Instead of jumping into the impromptu tasks waiting in your inbox, plan your morning <a href="https://doist.com/blog/how-exceptionally-productive-people-end-the-workday/">the night before </a>and stick to that plan no matter what. It's easy to prioritize things that others ask of you, but be wary of restructuring your entire day and losing sight of your initial goals.

Stick to your morning priority

Using concepts like the <a href="https://doist.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-personal-productivity-methods/#eisenhower-matrix">Eisenhower Matrix </a>or <a href="https://doist.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-personal-productivity-methods/#eat-the-frog">Eat That Frog </a>can put your to-do list in perspective and help you identify what should take precedence. For more ideas on productivity techniques to try out, browse our <a href="https://doist.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-personal-productivity-methods/">Ultimate Guide to Personal Productivity Methods </a>. If you're still having a hard time identifying priorities, try working backward by identifying work that's definitely not a priority. Eliminate those items and assess what's left. You'll have fewer things to consider and a more comfortable time deciding what's necessary. As Donald Miller, author and CEO of StoryBrand, outlines in his <a href="http://www.storylineblog.com/storyline-productivity-schedule.pdf">storyline productivity technique </a>, managing your time goes hand in hand with managing your mental energy. The more time you fight with your mind on which task you should be doing, the more mental bandwidth you're using up that won't be available later when the real work begins. Make quick and intentional decisions to focus on what will serve you most and just do it.

To-do techniques

When people find out that I work from home and set my own schedule, the conversation is often met with an upbeat, "Wow you're so lucky" quickly followed by, "You must have so much self-control. I would end up watching Netflix all day."

5 Habits for Crafting the Perfect Remote Work Day

N’Diaye Ball