Like many people these days I'm trying to eat a bit more healthily. And like many people I don't always manage to live up to my goals on this front.

But one thing I do manage to get right is breakfast. For some reason it's much easier for me to have a healthy breakfast every morning than it is to eat healthily the rest of the day.

I guess I have more willpower in the morning. And apparently that's in line with recent research which shows that our mental capacities degrade significantly during the day. They're at their strongest shortly after you wake up and you basically “wear out” your decision-making and thinking abilities and your willpower as the day goes on.

That's why it's important to do the things that require the greatest thinking capacity or the greatest willpower early in the morning.

Things like planning and decision-making. Thinking deeply about a problem or a project you're working on.

But certainly not reading and answering emails or taking calls. That'll wear you out on on some of your least important tasks.

Early morning is a great time for marketing and keeping in touch. Many of us don't find marketing all that natural. So it requires both willpower and brainpower to make a good job of it.

My suggestion is to block out time each morning for your marketing, while you're fresh. Compose a few messages to keep in touch with your contacts. Work on that article you're writing or that presentation you have coming up to potential clients.

Morning = Marketing.

It's a great “healthy” habit to get into and will do for your business what a healthy breakfast does for your body.