s a financial services professional you are likely accustomed to serving others. Your success depends on how well you meet clients' needs, respond to them and attune to their desires and expectations. Your job is to anticipate, recognize, meet and exceed their needs and expectations.

If you aren't at your best, how can you expect to produce top work for someone else? If you aren't at the top of your game, how can you help merchants stay at the top of theirs? Therefore, you need to put yourself first.

Putting your needs before your clients' is very difficult. There is probably a part of you that immediately reacts with feelings of guilt or selfishness.

You are in a service industry after all. Your success depends on serving others; how can you put yourself first?

Your Mind Is Like Your Desk

Think about your desk or workspace. How do you feel when papers cover it, sticky notes surround the computer screen and stacks of files begin to near measurement in feet? Do you feel disorganized? Rushed? Scattered?

The same is true for your mental outlook and well-being. If you start each day without taking a mental inventory and preparing, your mind is similar to that cluttered desktop.

It takes longer to respond to questions. Thoughts run in and out, half formed. To-do lists nag at you. If you take a small amount of time to clear off and organize your mental desk, you will be better prepared to serve clients.

Taking the steps to focus and prepare doesn't require a lot of time or schedule changes, nor does it require any special equipment or supplies.

All you need is to make some small changes that will have a big impact. You can perform these actions just about anywhere: while having morning coffee, commuting to work on mass transit or lying in bed before getting up for the day.

How Do I Do It?

How do you start each day balanced, focused and energized? There are a variety of ways to prepare mentally and emotionally for the day ahead. Find an activity that helps you feel centered, prepared and focused. It may be a different activity each day.

Following are some ideas:

• Sit quietly for 10 minutes, simply breathing and thinking about the day ahead, or the day passed.
• Listen to music on headphones or catch a National Public Radio broadcast to learn something new about a different part of our world.
• Write down the thoughts running through your mind. Now the ideas are committed to paper, and your mind is free for more important problem solving rather than simple mental notes.
• Take a few minutes for a self pep talk. Reassure yourself of your skills and knowledge.
• Make a list of all for which you are thankful.
• Make a quick phone call to a friend or family member.
• Take a pen and paper and plan the day. The act of organizing thoughts, prioritizing to-do lists and reflecting on the previous day's activities will help prepare you for the day.
• Escape work-related activates by reading a magazine or book for 10 minutes.

Putting yourself first, even for only 10 or 15 minutes each morning, is not selfish. In fact, it's vital to the success of you and your clients. Practice such activities daily, rather than once a week or only when you remember.

As we all know, deadlines loom, crises lurk in the shadows and unexpected emergencies always are possible. Having your mental desktop clean and organized will help you better prepare for such surprises.