So, I opted for the only reply that made sense. “Hello? I'm sorry, you're breaking up. Can you hear me now?”

I'll be the first to say that our “need to do” lists are as unique as we are. There are no wrong choices, really. It comes down to what works for you.

The one that works for me? Don't start the day until it's finished.

For years, I've taught new salespeople the first discipline they must develop is the habit of making a cold-call list each night before their head hits the pillow. (And the second one is calling it “cold calling” because you can put lipstick on that pig by calling it “prospecting” or “canvassing,” but you're walking in doors where you don't know them and they don't know you—that's a call that's cold. Those cutesy labels ain't fooling anybody.)

Disciplines are interesting: Hard to develop, easy to drop. Sitting down to make your list for tomorrow is a pain. You're tired and it's late. It's easy to say, “I'll do it in the morning.” But what happens in the morning? We get bogged down with email or #wherewillpeytonplay or whether—after 16 tries—that girl on that talk show will finally identify her baby daddy.

But when we wake up with the list already made, we have a greater sense of purpose for the day, and we get to it right away—no matter the weather or how bad we slept last night. It's a little game we play with ourselves to create urgency. “I'm calling on Prospect X today,” we say. “Wish me luck!” Isn't that better than, “I'm cold calling today. Pray I don't drive off a cliff in desperation.”

If you were asked to give a rookie your No. 1, what would you say? Are you still doing it, or did you drop it along the way because it was working so well? Let's do it again today, just for old times' sake.

And so you're not distracted, I'll go ahead and tell you. That girl is still looking for her baby daddy.