How to Protect Personal Time for Increased Productivity

Whenever I get interrupted, it takes me 15 - 30 min to recover my zone. Do you ever have one of those days when you end up exhausted but can't list the things you finished? I bet money that day was full of meetings or full of interruptions. Interruptions when you're "in the zone" are problematic, especially with complex issues. You have to switch context, which comes with a price; you lost track. This is how I get things done: 𝗜 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿. It could be for 25 minutes or 1 hour, whatever works for you. I find my sweet spot at 2 hours; during that time, my only mission is my task. 𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹. Shoulder taps are not the only interruptions; you have Slack, Teams, you name it, and all those notifications can take you off track in seconds. But if there is a production issue, you have to fix it no matter what. So, I created a chat for priority issues, and I get notified if I get tagged. 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. I work from home 90% of the time, so I have a Do Not Disturb sign on my door. I also set my chat status to "Do Not Disturb." 𝗜 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. You need to make yourself available for your team. I have slots during the day to handle: - emails - calls - other minor tasks to Less context switching, more things done! 𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀. Before attending to an interruption, write down a few quick notes about: - where you are in your current task - who you get there again Quick notes can act as "bookmarks" to help you resume your original task. Are you good at context-switching? Really? Share some other tricks to protect your time and get things done! #softwaredevelopment #timemanagement #focusonyourgoals

As a founder or executive, it is easy to get lost among multiple fires, meetings, and competing priorities. One of the most impactful things you can do for yourself (and your team) is to set boundaries, guidelines and processes to make sure you are focused on the most impactful items throughout the day. This is easier said than done but below are few things that have helped me become more effective and may help you as well. 🙅🏽♀️ No meeting days: At Cocora.io we have no meetings on Monday and Wednesday as well as Friday afternoon. I learned this working with Alexander Torrenegra at Bunny Studio. In practice, this means we block our calendars and will only take meetings unless it is absolutely urgent and important. This gives us uninterrupted time for deep work. 💡 Know your focus patterns and plan accordingly: I do my best deep work in the mornings. That is why my calendar has no open slots in the morning. This allows me to work on things that require high concentration and finish them faster (and better) than if I had worked on them in the afternoon/evening. ✅ Write your priorities: The first thing I do in the morning is write down the 2-4 most important items I need to complete that day. I avoid working on other items unless they are more urgent and important than the items I wrote down ⚡️ Manage your energy: There are days when you can work for 16 hours straight and be highly productive. There are days when you are exhausted and will not be productive if you work for more than 8 hours straight. During those low energy days, you want to find ways to recharge or work on tasks that require less mental energy so you can recharge. It is better to work 8 hours at 90% effectiveness than 12 hours at 40% effectiveness. 🕰 Time audit: Monitor what you are spending your time on. This will not only let you see where you are spending more time than you should, it also serves to keep you accountable. #timemanagement #leadership #effectiveness #effectiveleadership

Do you check your email first thing in the morning? That is one of the most common mistakes the people I consult with make, and it is also one of the hardest to change. When you start your day by opening your email, it immediately sets you into a reactive mode. Research, as well as interviews with high performers across industries, validates that giving yourself time to “step into your day” and contemplating what you want to accomplish has a substantial impact on your ability to control your focus and, ultimately, your performance. Here’s what you can do instead: Think about your morning routine. Most of us have one, even though we may not intentionally organize it. Start with the moment you wake up and end with when you either leave for your commute or go to your home office. Challenge yourself to stop checking email prior to going “on game.” If you have your email set to automatically notify you every time a new email comes to your inbox, then change your phone settings to download new emails only when you open the email app yourself. This places the control back with you for when new emails arrive. Start to recognize when you check your email the first time and associate that with the start of your workday. After doing this for several days, resolve what you would like to have as your “thinking time.” I use a personal journal and sticky notes to capture my thoughts and action items that I hope to accomplish over the day or upcoming days. This allows me to clear my mind of what I want to do (or believe I should do) before I receive the issues or needs in my inbox that I have to do. #leadfortomorrow #productivity #leadershipcoaching  

During a call today, a client referred to one of my Entrepreneur Media articles about proper email etiquette. She asked for further reasoning about why I advise against "most" email communication during weekends, holidays, and off-hours. Here's a quick recap of some whys: In today's hyperconnected world, it's easy to fall into the trap of constantly being available and responsive. However, there's tremendous value in establishing boundaries, especially when it comes to email communication during weekends, holidays, and off-hours. Here's why: 1️⃣ It signals desperation to prospective clients. By refraining from email communication during non-work hours, you convey a sense of professionalism and balance. It shows that you prioritize your personal time and well-being, which in turn portrays confidence and self-assurance. Remember, clients are more likely to value your services when they perceive you as composed and in control. 2️⃣ It reflects poor time organization and nervousness. Sending or responding to emails during weekends or off-hours can inadvertently communicate a lack of effective time management. It may convey the impression that you're overwhelmed or unable to prioritize tasks effectively. By setting boundaries and reserving non-work hours for personal relaxation and rejuvenation, you demonstrate your ability to maintain a well-organized schedule and deliver optimal results. 3️⃣ It fosters a healthy work-life balance and avoids workaholic tendencies. Promoting a healthy work-life balance is essential for overall well-being and sustained productivity. When you consistently engage in work-related activities outside of your designated hours, it can lead to burnout and hinder your ability to focus and perform at your best. By prioritizing your personal time and disconnecting from work during weekends and off-hours, you create space for relaxation, hobbies, and meaningful connections, which ultimately fuels your productivity during work hours. Additionally, it's crucial to consider the long-term effects of your actions. Responding to emails during non-work hours establishes a precedent that you are always available, which can lead to others expecting immediate responses from you during their own off-hours. To address urgent situations, such as a client website crashing or critical issues affecting team members, utilize direct communication channels like text or phone calls. This ensures that genuine emergencies receive the attention they require while preserving the boundaries you've set. By prioritizing focused work during designated hours and nurturing our personal lives during off-hours, we can achieve greater fulfillment and sustained success. Balance is key to achieving excellence in all aspects of our lives. #WorkLifeBalance #Productivity #WellBeing #Professionalism

Hey you...super nice rep who loves helping others, always replies to Slacks immediately, and loves your account team to death You need to be WAY more selfish Do these bullets apply to you? - You prioritize internal comms whenever someone needs you - You reply to Slacks/emails with extreme urgency - You never say no to an assigned project - You always make time for colleagues who have questions - You volunteer for optional items constantly On the one hand, your org is lucky to have you acting as the glue! BUT if you checked a couple of those boxes... You are not protecting your time enough Your first obligation is to yourself - the work you need to get done, your development, and your personal time You can still add work beyond that, but first ask yourself: - Do I have time in the day to accomplish my main job? - Do I have trouble getting in the flow for work? - Do I feel like some of the work I do isn't helping my role? I would enlist a partner (such as your manager) to help add perspective Then, start taking your time back bit by bit (won't change overnight): ⏳ Align with an Accountabilibuddy share your goal of saying "no" to more things ⏳ Make sure your manager is aware of this goal ⏳ Find the BEST times a day for your productivity and BLOCK them ruthlessly ⏳ Let your peers know when you will be in "deep" work ⏳ Learn to default to no on asks for your time or optional work. You can almost always say yes after some time to think about it ⏳ Get technology to work for you: Slack and email notifications should come when YOU want them to. Spend some time here Once you lock down a stellar organizational rhythm, you can start adding projects and tasks that serve your work and development goals in an intentional way! Any other tips from those who have been in these shoes? #Productivity #SalesDay #AskSomeoneElse #DoNotDisturb #CorrCompetencies

𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 20-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆. Two decades of health care immersion - medicine, pharmacy, and everything in between... ... have taught me very useful lessons in boosting productivity and preserving sanity. ------- 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 10-𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘆: 1. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿. Zero in on high-impact tasks.  Master the art of saying 'no'. 2. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Meetings, emails, admin work... ... group them to keep your workflow smooth. 3. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱. Delegate.  Empower.  Hold accountable.  You're not meant to do it all alone. 4. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀. For every 90 minutes of work,... ...take a quick 5-10 minute breather.  Burnout prevention and creativity boost! 5. 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗼-𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽. Laser-focus on one task at a time.  Make juggling history. 6. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻 '𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁' 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲. Enable deep work.  Disconnect from distractions. 7. 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 & 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀. Automate... Streamline... Use templates... Conserve time and mental bandwidth. 8. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. Revisit your priorities... Track your progress... Plan for the future...  Recalibrate... 9. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Set boundaries.  Unchain from work.  Your self-care matters. 10. 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗯. We are all unique.  Test-drive different productivity tactics ------- 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆. 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀?