The first thing to do in the morning

We’ve adapted to the spins of the Earth and called them days. And every day we wake up and in the air hangs a question: What will I do today?

If we strive to improve our lives and the lives of those around us, the first job we have every day is to get clarity.

Without clarity, our day devolves into a ping pong between the urgent and the pleasurable. Without clarity, we will resort to the familiar and the comfortable. Without clarity, we will only follow, not lead.

We can get clarity by asking: what’s the highest and best use of my time today? And assessing the state of the thing we’re working on.

This might take 10–20 minutes to be done well, but those minutes are well spent if they lead to the most impactful work possible.

The first job you have in the morning if you want to lead your best life is to get clear about what you’re going to do that day. Don’t waste it.