"They relax. This one is difficult for most people, but successful individuals understand the importance of creating a few minutes of peace before jumping in. "It helps you better approach the issues at hand," Taylor says. Taking a moment to stretch and breathe will help you make better decisions during this chaotic time of day."<p>In general, I've done the best when I start my day by reading the newspaper - not software industry news, but the local dead-tree paper - over breakfast in a cafe, before I go to work.<p>Lately I haven't been doing so well. I attribute this to where I presently live; there is only one place where I can walk to where I could read the paper over breakfast. Rather than going there every single day, some days I stay at home with the intention of getting right to work. Quite commonly the days that I stay home are quite unproductive.<p>Being self-employed, I do a lot better if I get out of the house.