My Productive Routine for the Coming Week

Starting a new week means getting another chance to accomplish your work tasks. However, with so many possibilities of what you might want to get done this week, you can be overwhelmed. One thing that I do to help next week ‘me’ is to establish a routine for the upcoming week to maximize my productivity. Today, I will show you how you too can set yourself up to have a productive week ahead.

Identify What You Want to Accomplish Next Week
The first step to establish a productive routine is to identify what you would like to get done at work, ideally. For me, this looks like reflecting on what I got done this week, see what still needs to get done, and prioritize the tasks I for sure need to get started or complete next week. However, being too ambitious can sour your plans so you want to make sure you don’t fill up every second of your week ahead. This way you can have some cushion should you need it for breaks, etc

Set Time Apart To Begin And End Your The Day
Part of setting up a routine is to have consistency with how your day goes. One of the ways I set myself up for a productive week is to schedule uninterrupted time at the beginning and end of my work days. I usually start my day by reviewing my emails to see if anything urgent came up and then, I use the time at the end of the day to finish off whatever task I was working on to finish off my day. This sets a limit for how much time I have to complete my tasks for the day. It can be helpful in avoiding procrastination as you know you only have a certain amount of time in a work day. 

Determine What Preparations You Will Need To Make
This part of my routine is mostly applicable to meetings. The week prior, I will usually block off a few minutes a day or two before my meetings where I like to prepare myself by reviewing the agenda or any necessary relevant material ahead of the meeting. This preparation helps move the conversation forward more quickly rather than if I don't do any homework in advance. Even if it’s a brainstorming meeting, it is helpful to do your research ahead of time so you can come prepared to collaborate and have a productive meeting. 

Assign Downtime

Finally, to be able to maintain your same level of productivity, you will need to recharge every now and then because the same reason you don’t drive a car on empty fuel, you shouldn’t overwork your brain when all its energy is gone. The way that I implement downtime in my work schedule is that I will block off a short 15-minute window after each meeting, if possible, I have to look elsewhere and walk away from my computer screen so I can transition in to my next meeting or task I want to work on without feeling like its a continuous ride I can’t hop off from.

Overall, setting up your weekly routine the week before can really help you amplify your productivity because you are being intentional with your time. Have you or will you use any of these productive routine habits for the coming week ahead? Let me know in the comments.