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Can the First 5 Minutes of Your Day Set the Tone?

dev.to staff on November 10, 2023

Many successful individuals emphasize the importance of a productive morning routine. What are your top activities in the first 5 minutes of your d...
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juanfrank77 profile image
Juan F Gonzalez

Yooo I found a few days ago a crazy video that mentions that if you start working from the first minutes since you wake up, it can give you a massive boost in productivity and getting a lot done before others are awake.

And then you can go and do the traditional "morning routine" as a way to recover from that bout of work.

This is the video

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michaeltharrington profile image
Michael Tharrington

Oooo this is kind of an interesting theory... I don't know about the first minute, but I do think it's important to be productive in the morning!

I know we were chatting about music in another thread, Juan... a big part of my morning routine involves playing guitar. I'm trying hard to get better, so if I can get my mind thinking about guitar first thing in the morning, I'm hopeful that'll help me with my playing. To the video's point, I do feel like it's easy to get in a flow state quickly when I first get up — maybe there's something to this flow proneness.

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juanfrank77 profile image
Juan F Gonzalez

Yeahhh that's dope. If you're playing guitar in the morning, your brain is going to get better at codifiying those strum patterns and the like. I've heard that playing music is an activity very conducive to flow.
So you're now getting like 2 for the price of 1. 😆

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jd2r profile image
DR

100%. I just chill in my bed for a few minutes and go over everything I'm planning to do that day. It gives me a sense of purpose as opposed to just waking up and getting started without immediately knowing exactly what I'm doing.

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bretbernhoft profile image
Bret Bernhoft

I came here to say the same thing, essentially. The first few minutes really do set the tone for an entire 24 hour period of life; including sleep. Your approach is a powerful play.

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thecheapaudiophile profile image
Griff Polk • Edited

YES. AJR just released a new album and all I did the first 44 minutes and 12 seconds was listen to the album. In the first 5 min were my new 2 favorite songs, and now my day is great :). It’s so good, that, even though I’m a programmer, the entire time I’ve been toiling over dumb bugs that are so hard to fix, I haven’t even felt like I wanted to kill myself. That is a great mood, for a programmer. But normally NO


NOTE, THIS IS A JOKING POST, NO REAL SUICIDAL IDEATIONS HAVE BEEN TRULY FELT BY THE AUTHOR

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jd2r profile image
DR

AJR! 🎉
Super hyped to listen to the new release. Thanks for the reminder 😂

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dougmckechie profile image
Douglas McKechie

Yes I think the first 5 or so minutes of your day can set the tone or direction.

Humans are creatures of habit so if you are trying to change habits, then how you start your day is important and may determine if you fall back in to old / unproductive habits or get off to a successful start with productive and constructive tasks.

Personal example: I know for a fact that if the first thing I do after getting out of bed on the weekend is turn on my computer and sit in front of it I am likely to spend (waste?) the whole morning checking emails, watching YouTube, and perhaps start playing Fortnite. Whereas if I leave the computer off I am more likely to exercise, have a healthy breakfast, get the housework and other productive tasks done.

I am sure this translates over to a morning routine for work days as well, especially when working from home. A good start will set up positively for the day ahead.

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Harsha S

I don't think 5 minutes but definitely the 1st 1-2 hours.
In my experience,
If I spend the first two hours, watching YouTube or listening to loud music then the rest of the day is unproductive. YouTube, porn, music. No exercise lol. I don't even bath and eat breakfast sometimes.

(This also applies if I sleep very late)

But If I go through my morning routine, then there is a very high chance that I spend a good productive day ahead. Though not 100%, but usually work gets done.

Habits make the individual.
Good habits. Good results.
Bad habits. Bad results.

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juanfrank77 profile image
Juan F Gonzalez

You'll be surprised the difference those 5 mins make.

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kurealnum profile image
Oscar

Yes, certainly. I've mentioned in other comments/posts that I have a routine, and I really like to follow that routine.

That and sleep, I guess. If I'm even 30 minutes off my regular 8 hours, I feel sluggish, tired, and overall less productive.

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ravavyr profile image
Ravavyr

The tone of my coffee machine sure