I love nothing more than a super productive day. I feel energised and have a sense of achievement, and I thrive on those feelings. It propels me forward both in life and at work. Today I had one of those days, and I thought I’d take some time to analyse what made today so productive. I thought this might be helpful to share my strategies to help you organise the chaos of life. I popped these ideas on Instagram @hellotimeplanner a few weeks ago and got many comments.
Not all days go like this, of course, but when they do, it feels fantastic. So how did I do it?
Here are my 5 pieces to help you get the most out of your day through things I’ve learnt along my journey of discovering more time.
ONE
I wrote up a list of tasks I needed/wanted to get done the night before so I was totally focused and ready to go when I got to my desk the next day.
TWO
2. I didn’t check my emails first and got dragged into a host of other work. I prioritised MY work before getting into what others needed me to do.
THREE
I did my biggest / least favourite task first when my energy and focus were at their best. I have more energy and focus in the morning, so I used this to my advantage. This is called ‘Attention Management’ which is way more valuable than ‘Time Management’.
See my blog post on Attention Management here. (https://hellotime.co.uk/prioritizing-tasks-and-time-management/)
FOUR
I gave myself a realistic deadline to keep me focused and a manageable amount of work to get done in the day. I used to be so bad at cramming my days with so much work I would always feel overwhelmed, work such long hours and be disappointed as I was constantly falling behind.
FIVE
I took a quick break at lunch to recharge and refocus. I never eat at my desk anymore. Besides, sometimes you are so engrossed by work that your brain doesn’t take in the fact you’ve eaten, and you don’t always feel full. I love to eat mindfully, enjoy my food and take the break to rest my attention and move my body from sitting in the same position.
Drop us a comment below; what do you do to stay productive?
