Have you ever felt like you’d lost a whole day, even though you had a plan to be super productive? If so, here’s some good news: You can learn how to reclaim your day.
People think of me as amazingly productive. When I look at what I get done each day, I feel the opposite. I allow myself to get distracted and off purpose. I don’t always (ever?) complete my to-do list. And sometimes, at the end of the day, I feel like I accomplished nothing at all.
Then I beat myself up for being lazy, procrastinating, and wasting the day. Of course, the next day—in fact, the whole week, is impacted by my lack of productivity during a 24-hour period. That increases my stress and overwhelm, which sometimes makes me less productive again.
Sound familiar? Stop beating yourself up because you think you haven’t gotten enough done even though you put in hours of so-called work. I’ve discovered three strategies that help reclaim a “lost” day.
Take a break!
Get a fresh perspective. Whether you work at home or in an office setting, a break from whatever you are doing (or were supposed to be doing) provides a way to clear your mind and get back to a mindset that allows you to get more done.
When you find yourself wasting time, go for a run or a walk or take a bath or a shower – anything at all – to change your mental and physical energy. You can meditate or do breathing exercises or yoga. Any work break will change your energy for the better, but using your body during that break increase the effect.
Re-Think Your To-Do List
If you have lost a day by being unproductive, regroup and rethink!
Look at your to-do list. Review and prioritize the incomplete items. Then reorganize the list with the rest of the week in mind. Block time on your schedule every day to complete tasks. As you do so, realistically think about each item on your list. Then allot the appropriate amount of time on your schedule.
Try using a productivity planner, which includes large and small items, your must-do items for the day, and a list of what emails or phone you are waiting on and who you must contact. Only get on the phone or go into your email box to see if you have been contacted by these people or to reach out to them. (I provide a one-page productivity planner to my Certified High Performance Coaching clients.)
With your to-do list and planner in hand, now look at the big picture of where you want to go and make sure your schedule works—and you’ll get more done—the rest of the week.
Set clear and realistic goals for yourself to avoid stressful situations and and the tendency to avoid task completion. Then stick to those goals.
Knowing you have planned for the incomplete items will decrease your stress level even if you now have more to do in less time.
Complete Short, Easy Tasks Before You Call It a Day
It’s easy to set goals and create to-do lists and planners to help you become more productive. It’s also easy to get off track or purpose because we have many more distractions in our lives than we did just five years ago. Even the items on your to-do list or in your planner can become distracting, especially if you aren’t completing them promptly.
To make the most of tomorrow after an unproductive day, assess what you did not complete today. Congratulate yourself for what you achieved.
Then take a look at your to-do list. Maybe you cannot finish today’s big project before you leave the office or head to bed, but you probably have small-but-time-consuming items you’ve consistently pushed to the back of the list that you can tackle before you call it a day.
Find two or three items on your to-do list that are fast and easy to finish. If you are doing this late in the day when you are tired, choose ones that take less focus or energy. Finish a few of them before you leave the office or go to bed.
Completing small task allows you to mark a few things off your to-do list, which will make you fell better about your productivity. And tomorrow, those items won’t be on the list and adding to your overwhelm. You will be able to place your full attention on the larger projects. This also helps you end the day with a sense of completion that carries over to the next day.
Remember, you can’t manage time—you’ve only got so many hours per day. You can manage your attention in the time you have. Try these three tips to help reclaim your unproductive days and make them productive.
How do you reclaim a lost day? Tell me in a comment below.
Certified High Performance Coaching can help you generate the mindset, character traits, and habits to help you achieve the results you desire. It supports you becoming more clear, courageous, energetic, productive, and influential in all areas of your life. To set up a 1-hour FREE High Performance Coaching session, click here. Sign up for 12 Certified High Performance Coaching sessions and receive a FREE ticket to Brendon Burchard’s next High Performance Academy (value $997). It’s your time to master your physiology, psychology, productivity, influence, presence, and purpose so you can fulfill your potential and purpose and live more fully. (Ask me about the Bonus Author Career Plan or Your Sacred Text sessions —each one valued at $997—my Certified High Performance Coaching clients receive as well.)
