Don’t start off wrong: checking e-mail is not a priority
Don’t lose your concentration. Checking e-mail in the morning is not something Brian Tracy would recommend: in fact, the famous speaker and salesman would warn us against it.
Checking e-mail may seem innocent at first but suddenly you will find yourself replying and dealing with messages for several hours in a row. So focus rather on the list of your important tasks and open your inbox only after the important activities are finished.
Plan ahead
By making the list a day in advance, you will achieve true productivity. With a good plan, procrastination is not an issue for you. There is no more effective urge to get started than a good plan.
Personal planning is also a skill that separates successful people from the rest. By writing the list the preceding evening, you mentally prepare yourself actually to follow it.
-jk-