How to Structure Your Day to Be More Productive
Today’s world is filled with distractions. From email notifications to mindless scrolling on social media, you’re constantly getting off course with your productivity. Before you know it, the day is over and you’re not quite sure what you've accomplished. How can you be more productive?
Structuring your day allows you to avoid this time suck. Here’s how to structure your day to fuel your productivity.
Make your to-do list the night before
The best way to set yourself up for success is to make a plan for the next day:
- What will you start on first?
- What do you hope to accomplish during the day?
- In order of priority, what must get completed tomorrow?
Answer these questions while creating your to-do list for the following day. When you’re done, you can close up shop and use the evening to refresh your mental batteries. When you arrive at work the next day, everything is laid out for you, so there is no question about what should happen first in your day.
Do something for yourself first
Do you have a morning routine? Perhaps you love to go for a morning run. Or, you need a half hour to meditate before you talk to anyone. Whatever you do to get centered and focused for the day, do it first. The longer you put it off, the less likely you are to accomplish it.
Give yourself two hours to tackle the most important tasks
People are generally most productive during the first two hours after becoming fully awake, according to Duke University professor of psychology and behavioral economics, Dan Ariely. After you’ve completed your morning routine, you’re ready to take on the day. Use that productive time to finish up the most important tasks.
Before you check your email or get sucked into your social media newsfeed, stop. Take a look at your to-do list instead. What are the most important tasks to tackle today? The emails and cat gifs can wait. Focus on what must get done today before you dive into anything else.
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Then, check your email or Facebook
By now you’re itching to check your email. What fires do you need to put out today?
Once you’ve completed your must-do tasks, open up your inbox and put your mind at ease. But be careful. This is a black hole of time waste; it could suck you in for hours. Protect yourself by setting a 20-minute timer. That’s all you get. If you finish early, bail and move on with your day.
Move on to the next most important tasks of the day
You’ve already completed the things that had to get done today, but what about the rest? You’re busy and your list is never-ending. Now, move down the list to the tasks you would love to finish up today. Give yourself another two hours of uninterrupted time to focus and work.
Give yourself a mental break
Until now, you’ve gone full force through the day. Take a break, step away from the computer, and give yourself a few minutes of quiet ...
... Then, check your email again
By now you’ve already had a productive day. You can check your email one more time without getting too sucked in by messages or distracted by urgent matters. Your mind is at ease and you’re better able to focus on this task that requires less brain power to complete.
Before you leave, make your to-list for the next day
As you finish up your day, make your to-do list for tomorrow. You’ll want to prepare yourself for another productive workday the night before.
