Maximizing Productivity: Morning Rituals and Workday Planning

[Chad Sajovic- Move Work Forward]

Hello Atlassian Community 👋🏻

We all know that a productive workday starts with a good routine. Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, we all have to find a way to structure our day. Having a structured morning routine helps set the tone for the rest of the day.

Question:

What does your morning routine look like? Do you start with emails and alerts, or do you dive into Slack and Teams first? Do you use any digest emails to help? How do you fit checking JIRA tickets and Confluence alerts into your routine? Share your tips, and let's inspire each other to be more productive in our daily work!

Here's how some of us at Move Work Forward kick off our workdays and plan for the days and weeks ahead.

1. Morning Rituals 🌅

• Coffee or Tea First: Nothing beats the aroma of fresh coffee or tea to wake up the senses. A moment of calm before diving into the day’s tasks.

• Review To-Do Lists: A quick glance at the to-do list to get an overview of what’s ahead.

• Morning Standup: Joining the team for a quick standup meeting to align on priorities and address any blockers.

2. Catching Up on Work 📧

• Check Emails and Messages: Skimming through emails and messages to catch up on any overnight updates or urgent issues.

• Review Digest Emails or Work Week Summaries: Many of us start with digest emails or weekly summaries to get a snapshot of the ongoing projects and upcoming deadlines. This helps in prioritizing tasks and staying informed.

• Check JIRA Tickets and Confluence Alerts: Review any new JIRA tickets or updates on existing ones and check Confluence alerts for documentation updates or new project information. This ensures we’re on top of any new requirements or changes.

• Use Slack or Teams for Real-Time Updates: After emails and alerts, some prefer to dive into Slack or Teams to catch up on real-time updates and conversations with the team.

3. Planning Ahead 📅

• Sprint Planning: Reviewing the current sprint’s progress and adjusting tasks as needed. This helps in keeping the momentum and meeting deadlines.

• Setting Daily Goals: Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable goals for the day. This can be anything from fixing a bug to implementing a new feature.

• Blocking Time: Allocating specific blocks of time for focused work, meetings, and breaks. Tools like calendars and task managers can be a huge help here.

4. Continuous Learning 📚

• Stay Updated: Reading up on the latest tech blogs, articles, or documentation related to the tools and technologies being used.

• Skill Development: Spending some time on platforms like Stack Overflow, GitHub, or online courses to learn something new or solve challenging problems.

We would love to hear from you; what does your day/week prep look like?

[Alexander Pappert]

Hi, I do:

• Check Emails and Messages
• Check JIRA Tickets and Confluence Alerts (mostly included in "Check Emails and Messages")
• Blocking Time on next days for specific tasks

[Move Work Forward]

Hi,

I do:

• I use reply/read/remind email folders
• afterwards I open notifications when I need to review/reply each in its own tab
• I batch things and book myself in the calendar for this batch processing - review things in blocked time
• I use MST unread messages filters
• I review Confluence digest
• Sometimes just group things and delete without reading. If important - people will reach out via other means (not email).

Overall, it is not always fun and time consuming, especially, after holidays.

Hope it helps.

Leo