everyone relishes the idea of pulling on their joggies to go out and wrestle the Beast from the East. That’s why a fifteen-minute indoor work-out on the yoga mat is a winter warmer.
Mind your meditation
It’s not only wee Yoda who ponders life, the universe and everything at sunrise. Oprah Winfrey is well known for cross-legged humming and homming before breakfast. Just a few minutes spent clearing the mind – especially of that dream you had about Oprah – will free space for the good stuff.
Enjoy a full Scottish
No, we’re kidding. Go easy on the black pudding there, tiger! A healthy breakfast of fruit and cereal not only gives you hours of extra battery life it means you’re less likely to smuggle vending machine ‘goodies’ into your desk drawer.
Get a handle on what’s going on
Remember newspapers? Yes, they do still exist and examples such as The Herald are very good at giving you the latest business news, even before the markets have opened. Find out what your competitors are up to rather than checking out your friends’ Facebook posts.
Master your plan
Finally, it’s almost time to move into the action zone. Before this, however, make a plan in your head or on your phone that reminds you what goals you want to achieve today. And, goodness, is that the time already. It’s just gone 7.30am. Best get going!
The early bird gets the worm. But who wants worms? Be early to s1jobs and get the best Executive and Management vacancies across Scotland.