From the course: Time Management Tips

Establishing a productive daily routine

From the course: Time Management Tips

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Establishing a productive daily routine

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- I like to say that productivity is more about rhythm than perpetual motion. The idea is that if you find a routine it can be a powerful ally in getting more done. Now, there are only 168 hours in your week. So, how do you want to allocate those hours to create your routine? I find that there are five basic areas to consider. Number one is work. How many hours per week do you want to work? But more importantly, what is the start and stop time to each day? We want to create a boundary, and that will help you be more productive because of the limitation. Number two is play, now fun is important in your life. You get more energy, more excitement, and you'll actually be more motivated by doing fun little things that make life worth it now, not just in the end. So again, how many hours do you want to spend and what do you want to do during that time? Number three is sleep. This is critical for your success, and in particular if you can get into a consistent rhythm, a consistent number of hours and hours of the day, sleep will be your ally. So, create the schedule that you want to follow in your calendar. Number four is exercise. Exercise has benefit to your energy and also helps you think clearly, along with all the other things that are good for your health. So, when are you going to do that exercise? Where are you going to do, and what are you going to spend that time on? Create a schedule for that in your calendar. And number five is simply quiet. This part of the rhythm is down time. It's where you can read, or meditate, or doing anything that helps you clear your mind. By creating a pattern of quiet in your week, you'll also be more productive. Now, one last thought, sometimes people benefit from having both a weekly pattern and a monthly pattern. For instance, you might follow a certain schedule of how to work with clients on the first and third weeks of the month, and then do something else on the second and fourth. You can be flexible with this. The idea is to try something out and find out what works for you. Maybe test it for two weeks, then reevaluate the routine that you've created, and find out what works for you.

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