Starting Your Workday Right and Avoiding Distractions
Welcome back!
I’m back from my annual two-week holiday (it’s such a good idea—one week is never enough!) and ready to get cracking again in the world of hybrid working. Let’s start by talking about something that often happens on the first day back, or indeed on any morning—you start your day with a clear plan, only to have it derailed by a single ‘urgent’ email or phone call. Let’s explore how to avoid that pitfall and start your workday on the right foot, making sure you manage to stick your plan and stay productive.
Plan Your Day the Night Before
First things first: planning. The key to a smooth and productive day starts the evening before. Before you shut down your laptop, take 10-15 minutes to map out your next day—don’t be tempted to leave it to the next morning. Prioritise tasks by importance and deadlines, and be realistic about what you can achieve. This way, when you sit down to work the following day, you already have a game plan and can dive right into your most important tasks without hesitation.
The Power of a Time Blocked Schedule
As ever, during your planning, allocate specific blocks of time for different types of work, paying careful attention to what you are working on first thing in the morning. For example, designate the first hour of your workday to your most important task—the one thing that will make the biggest impact on your day if you get it done. Then, carve out specific times for checking and responding to emails, attending meetings, and working on other projects.
The Best Hour
Having said all this, it’s also important to recognise when you’re most productive. Are you a morning person, or do you hit your stride in the afternoon? Schedule your most important tasks for when you’re at your peak productivity. For me, first thing in the morning is my sweet spot, so I reserve this time for deep work and tackling the difficult projects.
The Morning Routine: Grounding Your Day
Regardless of when you’re most productive, your morning routine sets the tone for the rest of the day. Aim to wake up at the same time every day, even if you’re working from home. After you drag yourself out of bed (!), take some time for yourself before jumping into work. This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate—just a few consistent actions that signal to your brain that it’s time to get into work mode. This could be as simple as making a cup of coffee, doing a quick stretch, some quiet reading, or reviewing your to-do list. The key is consistency.
The Email Trap: How to Avoid It
So far, we’ve talked about how to plan effectively so you can start the day as well as possible. The first trap you can fall into is email. Yes, they’re a necessary evil in our work lives, but they can easily take over your morning if you let them. How many times have you started your day with a clear plan, only to get sidetracked by an email that seems urgent? It happens to me all the time. I open my inbox, see a message that looks important (or just interesting!), and before I know it, I’m deep into crafting a detailed response, completely abandoning my original task.
To avoid this, set specific times to check your email—say, once in the morning, once after lunch, and once in the late afternoon. Outside of these times, close Outlook or mute notifications. This might feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s crucial for maintaining your focus on what truly matters.
Handling Urgent Emails Without Losing Focus
But what if an email truly is urgent? This is where a bit of discernment comes in. When you do check your emails, quickly scan for anything that requires immediate attention. If it’s genuinely urgent and important, deal with it promptly—it is what it is. If it’s important but not urgent, add it to your to-do list and schedule time to handle it later.
A useful trick is to use the good old “two-minute rule”: if an email can be addressed in less than two minutes, go ahead and do it. If not, schedule it for later. This helps you manage quick tasks without letting them disrupt your focus on bigger projects.
The Client Call Conundrum
Next up, those unexpected client calls. We’ve all been there—right in the middle of a project, your phone rings, and it’s a client or other important person who needs to talk. While you of course want to be responsive, it’s equally crucial to protect your flow state. Flow is that magical zone where productivity and creativity are at their peak. Getting interrupted breaks this state and can make it tough to get back on track. Sometimes, you simply have to put your phone on silent and call people back. If your job requires you to always answer calls, then be careful about what you do after the call ends—sure, you may need to write some notes, but make a conscious decision about whether to follow up immediately or simply add a task to your todo list and then return to whatever you were doing.
The Household Distraction Dilemma
Working from home brings a whole new set of distractions—kids needing attention, household chores, or the lure of Netflix. To combat these, create a dedicated workspace that signals “work mode” to both you and your family or household members. Setting clear boundaries with those you live with is key.
For those tempting household chores, stick to your work schedule just as you would in the office. If you wouldn’t be folding laundry at 10am in the office, don’t do it at home unless there is good reason! Schedule breaks throughout your day to tackle quick tasks if needed, but avoid letting them seep into your dedicated work time.
Saying No to Last-Minute Requests
A big part of sticking to your schedule is learning to say no to last minute requests and meetings. It’s tough, especially when you want to be helpful, but protecting your time is essential. Politely decline non-urgent requests or suggest alternative times that fit within your planned schedule. If it’s a senior colleague or client urgently requesting something, then you may have little choice to accept, but even then, depending on the request or the individual, see if you can ask for a better time.
Avoid Meetings First Thing
Speaking of meetings, try to avoid having a meeting first thing in the morning if at all possible—the trouble with that is that you haven’t really gotten into doing any deep work. It’s even worse if it’s a long meeting—you finish it and you’re half way through the morning and already tempted to go for a coffee. Whereas if you start the day with some ‘real’ work, you’ll be far more likely to return to it when the meeting is over.