Ad sales professionals have a lot to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. As each quarter comes and goes, and the months fly by, a single day can often seem like a blur – a flicker of time.

One of the best ways for any ad sales rep to set themselves up for year-long success, however, is to focus specifically on those blurry, fast-moving, singular days.

That’s where having a routine comes into the equation. An effective daily routine is essential for sustainable, long-lasting success. If an ad sales rep does not set themselves up for daily success, then their odds of yearly success decrease dramatically. After all, a year is merely a string of singular days.

The idea here, is that, one of the things that sets great sales reps apart from good sales reps is structure. They make their own jobs flow as smoothly as possible, day after day, month after month, year after year.

And while setting up an effective daily routine may take some time, there are some things that every ad sales rep should include in their routine, to ensure that they’re making their own lives as easy as possible, and to ensure their own success.

So, quotas beware, here are 5 things that every ad sales rep should do every day:

1. Create a schedule.

The start of each day is perhaps the most important. Maintaining a detailed calendar is essential for every sales rep, so that they don’t have to wonder what the day holds, or what they should be doing.

Ad sales reps have many different types of tasks to juggle, so a detailed calendar lets them direct their focus, at the right time, for the right amount of time, to what’s most important.

This also lets reps set times for repeated, or daily tasks. For example, if a rep feels that they’re most energetic at 11am, they may plan to do their prospect outreach during that time, and save other times of the day for random or more minimal tasks.

This is also the best way to “remember” everything that needs to be done. Ad sales reps are extremely busy people, therefore, it’s normal for smaller tasks to go forgotten. With a detailed daily calendar, however, that won’t happen.

2. Don’t neglect your physical wellness.

As many of us come to know as adults, the mind doesn’t work at its optimal speed unless the body is in top shape as well. To be in peak form when engaging with prospects, make sure you’re diligent with your physical well-being.

Get your 8 hours, be sure to eat breakfast (and other adequate meals), and supply your body with whatever caffeine is needed to reach that ultimate level of poised, positive energy. But note, caffeine should be an additive, not something your body needs. You shouldn’t have to look for a pick-me-up once you get to the office if you’re rested.

A well-rested, well-taken-care-of body is always ready to feed the mind the information it needs to impress prospects. A good night’s sleep tonight, could be the perfect start to tomorrow’s ad sales success.

3. Keep your mind fresh.

Physical wellness is important, but obviously, so is your mental wellness. While part of keeping your mind fresh is taking care of your body, there is more to be done to ensure you’re always alert, sharp, and thoughtful.

Don’t drown yourself in your work. Every so often, take the short walk to the break room, or a loop around the block, to stretch your limbs and turn off your ad sales mental-motor, if only for a few minutes.

Take the mental breaks needed to stay fresh. You’ll need a clear head to maximize your sales interactions.

Keeping your mind fresh goes along with making your schedule, as well. Don’t spend overwhelming amounts of time doing the same type of work. Give yourself some variety throughout the day, and break work up into bursts.

While most of us can’t ever really completely detach from work, it’s always helpful to let your mind wander the earth a little bit, so that when you’re working, you’re truly working.

4. Try not to multi-task.

As we mentioned before, ad sales reps have a lot to take care of in a single day. From prospect outreach, making calls, and sending emails, to answering emails, scoring leads, and managing contact lists, there are a lot of different tasks that need to be completed.

In the history of humans, however, almost all data points to the fact that multi-tasking has a negative effect on productivity. So, when making your daily schedule, and when going about your day, try to stick to one task at a time.

If you’re making calls to prospects, direct all of your focus on those calls. If you’re checking your email, do that, and only that.

If you’re not fully engaged with what you’re doing, your prospects will notice, and eventually, so will your boss. Put deliberate time and effort into individual actions, so that they carry more weight, and help you close more deals.

5. Always be sure to “end” your day.

At the end of each day, check back to your original schedule. If something did not get done, or if something was rescheduled, work that into the next, or other later day’s schedules. Re-account for everything you’ve already done, and everything that still needs to get done.

Conclude today by preparing for tomorrow. And when you leave work, make sure to direct your focus to the things that matter to you outside of work. After all, those are the things that also contribute to our healthy bodies and minds.

Don’t let today’s work, and today’s organizing, bleed into tomorrow.

In the end, any ad sales rep that does these five things every day, won’t have to worry about their yesterdays. They’ll enter the office, feeling terrific, and hit the ground running.