Creating 'me time' at the start of each day to boost your productivity 1,000%, practice this one habit daily for one year

My early morning read is this morning's share. Well I made a good start by cycling to work and planning my day so all good so far. But can it be maintained for an entire year and will my productivity would jump by 1,000 percent?

John Rampton writes "In that hour, you can do whatever you want, as long as it is self-focused and involves activities you wouldn't typically do during the workday.

The following are key themes of how you can spend that time to yield the best results.

PREPARE FOR THE DAY OR WEEK AHEAD.

This habit, by itself, can yield tremendous benefits. You will get each day or week off to a better start when you're prepared for what's coming. Instead of running from one thing to the next with your mind in a whirlwind, you'll have much more focus.

This will not only make the experience more enjoyable and less stressful, but it will also allow you to take better advantage. Instead of trying to figure out what happens next in the brief periods of time between activities, you can calmly move to the next. This will give you much-needed mental breaks and allow you to prepare for what's next. That will lead to heightened levels of presence in each activity and, consequently, higher output.

INVEST IN INDEPENDENT LEARNING.

Waking up early is also a great time for independent #learning; you can spend the time reading or learning a new skill.

Reading, on its own, is very enjoyable and rewarding. It can also give you a big productivity spike because the content you consume can often be applied to daily life. Even when they might not seem relevant, books have a funny way of being applicable. A novel about a man who ran away with the circus, for example, may help you find a way to handle an out-of-control employee.

START A NEW HABIT.

You could take a portion of these mornings to work on developing a new habit as well. This could be a daily blog (or vlog!) post. It could be taking a photo, emailing one person to connect and so forth.

Giving yourself this time and space to get into routines will also pay long-term dividends. Habits aren't valuable for what they add in a day or two; they're worthwhile when they persist over time.

Imagine emailing a new person each day for a year. Even if you end up talking with just 20 percent of them, that will lead to 70 new conversations with whomever you choose -- and likely a lot of new opportunities or insights.

EXERCISE.

Even 15 minutes of body workouts can help you stay healthy and get fit. If exercise is part of your typical routine, including it in this hour shouldn't count. On days when you know you won't have time and want to get your heart pumping, however, a quick workout can be extremely useful.

Exercising first thing in the morning is also a great way to jump-start the day and feel productive throughout.

REFLECT.

This is another extremely high-impact activity we don't do enough. Reflection is not just an opportunity to be more internally focused and spiritual, but it can also add significant practical value.

When we don't reflect, we tend to go through life without considering our actions. We don't think enough about how certain activities make us feel, nor do we think about the lessons we gain from what happens to us.

Reflection will allow you to mitigate these times and make better choices, as well as capitalize on what you're learning each day.

 All it takes is one hour, every morning, for a year to truly boost your productivity by 1,000 percent. You will be able to accomplish an enormous amount, set good habits and put yourself on a path toward happiness and success."

Anyone going to be inspired and give it a go?