5 Tips to Have the Most Productive Day

Let’s talk productivity. People often ask me “How can I be more productive?” I certainly do not have all the answers, however I am always happy to share my knowledge and insights with you, so long as they continue to add value! Being effective and productive are necessary attributes in order for me to accomplish the demands that come from managing a challenging and stressful full-time job, consultancy work, planning a wedding (although not mine this time round!), managing a blog and working out 5-6 times per week!

 My TOP 5 TIPS TO HAVE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE DAY:

1. UTILISE TO-DO LISTS

Make sure you utilise a to-do list and write down all the tasks and projects you need to finalise or achieve for the day and the week. What top three tasks that you absolutely must achieve for the day and for the week?

2. OUTLOOK & I-PHONE CALENDARS

Schedule in all meetings and appointments using your Outlook & iPhone calendars. Block out time to work on project-related tasks which require more focus and attention. Tackle difficult tasks and projects in the morning whilst your mind is still fresh and free of distractions! Emails, meetings and administrative tasks should be left to the afternoon.

3. TURN OFF EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS

Turn off email notifications so your email does not distract you from working on higher-level tasks. Psychologists and workplace experts have advised that switching off email notifications will alleviate anxiety, both in and out of the office.

4. LEARN HOW TO SAY NO!

I rarely go out to dinners or events throughout the week, because one late night can throw me off my entire schedule! Saying ‘no’ is one of the hardest things you can say, yet often the most necessary and liberating. Learn to how to say no! When you do, you will have a stronger sense of who you are and what is good for you.

5. DE-CLUTTER YOUR LIFE

An organised mind leads to an organised life. I am ruthless when it comes to de-cluttering and throwing out items which are no longer required or serve purpose in my life. Having a clean and organised home and work space can save you a lot of unnecessary stress. I know where everything is and it allows me to be so much more efficient with my time.

A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF LARA:

5:30am Wake Up & Make the Bed

5:35am Medidate, currently using headspace app

5:45am: Get ready for the gym

6:00am Commute into the city

7:00am Workout at F45

7:45am Shower and get ready for the work day

8:15am Eat breakfast, usually fruit with natural greek yoghurt with chia and flax seeds

8:30am Work through projects and high-level tasks

10:00am Coffee break

10:05am Projects and high-level tasks

12:30pm Eat Lunch- usually salad with lots of greens, vegetables and some form of protein. I try and squeeze in a 30-45 minute power walk here when I can

1:30pm Emails

3:00pm Meetings, usually snack on nuts

6:3opm Plan for the next day

6:45pm Commute home

7:45pm Prepare and eat dinner, usually salmon or chicken with vegetables

8:30pm Prepare blog articles and insta posts

9:15pm Shower and get ready for bed

9:30pm: Read

10:00pm Bed time

Remember, we are all granted the same number of hours in the day and it is up to us to utilise our time effectively and wisely! Take some time to map out your day and week- you can use the above outline of my day as a template to help get you started. If you adopt some of these principles in your daily life, you may just surprise yourself as how productive you can actually be!

What are some of your tips to having the most productive day? Leave your comments below!