Productively banging into Monday at work: here's how to do it
In an eight-hour working day, most people appear to spend only three hours shining with real concentration. The other five hours? A little start-up, answering e-mails, social media checking, lunching, meeting, not to mention the famous four-hour dip and sheepishly staring ahead. We are humans, not machines. And yes, nevertheless, there are ways to pop like a machine today to be monstrously productive. And this is how you do it:
1. Put on something nice
Don't dress the way you feel on Mondays and life will smile on you. Really. Just pretend it's Saturday or something. Put on those new booties, spend some extra time on your cut and grab your latest coat off the coat rack. Looking lousy also makes for lousy work and we wanted to rock today, right?
2. Discover your energy peaks and valleys
When are you most productive? The beginning of the day, isn't it? So use that peak to do the jobs that take the most effort. I always schedule my ‘longest’ articles at the beginning of the day and the shorter news for after lunch. In short: learn to understand your own energy rhythm and work like crazy.
3. Dare to say ‘no’
‘No’ is a powerful word we all seem to be a bit afraid of. But really, dare to say ‘no’ when a colleague wants to give you an extra task and you feel you really can't take it any more. For example, because your priority is elsewhere or you have another urgent job on the agenda. You wanted to work productively, right? No‘ is the key word.
4. Pay a little attention to what you put in the waffle
Junk food leads to junk performance. Several smaller bites works better than a huge midday meal if you want to avoid that after-lunch dip. A cup of coffee or two can help for focus, but don't drink too many as this in turn makes you feel restless and agitated.
5. Say goodbye to all those emails later
The amount of time we spend on endless email exchanges and social media is Not. Too. Do. So. High.Do you know that you'll often be emailing back and forth with a relationship? Then commit to a phone call instead. In five minutes on the phone, you'll discuss a thousand times more. And leave anyway left that mail a bit more often. Schedule half an hour to get rid of everything and then only check it again at the end of the day.
6. Finally, plan your next day in advance
Make sure your to-do list does not become endless, because unrealistic planning is counterproductive. Take ten minutes at the end of the working day to sort out what still needs to be done. This will allow you to start the next day with Olympic speed. Good luck!
