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What Is Your Most Productive Workday?

I was flying the other day to the midwest and read this article: "39% of hiring managers say Tuesday is the most productive workday. Nearly two-fifths of managers polled deemed it the day to get things done. But beware of hump day, which grabbed just 14% of the vote. To avoid a midweek nosedive in efficiency, take a look at the big picture when planning your workweek, and truly recharge over the weekend. Too many of us fall into the trap of doing chores and running errands instead of spending quality time with loved ones." - From Spirit Magazine, Southwest Airlines

There's a few salient items in that quote:

  1. Monday is your Jump Day where you plan your week and catch up on any tasks not accomplished the week before. Make sure you take time first thing in the morning to lay out a reasonable and accurate schedule. Block out all of your meetings, activities, and heads-down work time. Be honest and add in flex time in-between in case something happens.
  2. If Tuesday is your most productive workday, come in early and get a jump on your colleagues. I used to arrive around 6-6:30 AM and immediately start banging out work where my colleagues would wander in around 8:30-9 AM. I would get 2-3 hours of work in before they even unpacked their briefcase.
  3. If Wednesday is truly your 'hump' day at the office, try to plan to get out and meet new people, host a lunch at a restaurant, or even telecommute. If your colleagues are cranky, keep your door closed and stay internally motivated — no drive-by's around the office to say 'hi'.
  4. Play on the weekends — don't spend the entire time food shopping, running around with errands, and working around the house. Have fun! Spend some time catching up on your reading, go hiking with your family, hit a trendy new restaurant with your loved ones. These are the reasons why you work — to enjoy your life!

Take each day as it comes, but have a plan to leverage each day!

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P.S. Want to be more productive? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Image: Royalty-Free License from Dollar Photo Club 2014.