Leadership begins with you. Influential leaders develop consistent patterns of discipline in their own lives and then help others do the same. Paul helped Timothy as a young leader learn discipline, teaching him to stay hyper focused on the task at hand and the Word of God, so he would never be ashamed of his work (2 Timothy 2:15).

One of the most overlooked, but by no means unimportant, areas of discipline is managing your productivity. We can easily go through our day on autopilot, completing task after task that demands our time and attention. But without proper forethought and planning, our productivity will be shot. We’ll end up spending our time and energy on the urgent instead of the important.

To stay focused on your productivity, let me share three essentials with you. Use these as a kick-start to building consistent patterns of discipline.

Start Your Day Right

You may not realize it, but a productive day starts the night before. If you have trouble getting up on time, it may mean you’re not going to bed at a decent hour. Try turning off your TV, powering down your cell phone and closing up your laptop at least an hour before bedtime. Use that time to read or spend quality time with your spouse.

Staying focused is all about our mindset. What’s the last thing you think about when you go to bed and the first thing you think about when you get up? Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” But Psalm 63:6 adds, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” By turning our thoughts and attention toward God right before bed, we will develop good thought patterns throughout our day.

You may not realize it, but a productive day starts the night before.

Get up early and get going! Begin each day by writing out the “Top 5 Things to Do Today.” This will keep you focused on what’s important. It also gives you clear direction as you pray through your calendar. What task will be the most challenging? What will require the most energy from you? What do you feel most unprepared for, and can the Holy Spirit help you?

Another great morning routine is to work out and get energized. This doesn’t mean you need a gym membership. A brisk walk around the neighborhood will do wonders for your health and your mind. Accomplishing something early in the day can set a positive tone for what’s to come.

Now that you’re up, spiritually prepared, mentally sharp and physically warmed up, go ahead and get to the office early. Be a pacesetter for others you work with and who work for you.

Schedule Your Time Effectively

The best tool you have for maintaining productivity is your schedule. But it can either be a help or a hindrance. Here are a few guidelines for wrestling your schedule into shape:

First, schedule blocks of time to interact with staff members, co-workers or employees. When you send them a scheduling invite they’ll know exactly how much time you’ve allotted for their attention. The expectation has been set.

But don’t just schedule time for other people, schedule blocks of time to be alone with your work. Make sure you budget sufficient time to accomplish each task with a minimum amount of distraction. This can also be time alone with the Lord to reconnect with him throughout the day. Schedule time to get up from your desk, take a walk around or even leave your office. It’s not only good for your health, it will increase creativity.

Don’t let meetings get out of hand. Track the amount of topics you’re able to cover in a meeting, and then keep all meetings to that number. And if the information can just as well be communicated in an email, don’t waste a meeting on it.

Use Email Wisely

Speaking of email, it’s hard to remember a time we didn’t use it. But if you allow it, this great technology can become a mean taskmaster. Here are some ways you can use it to your advantage.

Keep it short. Strive to hold your unread emails at zero, or as low as possible. And keep your emails as short as possible, training your staff to do the same. Longer emails should be used sparingly and should never require immediate action or response.

The most important thing to remember about productivity is to stay focused. 

When you get a group email, only reply if you have an action item. Not everything that crosses your inbox requires your participation. This way you keep your inbox uncluttered.

Choose three times a day to sort through your email inbox – first thing in the morning, around noon, and right before you leave for the day. You can continue to check emails promptly, but learn how to identify them as they come in. Some will need your immediate action and require you to stop whatever you’re doing. Others will need an immediate response. But most emails can be filed away for future events, actions or information. Finally, delete unnecessary emails immediately and liberally.

The most important thing to remember about productivity is to stay focused. When you work on a task in front of you, give it your undivided attention. After you complete it, move on to the next. If your concentration is going in several different directions, your mind cannot be at peace. Remember these words from the great prophet:

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast.

A steadfast mind will produce a productive leader.