First thing I do is open my weekly planner to see what's waiting for me today.

Then I play a chess game:

If I win, I feel awake and ready for a productive day.

If I lose... I force myself to be productive anyway
What about you? How do you start your day?

I've always worked remotely, always in small teams. For years I struggled with the same things:

• staying productive

• staying consistent

• doing the right tasks instead of the ones I enjoy

• getting my habits back after travel or a messy month

I thought I was alone in this, so I kept hacking my way to solutions. Here's what has actually worked so far.