These six tips will ensure your morning routine sets you up for maximum productivity and success.

Start Tomorrow, Tonight: Before going to bed, make a list of things you’ll work on the next day. After making the list, prioritize it, identifying which activities most require your focus. Have a plan for how you’ll attack the to-dos, paying particular attention to the top priorities. Establishing this framework the night before will free up time the next morning for starting tasks or enjoying personal enrichment time. You’ll also wake with a greater sense of calm because you know you have a solid plan for accomplishing priorities.

Beat The Alarm Clock To The Punch: Sleeping to the last possible second, waking to a blaring alarm clock and then mad-dashing through the essential hygiene activities before flying out the door to work is a fantastic way to ensure your whole day feels frantic. You’ll not be at your most productive stressed in this way. Therefore, get up earlier and go slower through your pre-work rituals and responsibilities. The earlier rise time might be difficult at first, but you’ll soon be conditioned to it. Once you are, you’ll realize that the slower pace you start with sets a tone for the day. With a calmer start, you’ll be more grounded and clearer-thinking as you tackle daily challenges.

Get Your Blood Pumping: By rising earlier, you could find time to exercise, which will boost your mood, make you more alert and help sharpen your focus. To achieve those positives, find your sweet spot, doing enough to get the exercise high, but not so much that you wear yourself out. Jogging, walking, aerobics, yoga, martial arts, weights, hitting the punching bag – experiment to find what works best for you.

Take Your Imagination For A Spin: Before braving the carnage of your inbox or checking news and social media sites, spend a few minutes engaged in a creative activity. Free write or free draw whatever comes into your head. Play an instrument. Do a little gum-wrapper origami. Get out the kids’ watercolors and paint. Even spending just 10 minutes on creative activities can put you in a more open, empathetic mindset. This will help you connect better with customers while delivering more consultative service – service that helps generate client loyalty.

Optimize With Optimism: Positive people are more successful. Where others throw their hands up and quit, the optimistic get excited about the challenge – about figuring out ways to overcome. Therefore, start your mornings with positive self-talk. Tell yourself that you’re going to make it a good day, that you’re going to be calm and in control. Remind yourself of previous successes. Give yourself a pat on the back for getting to where you are in life, and pledge to continue working for the better. Feel a sense of gratitude for the good things about your current situation.

Schedule “Happy Time”: You’re a lot more likely to delve into the day with gusto if you have something to look forward to. Even on the most work-heavy days, you can probably find a few minutes to do at least one thing for yourself that makes you happy. Whatever this is, build it into your to-do list. Fit in as many good things as time allows. When you wake up facing a grinder, remind yourself of the feel-good activities you’ll engage in. This helps buck you up and even motivates you to slice through work more efficiently.