Most productivity advice (especially on morning routines) is totally UNREALISTIC.
No one has time for an hour-long morning routine that takes 21 steps. Especially if you have kids.
Here's how I have my best week every week:
✅ Do something hard and physical first thing Monday morning
Monday morning sets the tone for the rest of the week. Make it hard to not have a killer week.
For me, it's scheduling an Orangetheory workout first thing Monday morning.
The mental win of doing something hard to get the week started is a game changer for me.
For you, it could be a workout at the gym. A workout at home. A walk around your neighborhood. Don't overthink it. Do something physical, and keep it simple.
No excuses. Get after it.
✅ Plan to plan
I learned the best time management lesson of all time as a 19 year college freshman.
My VP of Sales taught me to:
- Take 20-30 min. every Monday to plan the week
- Take 5-10 min. at the end of every day to plan the next day
There's no secret to time management. This advice is absurdly simple. But it's about consistent execution.
The most important meetings to schedule every week are the meetings with yourself:
- Outbound time
- Meeting prep
- Personal development
- Fun stuff
- Family stuff
- Reflection time
- etc.
✅ Weekly feedback loops
Every Sunday for the last 7 years, my wife and I do what we call a "Sunday Retro."
I set a reminder on phone every Sunday. And it takes about 10 min. for us to talk about:
- Start: "What should we start doing that we're not?"
- Stop: "What's not going well that we should stop?"
- Continue: "What's going well that we should continue?"
If you don't have a spouse, schedule a Sunday Retro for yourself. Or do a version of this for your work.
Do NOT let more than a week go by without course correction.
This keeps you laser-focused on your goals.
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What helps you make the most of every week?