For those of you who are continually striving to be more efficient, get more done in less time, and make the most out of your time each day, you know all too well that productivity is hard work! It's takes constant focus and effort — and even still, you're not guaranteed success.
So since I love being productive, I've learned that in order to make the most of my time, I absolutely MUST plan ahead and prepare to be productive.
Believe it or not, I actually spend about 20-30 minutes EVERY evening planing and preparing to be productive in the day ahead. And while I know this might sound counter-productive, this 20-30 minutes saves me so much more time the following day.
Here are a few ways I prepare to be productive.
- Write out my full to-do list for the following day
- Make my top 5 list (these are the things I know to get started on right away)
- Pick out clothes and iron or wash anything if needed
- Pack a lunch
- Look over my schedule for tomorrow and plan according for any meetings or events
- Gather any reports or documents I might need
- Gather necessary supplies, equipment, and other materials I'll need (work-out clothes, a gift for a coworker, laptop case, etc.)
- Make sure I have the address and contact information for any people/businesses I'll be meeting with
- Send "reminder" emails for anyone I'm meeting with to reduce the possibility that they forget or run late
- Declutter my workspace (nothing worse than starting the day in a messy office)
- Clean out my inbox by responding to as many emails as possible
- Charge my laptop, cell phone, iPad, etc.
All of these "preparations" help me plan ahead and prepare to be productive the following day. Plus, I have the added benefit of less stress, less forgetfulness, and more sleep because I'm not always worrying about forgetting something important!
How do you prepare to be productive?
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