On more days than I’d like to admit I’m too tired.  Lie on the bed all night and binge-watch TV tired.  Can’t do anything else for the day tired.  And that doesn’t work so well for me to get anything done. And then a few months ago, I realized that I was trying to do my day backwards.  I was trying to do too much during my low point of the day, and it wasn’t working for me.  Here’s what I remembered to boost my productivity each day, and I think it will help you too:

Your Productive Time Matters.

I’m pretty productive at work, so much so that I’m mentally exhausted by the time I make it home. I’ve realized I’ll sacrifice my personal energy to maintain my professional energy.  So I work when I’m best – when I first wake up in the morning.  My goal each day is to get one productive thing done at home before I go into work.  And on most days, I can accomplish this task, which makes me feel more productive as I go into work.  Try to work at the time that works best for you – early in the morning, during your lunch hour or late at night – if it works for you, it works.  And remember to write it down, so you remember what needs to be done!

Your Productive Projects Can Be Small.

I set small goals each day for what I need to get done.  The small goals make it more likely for me to accomplish my tasks.  It could be loading the DW (what I did this morning), loading the washer/dryer, or entering receipts into our budget – but no matter what it is, I keep it to 5-15 minutes each day.  It seems reasonable and I know I have the time to get it done.  Try to add one tiny thing to your schedule to see if that helps you accomplish your daily tasks.

Your Productive Focus May Need To Be Discovered.

I realized I was wasting time each day by not using all of my daily free time.  What did I discover? My lunch hour.  I’ve worked in a professional career for many years and I just started taking an “away-from-the-office” lunch hour last month.  Seriously.  I’ve eaten at my desk more meals than I could even count.  Now, I go home for lunch (you could go anywhere that is relaxing for you).  I spend time making lunch, refocusing and working on one small (seriously 5-minute small) task at home.  While I’m waiting for my lunch to cook, I’ve cleaned toilets or folded laundry or written thank you notes – all tiny projects and all of them make me feel more accomplished. I encourage you to think of small things you can do during your lunch hour – tiny accomplishments every day.

You can be more productive each day.  It shouldn’t take much.  Try to add one (tiny) task to your daily routine and see how much you accomplish this week.