Strange & Charmed

How to Have the Most Productive Day Ever!

Like everyone in the world, I have good days and bad days and it always seems like the days when I am most productive just sort of randomly happen. They are usually unplanned; one day I just wake up and things seem to flow. There are no obstacles and the day just passes easily while I remain focused on the things I need to accomplish. When this happens, it’s easy to think that I just got lucky. Like the stars have aligned for me to have a productive day, but tomorrow I might not be so lucky. The truth is, however, although we might experience these days as random occurrences, there are things we can do to mimic the conditions and have the most productive day ever, whenever we want. I’ve actually figured out four important steps or phases we can take to have the most productive day ever, and if you also follow these steps you can create the right conditions to have your own productive day on demand as well!

Your Productive Day Starts the Night Before

The most productive days always begin with a few key actions taken the night before, but for each of us, the exact actions to take to set tomorrow up for success might be different. Think about the things that cause resistance in your mornings. Are you exhausted when you wake up? Do you struggle to pick out your clothes? Do you make a mess in the kitchen preparing breakfast and you’re brown bagged lunch? Whatever elements of your morning are a struggle for you, identify them and decide what action you can take the night before to vault those hurdles. Getting to bed earlier, laying out your clothes, prepping a breakfast and lunch? Maybe it’s not your own resistance you face and the struggle is with partners or children. Get them on board if necessary and take some time prepping with or for them so tomorrow morning is a breeze.

Make Your Morning Count

Now that you have mitigated the biggest sources of resistance in your morning, you can start your day with more peace and ease. Begin by spending a little more time in bed this morning. I know what you’re thinking- but I promise, this will be time well spent. After all, you took key actions last night, so now you can spend 15-20 minutes before exiting bed in quiet prayer or meditation. If it helps to use a guided meditation track, have some options bookmarked on your phone so you can pop on your headphones and get yourself aligned before your feet hit the ground.

Plan the Big Priorities

Once it’s time to get down to business for the day, no matter what sort of work you do, spend a another 10-15 minutes with your planner working out time when you will focus on your most important priorities. Decide what those priorities are; time with family, a workout before or after work, an important event or meeting, or specific work that is due. Once you know those top 3 priorities for the day, make sure you have the time blocked off for their completion in your schedule. Then of course wrap up your planning with any other scheduled events or tasks you need to remember.

Wrap Up and Wind Down

Towards the end of your workday it’s incredibly important that you intentionally wrap up any work that may need to be carried over for the next day and get your workspace or inbox in good order. This will make it much easier for you to have a productive work day again tomorrow. Spend perhaps the final 30 minutes of your workday intentionally winding down for the transition from work back to home life. Set the intention that you are leaving work at work and moving into the next phase of your day with peace and ease so that you can now step into being your best self for your personal priorities. Whether you work outside or inside the home, that intention mental switch is an important daily transition to make so that you are showing up as your best self for yourself and other, and also making the most of the next phase of your day.

Simple, right? Maybe not necessarily easy, but a pretty simple four step plan. I’d love for you to test this plan out in your own life and report back on how it worked out for you. Remember, this plan is intended to be general steps for you to take, but you need to hammer our the specifics for your day and your life for things to work out as productively as possible for you. But, it is great to have this template or outline to work off. Can’t wait to hear how it goes!

xoxo,

10 Productive Time Management Tips that Will Change Your Life!

Much of the measure of our personal productivity comes from the way we spend our time. Students often come to my content and classes with the hope of learning a secret technique that will change their lives, suddenly helping them achieve a weeks worth of work in a single day. For many people, that is the goal of proper time management and productivity. To figure out a way to cram more tasks into a shorter time frame. To find a way to hit a metaphorical pause button on time so that you can deal with the task at hand and avoid the unexpected interruptions that leach time away from you. To master a sense of self-discipline so we are excited to wake up early and focus on completing a string of predefined tasks that will bring meaning and value to our effort and sacrifice.

Can I let you in on a little secret?

There is no one technique or strategy that will help you achieve this, instead, from my experience this sort of productivity comes from a mindset shift where we make many small strategic changes to the way we approach our time and work that ultimately add up to big results. Shifting the way we approach each individual choice we make, each micro-habit if you will, can lead us to feel like we are managing our time well, and ultimately we feel more productive. When we feel more productive, we become more productive. For that reason productivity is a mental construct just as much as it is something that can be tracked by measurements and metrics. So, if you would like to start making these strategic little shifts to your mindset to become more productive, here are 10 productive time management tips that will change your life.

1. There is always enough time for the things you prioritize.

How often do you find yourself saying “I wish I had more time in the day for X.” Fill in the blank with any number of personal priorities that are seriously lacking time and attention in your life. Notice how I said personal priorities too, and not work priorities. Most of us don’t feel like we are focused too little on work, instead, we instinctually know we are focused too little on the quintessential meaningful things in life. Family, friends, our health, personal goals, rest, you name it- if it’s something truly important in life, we are likely sacrificing it for something that is ultimately less meaningful but seemingly more urgent. The problem is though, those meaningful things are our priorities, or at least we would say they are. But we are actually de-prioritizing them and then acting like time is the enemy here when really there is enough time in the day for those priorities, if we actually prioritize them. You know this is true. You know you get the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else has, so the problem isn’t that you don’t have enough time. The problem is that you aren’t prioritizing the things you say are priorities. Remember, the to do list is never ending, there will be more to add to it tomorrow and the chores will need to be repeated again. So, spend time on the important things first, and you can let everything else fill your spare time.

2. Plan a little less to make room for things that pop up

If you find it hard to get things done because you experience a never ending string of interruptions to your work that ultimately dig you into a time and productivity hole you struggle to dig yourself out of, you need to readjust your expectations. Specifically, you need to cut back on the amount of things you plan to achieve each day, and make room for those unexpected interruptions that pop up. You know I love me a good plan, but when you are failing to complete the plan repeatedly because there is too much on your plate each day or your focus and attention is often redirected to emergency or unplanned events- you need to start planning for that. Yea, expect the unexpected and put some white space or buffer time into your plan. Take a look at the patterns of your interruptions and the work you plan and fail to accomplish each day. Are you planning for 8 hours of work but only achieving 5 hours on average? Well, then start planning for 5 hours and see how that goes. And I know what some of you are thinking, that you have 8 hours of work to do each day so you can’t plan for less, but you can. You see, if you aren’t getting it all done that means some things are being pushed off for the next day, and after too many consecutive days of this you find yourself in a hole. So, some things are either not getting done, or you are carving into personal time, sleep, family time, etc, to try to get everything done. So, something is ultimately falling off the to do list for good. What I am suggesting is that you get a little more strategic about the work that goes onto your plan each day and intentionally cut off things you know are less important so those items don’t take up precious time. Give it a try, see if adjusting for and planning around interruptions gives you back time and energy to get the most important work done. I have a strong feeling it will.

3. For best results, do one thing at a time

I can remember back a decade or so ago when the concept of multitasking was all the rage. And then research stepped in and explained that when you multitask you don’t complete twice the work in the same time, you either spend much more time accomplishing the tasks or are lucky if you even get one of the tasks done properly. Focus and dedicated attention to a task are incredibly under rated time management strategies, but if you try them for yourself I think you will find that you get a much better result and drain less of your energy. Yes, there are of course times when you can do more than one thing at a time because the tasks don’t matter- like listening to a book on tape while working out or doing chores- but an example like that only works when one activity was passive to begin with and doesn’t need to use the same brain centers to work. Try listening to a book on tape while following a recipe for dinner- you need some form of attention on both of those things, so you will ultimately burn the entree or have to go back to replay a missed chapter. So, be intentional when you multitask and instead try doing one thing at a time and see how well and how quickly you actually accomplish it.

4. If you lack motivation, create and stick to a routine

When it comes to productivity and time management, it’s easy to feel like you require strong motivation in order to propel yourself, but this isn’t necessarily true. Yes, motivation is great and when you are highly motivated you are very likely to enthusiastically pursue a goal or complete a task, but motivation usually doesn’t last. What lasts are the patterns created by a daily well established routine. This is a strategy I often see used by great writers. From the outside, we might think that writing a book requires motivation and inspiration, but when you learn about the lives of writers, you find that they usually have a dedicated routine for their writing that they follow day in and day out despite their motivation levels. Because self-discipline and routine are actually stronger factors than motivation and more consistent as well. You could be motivated to write a book one day and then the motivation runs out after a few hours or days, but if you have created a daily routine for your task you will come back to the writers desk day in and day out until the work is done. So, if you have goals or objectives but no motivation- no problem! Define a routine, execute against it, and after a while that routine will propel you further than motivation alone ever could.

5. Determine what will have the biggest impact and do that first

I’ve researched so many different productivity philosophies pertaining to the order in which you should complete tasks and although all of them do work in their own way, I’ve found that nothing is more guaranteed to succeed than working on the most important and impactful work first. It all comes down to prioritization and the true nature of productivity which is to achieve the greatest results with the least effort. Note that I did not say achieve the most tasks, or check the most items off the to do list in the quickest time. I said achieve the greatest results. So, if we start by identifying which tasks will have the most impact and the biggest payout and do those first, we are seeing instant productivity outcomes. Yes, this means we need to pause and analyze what we are doing and why. It means we need to take a task and see the process and outcome and weigh those factors for each task on our list to determine what goes first. But if you can spend this time, you will ultimately have more to show for your effort. Remember, there are always things we have to do but that doesn’t mean they generate results. Not all actions generate a valuable return on time invested. And more time spend on a task doesn’t mean it will have more of an impact. We need to be strategic about where we spend our time and focus our energy first on those result driving actions if we want to better manage our time.

6. Before you start a lengthy task, write down all the steps and arrange strategically

I often extoll the virtues of project planning, but I feel like I often leave out an important step in the process that really makes all the difference to the amount of time and energy it will take for you to achieve an objective. Before you start on an objective, something that takes more than a few actions to complete, you really should write down all the steps you think you will need to take and then consider how you can arrange the steps strategically to make the process as seamless as possible. Yes, a project plan itself is a set of written steps towards an objective, and we do often write the steps out in an order that makes logical sense initially, but that first draft of tasks can always be improved upon. You can look at that list of action steps and perhaps remove a few items that might be redundant or unnecessarily. You may be able to group a few different tasks that belong to different phases of the objective to save time and energy. The point here is just that we don’t want to start with our first draft of a plan. We want to refine it. We want to take some time to play out the details in our mind and see if we missed any gaps or can consolidate any actions. That will always give us the better result in the least amount of time.

7. More time doesn’t equal more productivity, less time usually does.

I realize this tip is one that seems completely illogical but it absolutely works. We often think that the more time we dedicate to a task, the better the outcome will be. Think about it, you have some work you need to accomplish so you carve out some time in your schedule (a very productive move) and you block off a little more time for the task. Or you have a project due in a few weeks time, so you allot yourself the full duration to work on it, because you think the more time you spend on it, the better the outcome will be. While it is true that better results come from having adequate time to execute, there is a point where giving yourself too much extra time can become a waste of time. Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand to fit the time allotted for its’ completion. Meaning, that if you have an objective that should take a few hours to complete, you can achieve it within that span of time, but if you give yourself a full day, or a full week to achieve it, it will also expand to that full day or week of work. This is why more time doesn’t equal more productivity, but instead, if you give yourself less time or just enough time, you can achieve great results with time to spare. Now of course, buffer time is always great to help account for interruptions which can be a problem for many people. But that is where you may want to consider giving yourself an earlier deadline to achieve an objective where the true due date might be a little further off.

8. Procrastinate on purpose and work around it

Procrastination is something that affects all of us, no one is immune to the inclination to waste a bit of time. The most productive people, however, know how to procrastinate purposefully. This comes down to understanding the ebb and flow of your personal energy cycle so you can work at full force when you have the power to do so, and can take a meaningful break when your capacity is lower. Track throughout your days when you find your energy is at a peak, when you are in flow with your work and getting things done at a good pace. Track also when your energy begins to wane. When you find yourself loosing focus, when your pace slows and when you may be more easily distracted by people or gadgets. When you find your personal focus and energy peaks and valleys you can then plan to procrastinate or take a break right as your energy is falling and you can give yourself permission to relax. That’s the most important part really. I think when we procrastinate during the day we often feel guilty for doing so and don’t fully enjoy the little mental break we are taking. But when we procrastinate on purpose with our energy cycle, we can feel good about it and see the procrastination as a productive way to recharge our personal energy. I don’t know about you, but when I am low on energy I can do no real meaningful work and everything takes me twice as long to get done. So, if by allowing myself space to delay my work helps me to rest my mind and bring my energy back up quicker, that is the best way for me to spend that time.

9. Write everything down and set alerts for as much as possible. Do not rely on your brain to recall information

How many times do we have to forget important details before we learn that we cannot rely on our brains to remember things. Instead, we need to get in the habit of writing things down and setting alerts so that we recall said information at the proper time. The way I do this is simple. When I think of something I feel like may be important, I list it in the brain dump section of my planner. If the information pertains to an existing project, I list it on the project page, if it is something I want to remember on a certain day I put in in my calendar. If it’s time sensitive, I set a reminder or calendar alert. If I am out and about without my planner, which happens often, I use another device to track said information- my phone! By either creating a note, adding something to my schedule from my phone or by sending myself an email so I don’t miss the information later. Then, when I am back with the planner anything that needs to be written down gets put in it’s proper place. Yes, this is a habit that takes time to implement, but it is so worth it not to miss important information. By writing everything down I have seriously minimized the number of metaphorical fires I have to put out that might otherwise steal my time and attention, and I see that my work has improved when I have all my creative ideas at my disposal at the time the work is done. All because of one key habit.

10. Systemize repeating and ongoing tasks

As I mentioned earlier, when it comes to out to do list, there is no end to the amount of tasks that we need to accomplish and many of these items are repeating or ongoing tasks that we will never truly finish or permanently remove from the to do list. Unless, of course, you find a way to systemize the task. Meaning that you develop a method or process for handing the task that simplifies or minimizes it. Let’s take chores for instance. Chores are a never ending series of tasks. We vacuum the floor one day and it immediately begins to get dirty again, so we need to repeat the task the next day or the next week. We do the dishes but they pile up at the same time. So, how do we systemize these things? By defining a regular cycle in which to address them. Dishes may need to be washed daily, our floor vacuumed once a week, the blinds dusted every other week. By taking the time to list out the task, decide on the frequency we will address it and then scheduling the time into our calendar, we can minimize the amount of energy and time we spend on it. Now, of course, some tasks may be able to be automated as well. When we automate tasks, we set up a system that repeats on its own. When I think of automated tasks I often think of bill payments and purchases. Most bills can be set to autopay so that we don’t have to think about them. Money can be automatically transferred to an account and then the account can be debited for the bill. Or regular purchases can be set to automatic schedules so it saves you the time and energy of having to remember to refill a necessity yourself. I do this with my pet supplies and some supplies around the home that deplete at regular intervals. Many sites have auto ship options to make systemizing ongoing purchases one less thing to have to remember, ultimately saving your time and energy to devote to other things.

So those are 10 productive time management tips that will change your life, if you let them and if you execute on them of course! If you enjoyed these tips I would love to hear which were most impactful for you and of course which are giving you the best results in your life and productivity. So, please do leave me a comment below and let me know!

xoxo,