There are days where I am noticeably more productive than other days – days where I’m focused, full of adrenaline, and raring to go. Other days, my mind is still asleep several hours after my body has woken up. What makes the difference between a productive and a lethargic day for me?
A strong cup of coffee,
An early start,
A fuss-free outfit,
A comfortable pair of shoes,
And somewhere to be.
I am not the person that I want to be if I don’t have at least a sip of coffee first thing in the morning. Without coffee early in the morning, my mind and body feel sluggish, I’m quiet and reserved, and I’m easily irritated.
Some days, traffic gets the better of me and I can’t get an early start to my day. I find that when I am able to arrive at work even 30 minutes early, I can jump start my day and have everything set up and ready to go for when my work day actually starts.
More often than not, I’ll wear a chic, professional outfit without regard to how fuss-free it is. On days where I know I have a lengthy to do list, I plan ahead and reserve my fuss-free outfit for that day of the week when I know I will be a busy bee at work. For me, a fuss-free outfit includes a pair of trousers that fits snugly at the waist, and loose in the legs; and a well-fitted top that doesn’t ride up with movement. Trousers that fit snugly in the waist eliminate the need to have to hike up your trousers when they start stretching and slipping down from wear throughout the day. Loose fitting pant legs give you freedom and flexibility to move around without worrying about stretching out your pant legs at the knees. Likewise, a well-fitted top that doesn’t ride up eliminates the need to have to re-tuck your shirt in or to pull it down if it’s a shirt that doesn’t require tucking.
A comfortable pair of shoes is a must when I know I’m going to have a long day at work with lots of things to do and lots of running around. When my feet are happy, I’m happy, and that happiness translates into me zipping around accomplishing task after task. When I’m in shoes that rub or have little support, I move slower, and my mind is so focused on the discomfort that it detracts from my work. For me, comfortable shoes include shoes with good support, shoes that don’t squish my toes, shoes where I can wear socks, or shoes made of a material that doesn’t rub if I don’t wear socks.
Lastly, I find that having somewhere to be or some sort of previous engagement planned for after the work day makes my day more efficient. Knowing that I need to leave work promptly forces my mind to focus and work efficiently to accomplish everything on my to-do list by the time my day ends. Otherwise, I find that I have the tendency to leave certain tasks to “quickly” wrap up after the end of the work day. Of course, quick is never actually quick and next thing you know, I’ve unintentionally stayed an extra 3 hours at work.
These are a couple things that differentiate my productive days from my sluggish days. What about you?
What makes you a more productive person?
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Thanks for reading!