Good morning Monday. It’s a new week and a busy one as well. I think we all have been there – too much that needs to be done, too much that is outside of your comfort zone and in too little time. Therefore, to help you with tidying up you mind and preparing for a smashing week, here follows some of my best tips to start the week in the right way and be highly productive.
From Anna Pearson Design
1. Prepare the day before
The best way to kick off the week is to prepare the night before. Make sure that you have packed your bag, sort what you want to wear and tidy up your home. This tip is key for me to start the week in the right way and to be able to hit the floor running on a Monday. Make sure also that everything is ironed, clean and on point. I tend to hang my clothes for the next day in the hallways outside the bedroom so I do not need to bother my partner when I wake up.
2. Wake up early and go to the gym
I have over many years now been living a life with high pressure and expectation. The best way for me to cope with high pressure is to go to the gym in the morning. It does not need to be the most advanced gym class or more than 30 min. It only needs to increase your heart rate. The benefit with going to the gym in the morning is that you can be efficient with your time, at least if you are a girl that wears make-up and has long hair. You are already fixing your make-up and hair in the morning and therefore do not need to do it twice. A tip is also to prepare your gym gear the night before and keep your running shoes right outside your bedroom.
From AD
3. Get up with the alarm bell
The biggest part I have been guilty of wasting time on is snoozing – I would recommend getting up right away as snoozing, at-least for me, is not effective. If you are having challenges with getting up in the morning, I recommend to put your alarm clock away from the bed so you need to get up to stop it and have a plan for what is needed to be done 2 min after the alarm clock goes off. A tight time scheme will help you get up in the morning.
4. Drink lots of water
Water can have a massive impact on your mood and on your productivity. Therefore make sure to stay hydrated. Always have access to a glass of water in your home and on your desk in the office – make sure to drink from it regularly. A good way of increasing water consumption is to drink with a straw and with some ice cubes, making it easier and more enjoyable.
From Design Milk
5. Prioritise your list
Make sure that you write everything that needs to be achieved down in bullet points when you arrive at work. You can do this both on your computer and on paper. For me paper has always been the method that worked best, physically writing each priority down is helpful. I think there is also something with the ritual of crossing them out when they are done. Make sure also that you prioritise the bullet points on your lists. Set a star in front of the three things that are the most important bullets that will really make you feel good and deliver impact when completed.
6. Track your time
It is easy to be busy at work, but it does not mean that you are actually productive. I have over the years become very careful of accepting calls and meetings. You need to understand why you are attending – do they actually need you in the room or can they do it by themselves? I believe meetings with lots of people can sometimes include too many cooks and lack of focus. Make more sure that you catch up with people on a 1:1 basis and get the details that you really need straight out of them.
From Pinterest
7. Go to the office or have a clear home plan
To get into a work mode, I would recommend to actually go into your office in the beginning of the week. This is a great way to get your head switch over from weekend to work. If you don’t go into the office and need to work from home, make sure that you really track your time with blocking your calendar to certain topics for 30 min to 45 min. This will make you head stay switched on. Lastly, if at home, it can be good to dress as though you’re in the office to mentally get you in the right mindset.
What are your tips for having a productive start of the week?
