Start productive and you’ll have a productive day

When you want to have a productive day, the first thing you need to do that day is be productive. And I mean the first thing. Even if it’s just for the first 30 minutes, 20 minutes or even 10 minutes. You need to make productive the default.

Then when you want to take a break, or you get distracted, you will have a productive default to return to. You will have productive momentum that you will get back on. On the other hand, when you start your day with a distracting online video, or checking social media or your email, being productive and getting work done is a distraction from the fun you were having in the default state you created of being unproductive.

I’m not saying that a productive day mustn’t have breaks and distractions. You need to be able to relax and unwind to sustain your energy throughout the day. However, you will get the most done when the relaxation and unwinding happens as a departure from your default you set up of being productive.

What you can do today:

• Start the day with 10 minutes of productive work before you do anything else. Not 10 minutes of deciding what to do, but actually doing.
• At the end of today, plan what productive work you will do in the first 10 minutes of tomorrow.

Starting your day productive gives you the best chance at a whole day of being productive.