Sunday 18 January 2015

Make Monday the MOST PRODUCTIVE day of the week

Monday morning. Always a tough one. Emerging from our warm beds, following a nice weekend with family and friends and right back into the working world and the latest blast of cold weather.

I've had friends and ex-colleagues say it can take them till at least lunchtime to get back in to the swing of things workwise but there is research which says we are at our most productive on a Monday morning. Specifically at 10.10am.

So why waste that productivity? Yes it's cold outside and you've had a lovely time over the weekend making the most of that precious time but work can be equally fulfilling if you give it all you've got. Not much feels better than smashing a good day at work and achieving your goals and more. The sense of pride, that happy feeling when you achieve your goal. It's all good.

So let's forget that Monday morning feeling and make it the best day of the week. But how I hear you ask?

Here are some simple tips for smashing it on a Monday...

1/ Get a good nights sleep on Sunday - Simple right? Winding down on a Sunday and having a good night's sleep means you start the week on the right foot. This has EVERYTHING to do with your attitude and state of mind. Go to bed early, get up a bit earlier. You'll be amazed how positive you feel when you're mentally ready to go on a Monday

2/ Get prepared Sunday Night - Pack your bag, get the kids bags ready, sort your lunch, choose your outfit. Shower or bath, check if the car needs fuel. ANYTHING which you might need to think about before work get sorted Sunday. It will take half an hour! All you need to do on a Monday is dressed and get everything you've already prepared and leave the house. If you're not rushing about like a maniac Monday morning you will feel calm and prepared. It's all about your state of mind

3/ Eat a good breakfast - If you're prepared you should have time to make yourself a good, healthy breakfast. Eating a good breakfast will give you energy and not let you go to work hungry which affects our levels of concentration

4/ Don't check your email first thing - However tempted you are to check your email first thing...don't! Nothing you see on an email wont be able to wait for an hour until you've properly planned your day. Once you see an email you start to think about it and you're then not working to your own timetable but to that of the person who sent the email. You are in charge. Decide what needs to be done. Then read your emails and factor them in according to importance

5/ Don't play catch up. Okay so this actually really needs to start on a Friday. In order to have a great Monday you need to have a productive Friday. I know it's easy on a Friday afternoon, with one eye on the weekend, to take those tasks on the list and move them on to the Monday list. Don't do it! They'll only hang over you in the back of your mind the entire weekend and slow down your productivity on a Monday. You should start Monday's with a blank sheet of paper.

6/ Plan your Monday - Before you check your email, before meeting requests come in, before messages get put on your desk sit down and work out what needs to be done. Having your day set out in black in white is the best way to be productive. only then can you factor everything else in and have a real plan for the day/ week

Simple stuff but easy to achieve. Start the week as you mean to go on and the week will just keep getting better! Have a great Monday!