7 Secrets and techniques to Having a Productive Day
8 min read
I’ve uncovered myself earlier than—I was a power procrastinator. However whereas procrastination defines the act of avoiding one thing regardless of realizing that it’ll include destructive penalties, we frequently surprise: why is the routine so laborious to interrupt? When a productive day is our aim, among the best methods to fight the (very human) behavior of procrastination is to construct construction and intention into your schedule.
What do I imply by this? Oftentimes, after we mirror on the day—whether or not it’s simply the workday or the previous 14ish hours of their entirety, the hole between getting issues achieved and leaving greater than you’d like uncrossed in your to-do listing is a matter of planning. And never solely that, however planning with a transparent goal in thoughts.
At the moment, we’re discussing the framework of what a productive day seems to be like. As a result of whereas we could pull inspiration from those that appear to have all of it collectively (disclaimer: none of us do), discovering success, which means, and function in our day is a deeply private expertise. So after all, the steps we take to succeed in that aim must align with our personal desires, wants, and priorities. Let’s dive in.
Featured picture from our interview with Janessa Leoné by Teal Thomsen.
What is a productive day?
As I’ve shared previously, the concept of productivity is traditionally relegated to the workplace. We use the term as a measure of our inputs versus our outputs in relation to our role within an organization. However, as with many theoretical concepts, the reality is a bit more nuanced and complex. That’s why, when it comes down to it, a productive day looks different for everyone.
But there are a few common elements every productive day will consist of.
- You generate value. This is how we traditionally think of a productive day. We complete tasks, check off our to-do’s, complete deliverables, etc. Looking at this through the lens of productivity, it means that we’re doing as many of these important tasks as possible in our day.
- You experience growth and expansion. Whether it’s developing new proficiencies through a platform like Skillshare or LinkedIn Learning or constructing interpersonal abilities with co-workers, you’re having new experiences and amassing new information.
- You benefit from the day. Sure, it’s essential to get pleasure from your self, too! That is the place which means and function come into play.
Whereas producing worth is the obvious means of understanding a productive day, if that have been the one defining element, it might be simple to shift right into a poisonous productiveness mindset—believing that what we contribute takes major priority. Fortunately, the trifecta of a productive day takes under consideration your private development and delight as properly. Productiveness is holistic, touching upon the reality that it’s not merely what we do, however how we really feel and develop that assist us finish the day with a way of accomplishment.
7 Secrets and techniques to Having a Productive Day
With this framework to information us, let’s now look into the nitty-gritty of what’s going to assist you’ve gotten a productive day. However first, it’s essential to recollect: simply as our feelings and power ranges fluctuate each day, our productiveness—and what productiveness seems to be like—will fluctuate as properly. As you dive into the guidelines beneath, perceive that to expertise productive days, we’ve to ascertain the secrets and techniques beneath as habits, ones that we weave into our day by day rhythms and routines.
To expertise a sense of accomplishment and function, begin implementing the following pointers right this moment—productive day primary.
1. Think about Your Superb Productive Day
Once more, not solely will this look totally different for everybody, however it can look totally different in your day-to-day. That’s why I prefer to make it part of my morning journaling session. I’ve garnered loads of inspiration from Camille’s personal morning routine, which helps her perceive how that day will assist her make progress towards her targets, contribute to her imaginative and prescient of her life, and, as she writes, “maintain up your calendar to see if the way in which you’re spending your time matches up.”
To do that, use a devoted journal for dreaming up and mapping out your best productive day. As you write, mirror on the next:
- What duties must get achieved right this moment?
- How can I put aside time to construct abilities which are significant to my development?
- What habits can I weave into my routine that help my happiness and assist me expertise a way of success?
With these prompts to information you, use this time to get particular about the way you’ll add worth, expertise development, and get pleasure from your day.
2. Outline Your Objectives
As part of your morning journaling, bullet out your top-of-mind targets for the day. I prefer to hold this listing to 3-5 targets, working by the idea that the less, the higher. This permits me to concentrate on what is going to actually transfer the needle ahead when it comes to in-process initiatives and my profession as a complete. That will help you set significant targets, guarantee they’re:
- Time-specific. Ideally, these are targets that may be completed in a single day.
- Contribute to bigger targets. Don’t waste your time getting slowed down by the small stuff. Do these targets affect your progress towards extra long-term development?
3. Orient Your Routine Towards Development
Whereas it’s just one a part of the productive-day puzzle, it’s essential to think about development because the overarching theme that influences the whole lot you do. I do know, I do know: there are particular, smaller duties that merely should be achieved. However when making choices about the best way to most successfully spend your time, ask your self: how is that this contributing to my development and the expansion of my initiatives?
I’ve found that by constantly asking myself this query all through the day, it turns into a lot simpler to keep away from distractions. Whether or not it’s responding to a textual content, spacing out on Instagram, and even attempting to get to Inbox Zero when a extra vital process awaits, if it doesn’t concretely contribute to what my development seems to be like for that day, I say no—and transfer alongside.
4. Apply Efficient and Environment friendly Communication
TL;DR: Be taught to say no. For recovering perfectionists and people-pleasers like myself, I do know very properly that this may be one of the crucial difficult secrets and techniques to a productive day. But it surely’s additionally one of the crucial essential. Whereas it’s good to be a crew participant, having others’ work or duties dumped on you with different, extra urgent duties in your plate is the enemy of a productive day.
When entertaining any requests, be real looking and aware of what’s in your to-do listing for that day. Ask your self: Does this request align with my targets for efficiency and productiveness right this moment? By setting clear and powerful boundaries, we train others the best way to deal with us. As a result of there’s little in work that’s truly an emergency, you possibly can kindly ask that if the duty is essential, to talk together with your supervisor or supervisor about including it to your plate. Defend your time and productiveness, and others will comply with go well with.
5. Optimize Your Breaks
I received’t lie—there’s part of me that hates what I simply wrote. Optimize your breaks. As somebody adamantly towards poisonous productiveness, I do what I can to carve out area for myself in our always-on, hyper-connected world. However as an alternative of attempting to squeeze the whole lot we are able to out of each second, prioritize single-tasking. If you got down to take a 10-minute break or pause for lunch, do solely that. This isn’t the time to mindlessly scroll in your cellphone or reply to simply… one… extra… electronic mail.
Take a stroll with out your cellphone, reveling within the peace of time open air. Sit down on the sofa together with your ebook and embrace the jiffy you’ve stepped away out of your desk. Eat your lunch mindfully, with units and different distractions put away. For a break to really really feel restorative, it’s important to truly permit your self to take a break.
6. Schedule Your Work
There’s a caveat to this. Schedule your work, however in a means that works for you. I’m most efficient within the morning—I discover that my ideas are most clear and I can focus finest through the early hours. Due to that, I prefer to frontload my inventive duties to be completed through the first half of the day. Then, I go away the afternoon for extra administrative duties, similar to electronic mail.
It’s a easy construction, however one which helps me envision my day and takes under consideration how my power and talent to suppose creatively naturally wanes within the afternoon. Whether or not it’s time batching, the Pomodoro Approach, or another technique of time administration, discover what works for you and let it information the rhythms of your day.
7. Weave in Small Alternatives for Studying
Small, however significant. Retaining growth-at-every-turn in thoughts, see how one can slot in time to construct abilities which are essential to your skilled and private development. What certifications are related to your discipline that would help the promotion you’ve gotten your sights set on? Are there creators whose content material speaks to a distinct segment trade you’d prefer to enter? Might you ask a peer or superior to espresso who has expertise and information in an space you’d prefer to study extra about?
There are countless methods to study and develop every single day. Determine what’s essential to you and constantly create these moments that may push you alongside the trail of constructing the profession and lifetime of your goals.
The Takeaway
Habits don’t change in a single day and committing to having a productive day is simply the beginning. The extra you implement this productive day framework and apply the following pointers, the better it turns into not solely to do them, however to know them as an inherent a part of the way you spend every day.
By organizing your day to finish as many useful duties as doable, placing your self within the path of development, and prioritizing enjoyment all through the day, it turns into simpler to seek out which means and determine function in no matter you do.
