10 ways I structure my day to maximize productivity
One of the hardest things to do as a self-employed professional is to keep to a schedule. With no set hours, and no-one to watch you, it’s easy to not put in say, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week.
But keeping to a schedule is an important part of making sure you are productive. And being productive is key to moving your business forward
So today I thought I’d share some of the ways I keep on track to make sure I’m being as productive as I can.
1. I wake up early
I make a point of getting up fairly early. My alarm is set for 5:45, 7 days a week. During the week, that gets me up in plenty of time to get ready for a productive day of work. On the weekends I do the same so that I don’t throw my schedule off (and then have trouble getting up on Monday morning). Rising early gives me plenty of time before my set office start time (8:00) to do everything I need to do. That means eat, shower, and reflect on my day’s focus in my five-minute journal (see next point).
2. I make a daily to-do list
Every morning I take a few minutes and get out my 5-minute journal. This is a quiet time in which I reflect on what’s important for today. I write down my plan so I know exactly what I’m going to be working on. I make sure that the plan is doable, and then I make sure I stick to it for the day.
I find this to be a great habit, as it is the basis for setting my daily routine. It helps me set my intentions for the day’s activities and forces me to decide what is urgent and what I want to accomplish BEFORE I get to my workstation & the deluge of potentially distracting emails awaiting me.
3. I “sharpen my saw”
Typically I read for about an hour before the 8:00 a.m. start of my formal work day. I’m a big fan of business oriented books—I read them to gain new insights/tools/processes and to learn about others’ business stories. As opposed to fiction, this reading material is typically denser and requires more active thinking, so I like to do it first thing in the morning while my energy levels and focus are high. I call this process “sharpening the saw” (a term I first came across in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits book). It’s a routine that helps me to continuously improve my overall business game.
4. I do important things first
I set my first 90-minute work block of the day to tackle what’s most important. This ensures a few things.
It helps ensure I actually get the right things done.
The rest of the day feels productive EVEN IF it gets away from me–because I did the important things first.
I am also at my most energetic in the morning, so this 90-minute block is also meant to coincide with that.
5. I work at a standing desk
I work standing in front of my computer, which is on a tall desk. I first experimented with this about 10 years ago, and it is now my default way of working. I do almost all of my work this way including taking Zoom calls, writing, project work, and even short bursts of reading. Here is why I feel it boosts my productivity.
Standing engages you and helps ensure that what you are working on matters—because work takes more effort when you are standing than the more passive sitting position.
Since standing requires more effort than sitting, I am constantly asking myself, “Is this how I should be spending my standing time?”. And that helps keep me from getting sucked down into the rabbit hole of wasting time on Facebook or YouTube, etc. If I do start surfing the web, it only takes a few seconds for me to remind myself, “Wait a minute—if I’m going to be scrolling aimlessly, I’d rather be sitting down and relaxing…”. So it becomes easier to stay on task.
6. I take frequent short and long breaks
It’s difficult to really concentrate for periods of longer than about 90 minutes. That’s why I take frequent breaks. I work in 60 to 90 minute blocks of time, then take a short break (10-15 minutes).
The break refreshes me, and makes it much easier for me to stay focused. I also try to manage my blocks of work time so that I have one main goal to finish in each 60-90 minutes. Then, the break that follows gives my brain time to shift gears, and move on to the next topic/work block.
I also make sure to fit one or two long breaks into each day. This gets me away from my work space and gives both my brain and body a real rest.
7. I turn off notifications
Interruptions are everywhere, and notifications are a sure way to get distracted. So I turn them off while I am working. This helps me in a few ways.
I want to work based on my routine, not on social media and email notifications, which only serve to defocus me and interrupt my train of thought.
Each interruption to your deep work actually takes some minutes to recover from, so it is very disruptive and costly to your overall productivity.
8. I drink lots of water
I have this habit built into my daily work routine. It helps keep me from drinking too many caffeinated or sugary drinks. That, in turn, keeps me on a much more even keel during the day, as it means I avoid big sugar or caffeine ups or downs. That helps me keep focused and on task throughout the day.
It’s also a good health habit, which is better for me in general. And the healthier I am, the more energy I have to focus on being productive during my office hours.
9. I have set office hours
I learned long ago how important it is for the self-employed to have set work start and stop times, just as you would if you worked for someone else. That means having a work schedule that you stick to, including a lunch break. There are a number of benefits to this.
It provides me with a clear separation between my work hours and non-work hours.
When the stop hour arrives, it gives me permission to stop working and leave my home office with no guilt.
A clear work schedule/structured work week allows better identification of what I can actually accomplish in any given day or week.
10. I have a dedicated work space
Just like set work hours, having a set, separate place of work in my home helps keep me focused on work. I have a space with a door, so I can shut out distractions. There is also a rule in my house that when I’m in my office working, I’m not to be disturbed. And I have a rule for myself that when I’m in the office, I’m working.
Having a separate office space also makes my work hours seem more “official”, and that also helps keep me focused.
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So those are the ten ways I keep myself focused and on track each day. If some of them are things you don’t do, I urge you to give them a try. You might be surprised at how much they help you stay on track!
Cheers,
Tim
Helping you engineer the business of you