If your long to-do list is making you scared of going to the office, it’s time to rethink your approach to productivity.
According to Alison Tibbs, executive coach focused on wellness and CEO of Nutritional Life Coaching & Consulting, to improve productivity in the long term, you need a “really good foundation” of positive habits.
“When people see productivity, we just think about it when we’re at work,” she says. “Things like how you start your day actually have a huge impact.”
Frequently, high achievements try to maximize production by sacrificing sleep and working through breaks, says Tibbs.
“They believe they need to skip lunch late at night, early in the morning and then do all this for productivity,” she says.
According to Tibbs, that attitude often leads to burnout. In her view, self-care is key to maintaining your focus and stamina.
Tibbs’ most successful clients are equally serious about their work and health, she says.
These are her best tips on how to build sustainable productivity habits.
Tweak your morning routine
If your typical morning rolls out of bed and involves dashing work, then you’ll be involved in “shooting yourself with your feet” from a productivity standpoint, Tibbs says.
“Most people charge through the morning,” she says. “They go out with just a cup of coffee, and it’s like you’re not really taking care of yourself.”
Before you start working mentally on your to-do list, Tibbs recommends taking the time to breathe and center yourself. She starts her day by meditating, doing 15 minutes of yoga, then doing an active outdoor walk.
“It’s a very simple routine that I can do anywhere and is easily integrated into my life,” she says. “When I’m sitting at my desk, I feel like I’m ready in a good place, mentally, emotionally and physically ready.”
According to Tibbs, the ideal morning routine is simple and sustainable.
Maintaining consistent habits “opens the locks in the morning to make you very productive,” she says.
Protect your “power time”
Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, most people reach peak productivity for several hours each day. According to Tibbs, these “power hours” are the best time to focus on important tasks.
She says she found Tibbs to be most keen to feel from 10am to noon.
“These are times when you know you can really focus,” she says. “This is when your brain is doing its best and you can really build your day around it.”
To make the most of “power time,” Tibbs says, there are some preparatory tasks.
She recommends eliminating all electronic distractions. “Simply turn off the phone, have no notifications, open one tab.”
It also helps to organize your desk and prepare essentials such as water, snacks and office supplies, she says.
“You make the moment very productive,” says Tibbs. “You have everything that’s ready to use, and you can just go for it.”
Narrow your priorities
One of Tibbs’ favorite proverbs is that “people don’t have time management issues, they have priority management issues.”
Her clients often spread so thinly by working on multiple tasks at once, “burning mental energy and taking over cognitive functions,” she says.
According to Tibbs, very productive people know exactly what they do every day.
She encourages experts to rank priorities through “Do, Delegate, Delete” exercises.
“Your ‘do’ task is what drives the needle forward, and that’s where you need the most energy, time and attention,” she says.
All other tasks must be placed or removed completely from the to-do list.
A common feature among her most successful clients is that they have strong boundaries in priorities, Tibbs states:
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