I don’t know about you, but for me lately, or maybe for like the last 2 years, life has been full of unexpected twists. Zags when you wanted to zig. Forced pivots. For me last week, it was the flat tire I got while driving alone down a major highway at 11pm. I know some lament that cars are all computers these days, but I was grateful that my expensive computer on wheels alerted me that my tire was deflating. That gave me time to find a safe spot on the side of the road a mere three miles from my bed. Sadly, like everything else, a shortage of workers made what probably would’ve been an hour waiting for roadside assistance more like two hours. It only ended when a wonderful man named Muhammed heard my call on his way back to Baltimore. He said he figured if he had gotten that message, there wasn’t anyone else around, and he'd better come help me. Changed my tire, charged me nothing and said he’d settle it up with the roadside assistance company later. Wouldn’t allow me to Venmo him a thank you. There is still good in the world y’all.

But that is not what this post is about. This post is about my next day when I awoke to be ready for a client call at 7:30am after only four hours of sleep. I got the call done, and then realized I had an exhausting day ahead of me and wasn’t sure how I’d muddle through it. 

So I took the dog for a walk. In the fresh air and sunshine, I crafted a plan to get through the day.

Productivity, or whatever you want to call it – getting your sh*t done, isn’t about how much you get done, but whether you get done what you really need and want to get done. And without realizing it at first, my dog walk planning put into action some of the very best practices for being productive. Let me explain.

Best Practice #1:  Prioritization

I assessed the minimum of what HAD to be dealt with that day. 

1. I needed to do about 2 hours of thinking/working on a client task.  

2. I needed to get my tire fixed. 

3. I needed to send my daughter a care package at camp. 

Many experts will tell you to identify no more than 3 tasks to get done in a day, and I stopped here. Note these are fairly small tasks – also a key to success.

I knew the following realities about my 3 priorities. 

• The care package had to be at UPS by 6:30pm

• I needed to get my car to my local tire place where I have a warranty.

• The client work sitting at the computer had to be done that day. 

Best Practice #2 - Energy Management

With my ‘must-dos’ identified, I could start figuring out when to do them. But first I had to do some energy management. It’s a critical thing many of us don’t factor in before we start planning a day and often what derails us. 

I knew I had maybe three good hours where I’d be awake enough to do the client work I needed my brain for, and after that I’d be kinda shot. I also know myself well enough to realize that those three hours had to happen before noon because I gradually turn into a pumpkin after 2pm. 

So even before I set out to walk the dog, I knew the next thing would be the client work. The dog walk itself was a piece of the energy management. Still tired from the wake up and dash into the call, I wasn’t ready to do deep work. But the exercise and sunshine gave me the boost I needed to sit back down. Only THEN did the next best practice come into play.

Best Practice #3 - Time Management

The day was my own to schedule. There was, however, the variable of the tire shop, so I made a call. They MIGHT get to it that day, but probably not likely. I could drop it off and maybe they’d get to it Friday or Saturday, probably Monday. Ok–just needed to get to the tire place at a time my friend could pick me up. The care package required tracking down things in two places, as well as a maternal desire to include homemade cookies…

A schedule emerged:

• 9am - Pre-game

  • Shower, coffee, texts

    • One text to camp daughter to message me on her lunch break any additional items she needs at camp. One to friend who offered to pick me up at the tire shop.

(Walk, shower & coffee gave me the energy I needed to focus on client work. Texting legwork made later day tasks possible)

• 9:30 - Client Work

• 12:30 - Errands

  • Lunch, collecting care package items, buying cookie dough. (close enough to homemade)

(Errands planned before the energy crash approached. Extra time available if any additional deep work needed. )

• 4pm - Tire shop

• 5pm - Bake cookies, fill up package

• 6pm - UPS store

(Already a pumpkin a this point, focused energy not need to do these things)

This entire day, I kept dreaming of when I could get back to bed.  By 7pm I was able to map that out too. I said earlier that “my day was my own to schedule”.  I’m aware that my self-employed life gave me a lot of freedom to manage this day. But I guarantee that you can use these same strategies on ANY day to get done what you need to get done, even if your tasks are far more weighty than sending a care package. IF you ruthlessly prioritize and zoom in on those priorities (often forcing you to eliminate less urgent tasks). IF you assess your best and worst energy times and assign your priorities accordingly. If you nourish your body and spirit in between with breaks, coffee and fresh air.  Dog optional but recommended.