At 7 a.m., most cities are still sleeping. Cafes are starting to open, the mailboxes are silent, social networks a little less frantic than usual. It is precisely at this time that the best leaders, the most inspired business creators, make their most daring decisions.
Because yes, there is a secret that little dare to admit: strategic decisions, those that really change the trajectory of a company, rarely take themselves in the full effervescence of the day. They take themselves early. Very early.
Before 8 a.m., the mind has not yet been contaminated
We live in a world saturated with notifications, meetings and permanent requests. From 9 a.m., the phone rings, the agendas fill up, emergencies take precedence over the important thing.
Before 8 a.m., all this does not yet exist. Your mind is still a virgin noise. No emails to be treated. No reports to read again. And no conflicts to arbitrate. This is the only moment of the day when you are the only master of your attention. This is where the best ideas arise, those that require a rested brain and a heart still connected to intuition.
Science confirms it: the brain is more creative in the morning
Neuroscience studies show that the prefrontal cortex – the area involved in decision -making and creativity – is particularly active after a good night’s sleep. Conversely, the more the day advances, the more your judgment capacity degrades: this is what researchers call decision -making.
In other words: each choice you make in the day “consumes” part of your mental energy. Arrived at the end of the afternoon, you are more vulnerable to cognitive biases, more impulsive or more conservative depending on your temperament.
The major strategic decisions deserve better than that. They require a fresh, lucid brain, capable of seeing far and arbitrating with discernment.
Morning decisions shape corporate culture
The leaders who devote their first hours to reflect rather than react send a strong signal to their teams: here, we build before consuming, we think before producing.
Imagine two types of leaders:
- Whoever starts his day by opening his mailbox and responding to the emergency room. He immediately puts himself in firefighter mode. His business becomes reactive, but rarely proactive.
- Whoever spends his first hour to write, meditate, define the three major priorities of the day. His teams feel that there is a compass, a CAP.
Morning decisions are not only strategic choices; They become a cultural act. They say: “We do not let the circumstances decide for us. »»
Deciding early is to decide without noise
Take a decision before 8 a.m. is also to avoid cacophony. Later in the day, the opinions of each other infiltrate. Collective fears are expressed. Decisions are transformed into soft compromise.
In the morning, it’s you, your convictions and your data. This is where daring decisions are made: that of investing in a new market, recruiting an atypical profile, abandoning a project that does not take off.
You are less influenced by the political micro-presses of the organization and more connected to your long-term vision.
“Before 8 am or never”: a philosophy, not a constraint
Obviously, it is not a question of raising a religion at dawn. The idea is not to sacrifice your sleep or become a robot. The idea is to book your first hours for what really matters.
Here are some concrete practices:
1/ Protect your sacred niche : Between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., do not touch your emails. Turn off your notifications. Devote this time to reflection, writing or planning.
2/ Hold on a decisions : Note every morning the important choices you take, even the intuitions. Reread them a few weeks later: you will be surprised to see how fair your morning decisions were.
3/ Make your body in motion: Light physical exercise, stretching, walking. This stimulates blood circulation and activates your vigilance.
4/ Visualization: Imagine your business in a year, in three years. Ask yourself: what decision can today bring me closer to this vision?
What if you’re not in the morning?
Let’s be realistic: everyone is not naturally in the morning. Some brains fuck better in the evening. But even in this case, in the morning remains a privileged moment, because it is protected from interruptions.
You can adapt it to your pace: maybe you will not get up at 5 a.m., but simply an hour before your first meeting to take this time to step back. The important thing is not the precise time, but the quality of the mental space you create.
The dangers of repelling
Putting big decisions later is often an elegant way of not making them at all. The day is advancing, emergencies accumulate, energy drops, clarity of mind too.
Result: the decision is sloppy or repelled once again. And by dint of procrasting, you leave the market, competitors or your own teams decide for you.
To decide early is also to decide before the context decides for you.
In the morning, an ally against the loneliness of the leader
We often forget it, but decision -making is one of the most lonely aspects of the manager’s function. You can consult your teams, your mentors, your investors … But at the time of the final choice, you are the one who carries the responsibility.
The first hours of the day offer you a healthy solitude space. This is the moment when you can listen to your doubts, your intuitions, your convictions, before the external votes confuse the signal.
