3 morning habits
Which ones will you try out this year?
to help you level set in 2021
Richard Outram
How do successful leaders start their day?
Louis Lin
Erin Koss
Ganesh Prabhu
CFO, Cinch
Florida, US
Associate VP, Christie’s
Hong Kong
CEO and CFO, Syte
Consulting Group
Oregon, US
Head of Finance, Stephenson Harwood
Dubai, UAE
CPA, CGMA
ACMA, CGMA
CPA
FCMA, CGMA, CPA (Canada)
The day begins
6am
6:30am
7am
8am
Wake up
To find out, we asked four. Meet our leaders
Senior executives tend to wake up between 6am and 7am and often exercise before starting work, research by management consultants and recruiters suggests.
“I’m up for a five-kilometre run around my neighbourhood. During this time, I typically listen to a motivational or business-themed podcast. After that, depending on the day, I’ll do a workout focused on either strengthening or toning.”
Get moving
Richard Outram
CFO, Cinch
Florida, US
CPA, CGMA
“I usually get off at Causeway Bay station and take a 30-minute walk on the Central Promenade along the Victoria Harbour, where I can breathe freely and enjoy the best view of Hong Kong. And this is when I can think about the difficult problems encountered at work — whether and how to break them down and delegate to my colleagues, how to communicate and present to different stakeholders.”
Louis Lin
Associate VP, Christie’s
Hong Kong
ACMA, CGMA
Want to add exercise to your morning routine next year? Tell your friends for motivation
Own your time
Slowing down, taking space, and what she calls “being incredibly intentional with how I spend my time” has been one of the best leadership decisions this CEO says she has made in 25 years in management consulting.
Erin Koss
CEO and CFO, Syte Consulting Group
Oregon, US
CPA
“Once I’m done exercising, I shower and prepare for the day, which includes making a mental list of top priorities, a mindful download after self-reflecting the night before.”
Richard Outram
CFO, Cinch
Florida, US
CPA, CGMA
Before he drops his children at school, this finance chief catches up quickly on international news headlines. “Being abreast of political, economic, and social events helps me understand current affairs, opportunities, and challenges that would affect me personally and professionally and the business I work for.”
Ganesh Prabhu
Head of Finance, Stephenson Harwood
Dubai, UAE
FCMA, CGMA, CPA (Canada)
Meditate
“Meditating helps ground me and ensures when I’m done I can more clearly and easily set priorities, focus on what matters most in each category I am responsible for, rather than chasing squirrels all day.”
“Meditation is key in our overstimulated world. This constant practice enables clarity of thought, focus, and concentration to perform at a high level. Meditation also creates a space to reduce stress and anxiety as well as an opportunity for self-awareness and reflection on your impact on others, whether that’s in your work, family, or community life.”
Richard Outram
CFO, Cinch
Florida, US
CPA, CGMA
Erin Koss
CEO and CFO, Syte Consulting Group
Oregon, US
CPA
8am
7am
6:30am
6am
Tell your friends for motivation
Articles
4 steps to develop superhuman focus
Reimagine productivity: Eat better, work smarter
Reimagine Productivity: Master your productivity rhythm
Reimagine Productivity: Mindfulness, emotions and mood
Podcasts
Mindfulness matters: Reimagine your approach to busy season (Part 1)
Mindfulness matters: Reimagine your approach to busy season (Part 2)
Mindfulness matters: Reimagine your approach to busy season (Part 3)
Mindfulness matters: Reimagine your approach to busy season (Part 4)
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