The Anatomy of a Productive Day

We talk a lot about productivity and achieving more of your goals here on my blog, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself what a productive day would look like to you? The first step when you are trying to achieve any goal is to understand what the results should look like, and that goes for designing your day as well. I gave some thought to this idea and I came up with a framework that I believe is the basic anatomy of a productive day. Now, granted, this may not be a one-size fits all schedule, but I do think that we should all be making time for each of these daily activities and integrating them into our days more often to regularly establish a habit of productivity into our lives.

A productive day…

…Starts on Time: It’s hard to have a productive day after oversleeping and starting your day off on the wrong foot, so make sure you have a hard wake time for your day, even on the weekends, if you want to set yourself up for success.

…Includes a Morning Routine: Whether your morning is 6am or 6pm, you should have a simple routine established to help you get ready to start your day. Click here if you’d like to learn more about morning routines and establishing one for yourself.

…Happens in an Organized Space: For most of us, being productive requires a bit of organization. I realize that people do have different working styles, and some of us need organized spaces to work while others can work in clutter, but be aware of your work style and make sure you are starting your workday in the proper environment.

…Requires Time Spent Planning: There is no doubt that in order to have a productive day, you need to take time, first thing, to look at your plans, schedule and tasks. During this planning time, you should prioritize your top 3 activities for the day and keep a to-do list with next action items ready to go.

…Manages Time in Blocks: Depending on your work for the day, in order to create and sustain your focus, you should divide your day into time blocks of anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours. Assign specific work to your blocks of time and keep a timer or clock in sight to make sure you stay on task and on time.

…Makes Time for Regular Breaks: Within those time blocks, make sure to give yourself regular breaks for meals, decompression, and to stretch your legs. You should take 15 minutes off for every 2 hours of work, and 30 minutes off after 4 hours at work.

…Wraps Up Your Workday Seamlessly: At the end of your workday, take time to wrap up and recap what you have done and what you have left to do. Make a to-do list for the next day, clean your workspace and turn off any work related devices. Don’t forget to leave work at the proper designated time because after a productive day, you need to shut off and remain on time for your personal life.

…Treats Dinner as a Scheduled Event: While you were doing your daily planning or even at some point before that, you should have planned out what you are having for dinner. After a long work day it’s so easy to get lazy about your last meal of the day but doing a little bit of planning or prep ahead of time will transform dinner from a chore to a treat.

…Prioritizes Self Care: When you work hard, you also need to play hard, or in this case, you need to ensure you spend time taking care of yourself so that you are in tip-top shape to have another productive day tomorrow. Click here for some great self care ideas if you need some.

…Winds Down with an Evening Routine: Just as your morning routine helps you prepare for the day, your evening routine helps you transition from productivity to sleep. Spend time on your nightly hygiene, reviewing your day and swap screens for books an hour before bed.

…Ends with a Scheduled Bed Time: Just as it is important to start your day at a regular time, you should also end your day with a scheduled bed time to optimize the amount of sleep you will get to be refreshed and prepared for your next productive day!

I’d love to hear how you add these elements to your day and what a productive day looks like for you so make sure to leave me a comment down below!

xoxo,