I’ve yet to meet a lawyer who isn’t searching for the secret to having more productive days.

I actually know the secret, and I’ve had a productive day. Of course, it would be better if I’d had more than one, but I’ll pass along the lessons I learned on that one special occasion.

Here are my nine steps for a productive day:

Step 1. Plan the day the night before. Spend 10 or 15 minutes the night before figuring out what you’re going to do in the morning. Take a look at your cases and projects list and analyze the tasks on the to-do list. Review the appointment calendar and see what’s coming. This is your chance, before you’re in the heat of battle, to figure out what you’re going to accomplish tomorrow. Pick one big task and put it on the top of the list.

Step 2. Sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential to a productive day. Get to bed at a reasonable time and get the rest you require. If you’re having trouble sleeping, and a remarkable number of us struggle with sleep, then see a doctor and get some advice. You can’t perform at a high level without adequate time to recover from a long day.

Step 3. Wake up. Listen, it’s hard to have a productive day if you sleep through it. Am I right? Wake up and get out of bed. Do it early. In fact, I’d suggest getting up before everyone else in your house so you can get on with your day without interruptions. Of course, we’ve all got morning issues to address (kids, spouses, etc.), but the earlier you get moving, the more you’ll accomplish. The early bird really does get the worm (if, of course, you want the worm).

Step 4. Meditate. The evidence strongly suggests that meditation is great for you in more ways than I can count. Apparently, you don’t need to spend hours contemplating your navel to achieve many of the benefits. Take a short meditation break at some point in the day, or do it first thing when you wake up.

Step 5. Exercise. Like meditation, the evidence on exercise is overwhelming. You don’t need to train for the Ironman to achieve the benefits. You can—despite how it may feel—find the time. The president exercises each and every morning. We’re busy, but we’re not so busy that we can’t make time to take care of ourselves. At a minimum, go for a walk. I suggest getting your exercise done first thing in the morning. My experience is that getting my exercise done early gets my brain in gear.

Step 6. Eat breakfast. You’ve got to eat. Personally, I’ve got to eat before I exercise. High-quality fuel is required to keep your body and brain functioning properly. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and contradict some belief you have about nutrition, but I find breakfast is the easiest time to load up on fiber. Most of what I read says fiber is good for us, and breakfast is the perfect opportunity to get a big dose. Oatmeal anyone? Maybe some fruit?

Step 7. Learn. Use your exercise time for some multitasking. Download a book from Audible.com and listen while you walk or work out. You’ll learn something and, if you accomplish nothing else that day, you’ll already be ahead of the curve. I download books to my phone and play them back at double or triple speed.

Step 8. Do a quick team meeting. Spend five minutes with your team. I like to do it on the phone. Others do it in the office but keep everyone standing up. Check in with one another, make sure everyone is on track, answer questions, and deal with any obstacles. This is a great way to be sure you’re not the only one being productive.

Step 9. Do something hard first. Knock out that big, important task you prioritized last night when you created the plan for today. Get it over with before you move on to anything else. For me, the number one task usually involves writing. I sit down, regardless of whether I’m in the mood, and get to work hammering it out on the computer. If it’s crappy, I can edit it later. Getting that one big thing off my list is a major relief, and it motivates me to keep going.

If you wrap up these nine steps by mid-morning, you’ll have already had a productive day. Simply checking off that one big task is more than many people (me, for instance) get done in the typical day. At 10 AM, you’ll find yourself fired up and ready for more. It feels good to get things accomplished, and you’ll be motivated to do more. You’ll have the clear mind and energy you need to keep going.

Do what I’ve outlined above and, by the time you leave for the day, you’ll have accomplished more than some of us do in a week. Plan your day, get your sleep, get out of bed, meditate, exercise, eat a good breakfast, learn something, do your quick meeting, and kill off a hard task. Now you’re uberproductive, and you’re only getting warmed up. Imagine what you’ll get done in the afternoon.