The saying goes - win the morning, win the day. But, if you’re anything like me - your morning will be determined by your inbox, who calls first or what’s been dropped in your lap that day. Productivity expert Donna McGeorge says this way of working is a big mistake and could see the quality of your work suffer, not to mention the extra hours spent at your desk later in the day. So how can we take back control, maximise our time & spend less of it working?  Donna is my guest today & she’s the author of The First 2 Hours: Make Better Use of Your Most Valuable Time. Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Donna on Instagram⁠ & via ⁠her website. BOOKS The First 2 Hours: Make Better Use of Your Most Valuable Time PODCASTSHow To Supercharge Your Day with ChatGPT Productivity Hacks The Happiness Lab: Ask for help...spread happiness TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:10 - Why the first 2 hours are so important 00:03:06 - How to best structure your day for max productivity 00:05:30 - Tools for structuring your day & protecting your mornings 00:09:30 - How to write a to-do list that’s actually helpful 00:13:30 - How to tailor your day to your circadian rhythm 00:21:00 - Don’t give 100%, 100% of the time 00:26:40 - Bad habits that are costing your productivity 00:29:30 - Being mindful of the time you’ve gained back 00:34:00 - How to avoid social media stealing your saved time 00:36:00 - Being kind to your future self