Every morning I create a daily design, which is a preview of my next day. I write exactly how I want it to go. I send my daily design to a group of close friends who help me stay accountable for what I create. At night, I go back to my design and tell the truth about what actually happened that day versus what I said would happen. Creating everyday design allows me to be the source of my day's design instead of simply responding to it.
—Lauren Zander , co-founder of The Handel Group, author of Maybe It's You:Cut the Shit Off. Face your fears. Love your life.
Meditation and journaling. I've been meditating for years, but I've only been practicing for about two years. Journaling is something I started doing again after being invited to one of our wellness tours, and it really opened up my creativity.
–Linden Schaffer , founder and director of Pravassa, author of Living well on the road
Priorization is key to achieving flow in my workday. There will always be unforeseen interruptions, so it's important to look at the first thing to do in the morning and make sure you get the mashes done even with every last-minute emergency that arises. I use Trello to view and prioritize my daily tasks to achieve this.
–Candice Lu , Co-Founder, OnPrem Solution Partners
To ensure a positive day-to-day workflow, I schedule group meetings on certain days of the week to ensure that most of the information is shared at once, which allows the rest of the meetings to be quick and punctual that occur sporadically. In order not to interrupt myself for smaller and less time-sensitive articles, I set aside dedicated time to check and respond to emails instead of responding when they arrive, and use a note-taking app for jotting down quick ideas that pop up throughout the day.
–Hongwei Liu, CEO, co-founder of mappedin
I try to sleep well and not jump in the morning in the morning. It is important to have a to-do list of your priorities. There's always so much to do that it's a good idea to set deadlines.
–Jake Kassan , CEO, Co-Founder of MVMT Watches
I start my day earlier and have become comfortable with the idea that even though it might raise some eyebrows – and early, I mean 3am . When I start in that calm, quiet time of day, I do all my hardest work before 6 a.m., which gives me the rest of the day to be more creative, think of new flavors and marketing ideas, spending time tracking new trends in the beverage industry and watching customers interact with my product at the grocery store. That way, I can make sure I have free afternoons to spend with my kids when school gets out.
—Bella Hughes , President, Co-Founder of Shaka Tea
Related: Flow makes life better, so go for it (here's how)
This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
