5 Tips to Have the Most Productive Day Ever

Photo: Andrea Piacquadio for Pexels

Time waits for no woman, but who says you’ve got the hours to hang around and wait for time? We’ve all got meetings to take, conference calls to make, places to be, and deals to close. But mastering the art of time management in order to cross everything off your to-do list every day is easier said than done.

In fact, studies show that business leaders waste an average of 21.8 hours a week. We repeat: A WEEK. Instead of getting consumed by the hours in the day, or the lack thereof, here are five ways to watch the clock and have your most productive day ever. Here’s how to make every minute count, from the time you wake up to the time you log off.

1. Pick a Realistic Time to Wake Up

You know your body and you know how much sleep you need to feel rested and ready to take on the day. And yet, we all tend to get a little overzealous when it comes to setting our alarms the night before. If I set my alarm an hour early, we rationalize, I will get a jump on my day.

Call it wishful thinking or good intentions, setting our alarms earlier than needed has the opposite effect than intended. When the early am hits, we hit snooze, falling in and out of that interrupted sleep until the moment we dash out of bed in a hurry. It’s a terrible way to start the day.

One, it makes us feel like we already missed our mark. That even though we didn’t need to wake up early, we should have. This mentality creeps into the rest of our day and doesn’t allow us to be our most productive or confident selves. When you start the day disappointed in yourself, it’s that much harder to recover.

Two, alarm-hitting snooze sleep is almost worse than no sleep at all. You’re groggy and multiple studies have shown that this kind of sleep inertia reduces productivity and focus.

So be realistic about what time you need to get up. Pretending you’re going to rise at 6 am is not useful when you could sleep until 7 am and wake up bright-eyed and ready to get after it.

“We’ve become so concerned with rapid-fire quick responses that our emails are lacking in quality.”

2. Turn Your Internet Off for 45 Minutes Each Morning

Scroll through your emails on your phone quickly to make sure there is no pressing emergency, but once your computer comes to life, switch the internet off.

Give yourself 45 minutes to respond to emails in a thoughtful and valuable manner. We’ve become so concerned with rapid-fire quick responses that our emails are lacking in quality. If you’re the type to email the way you text, this pause will prove productive.

Not only will you think through your answers with more clarity, but you won’t be distracted by other incoming messages, emails, or lose yourself to a Facebook news feed.

3. Time Batch It Out

Time batching is a simple way to approach the day that reduces clutter and increases focus. Group activities together (emails, phone calls, blogging—i.e. writing multiple posts at one time) and see how it improves your product.

By batching out the tasks in your day, you can see exactly where your hours (like your money) are going.  Productivity breeds productivity.

“If time was an app, it’d be Postmates. We use it without realizing how much we’re spending.”

4. Think About What “Time Well Spent” Means to You

If time was an app, it would be Postmates: We use it without realizing how much we’re spending.

You can’t purchase more time. Taking stock of your day and looking at how you spend your time will move you into the following days with confidence. If you’re really spending your time “well”—which is different for everyone—it’s infectious.

We don’t want to know how much time we’ve wasted scrolling social media for “research” or texting a colleague.

Watching the clock doesn’t have to be a negative. In fact, watching the clock can help you, professionally speaking. Keeping track of your time worked and just how much you’ve accomplished in a day can be helpful in assessing where you are losing valuable hours.

5. Stop Watching the Clock

OK. Disregard *for a second* what we said above. 

Time batching and keeping track of your hours is important, but only to a point. Within the time that you’ve allocated for yourself, don’t check the clock like a kid waiting for the lunch bell to ring.

Being productive is more important than checking to make sure you’re being productive. If you’re in the swing of it, by all means, keep rolling.

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This story was originally published on February 3, 2019, and has since been updated.

Up next: This Little Trick Will Double Your Productivity ASAP

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6 Tips to WFH More Efficiently (and Save Yourself Hours)

Photo: Color Joy Stock

In the wake of COVID, we’ve all had to rethink how we operate this year, pivot the way we work, and reconsider how our businesses function. One of the areas we’ve all had to be most adaptable in, of course, is right in our own homes. We work here, we live here, we do almost everything here now. Not to mention, we’ve been challenged with new distractions and can’t rely on our usual coping methods due to the fact that we’re, well, at home.  

While it all feels quite gloomy—and rightfully so—there is good news here: humans are remarkably resilient and adaptable. 

That means there are answers to help us solve at least one of the most pervasive new cultural problems related to being at home: the challenge of overcoming the fatigue that comes with the daily grind. Now that we’ve replaced commutes with endless Zoom calls, Slack messages, and TikTok marathons, you’re likely already familiar with the problem.  

Fortunately, with a little innovation in your relationship to work, you have hope of achieving a healthier balance.

As a co-founder of CAVEDAY, a solution that offers focus as a service, I’ve studied and created new methods to help people improve their relationship to work and master the art of working from home so it feels a lot less like a major exhaustion-driving burden and a lot more energizing. Keep scrolling to find out how it’s done.

Batch & Block

Batch your work as much as you can, especially when it comes to meetings. 

Try to only take meetings during set times, such as only two days a week or only in the afternoons. Meeting culture is not a new problem, and, for many organizations, has only grown more pervasive during the pandemic (hello again, Zoom!). So while it’s not always possible to have ownership over your own calendar, find windows of time to block off for your most important work. 

Once you have your meeting days/times set, during your working days be sure to only check your email once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Start with your most important and the hardest task first. This will make a massive difference in your energy level as you won’t constantly be flipping from meetings to emails to task lists.

Define

Before starting your workday, take a moment to write down exactly what you’re working on. Be as specific as you can. For example, if you have a day of writing ahead of you, putting “write blog post” on your task list isn’t quite clear. 

Ask yourself: What part of the project are you tackling? What does “finished” look like? Is this the brainstorming phase, outlining, or actual writing? How far do you want to get? 750 words? A chapter? Clearly defining your work, in a set amount of time, helps combat overwhelm, and allows you to more simply focus on one task at a time. 

Scope

How long does it take you to finish a certain task such as drafting a proposal or creating a presentation? Over and under-scoping how long individual tasks take is a surefire way to always be “on” and to quickly overtire. 

Knowing how long projects take gives you a better understanding of how to plan your day. To figure out how long things take, start with something you do often. No need to rush, but focus on just that one task and time yourself. 

Then, in the future, you’ll know exactly what kind of time blocks to set to get the job done. 

Take Breaks

Research shows that the brain can’t focus on a task for more than 52 minutes at a time. Mindful and intentional breaks actually help maintain your energy. Just pushing through to the finish line quickly ends in fatigue. 

But, be sure to take breaks wisely. The difference between absent-minded and intentional breaks is that you are making the choice when to stop and how to spend your time. Getting caught in an endless scroll is not a mindful break. Walking away from your desk, stretching your body, or calling a friend is an excellent way to press pause before returning to your work. 

Remove Distractions

Simple in theory, difficult in practice. Removing distractions (like turning off notifications, closing the door, and—dealing with the biggest distraction of all—putting your phone away) is one of the smallest steps we can take in order to avoid fatigue. We are constantly bombarded with interruptions (every 11 minutes on average), so the more agency we have on controlling external distractions, the better equipped we are to stay focused. 

Establish Rituals

One of the biggest and most overlooked changes we’ve faced this year is the loss of transition. Remember that good old commute?

The loss of that time that signifies the beginning and end of our workday, such as driving to the office, riding the crowded subway, or meeting friends after work held a ton of significance in our lives (maybe even more than we once gave credit). 

Whatever that transition was and whether or not you looked forward to it, it was part of your day and routine. We’ve lost that for now, but that transition time is precious and must be preserved. It’s baked-in time to prepare for and reflect on your day. Without it, we forget to take moments to pause and we wind up being “on” for much longer than intended. 

While it may seem trivial, establish a new ritual to start and end your day. A walk around the block, your morning coffee with no work, shut down or close your computer at the same time every day, read a non-work related article before leaving your workstation. Doesn’t matter what it is and it can be small, but this will give your brain and body a cue for when you’re working and when you’re not.

Our culture promotes shallow work and we’ve gotten really good at being “busy”. But busy doesn’t mean productive. Fatigue does not have to be a way of life. Instead, mindfully approaching your work and time allows for more spaciousness in other areas of your life. It’s not easy to put these tips into practice, so CAVEDAY memberships intentionally make it easier for people to practice these tips, as it’s all baked right into the service. Trust us, it’s worth the effort to master this new way of life. You might even be astonished by the quantity and quality of your output. 

“Busy doesn’t mean productive.”

—Molly Sonsteng, Co-Founder of CAVEDAY

About the Author: Molly Sonsteng is a producer, experience designer, and entrepreneur dedicated to time well spent and deepening human connections. She’s created countless projects that encourage people to live creative and meaningful lives. A classically trained singer, her professional history includes working for Carnegie Hall, Manhattan School of Music, and Daybreaker. She ran a summer camp and a political campaign office, developed a music curriculum, taught preschool, and was the Director of Admissions at a music conservatory. In addition to Caveday, Molly is a cofounder of Madcap Factory, an amusingly eccentric production house helping brands engage their communities.

Use the code CULTIVATE to redeem a free three-hour Caveday session at www.caveday.org/schedule.

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