I asked productive people how they make the most of their workday
Image via @degoey_planet/Instagram
Words by Sonia Blair
“I’ve been told meditation will make me more productive, but so far, my dose of meditation comes in the form of my morning coffee and walk routine.”
Productive people – how do they make it all seem so effortless? You know, the type of people who manage to wake up at 5am, squeeze in a spin class and still manage to look refreshed and glowing at the office by 9am. They’re the envy of many, me included.
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I’m eager to hear their secrets, so I spoke to five productive people about how they get the most out of their workday, from starting the day with fresh air to ending it with generous glasses of wine.
Annie Carroll, partner at Character + Distinction and co-founder of Homeroom
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The Eisenhower Matrix has been a real productivity game-changer for me. I highly recommend it to anyone who juggles a big workload and competing priorities. It helps distil your day down into what is truly urgent, what is important and what can be put on the back burner. I’ve been told meditation will make me more productive, but so far, my dose of meditation comes in the form of my morning coffee and walk routine. Lesson – find what works for you, stick with it and carry on. The rest is just noise.
Daisy Buckland, publicist at Sassafras PR
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The mornings always start with a strong almond latte from my local while I catch up on the daily news and scroll through socials. As a publicist, my day-to-day can include meetings, work lunches, media opportunities or events. Having a detailed calendar and setting reminders helps me to stay on top of these. My easiest productivity ‘hack’ is using my email inbox. I archive irrelevant emails and smaller tasks I can action immediately. I flag emails that might require deeper consideration to circle back on later. I try to clear my inbox by the end of each day – once it’s in the archive, it’s out of my mind.
The nature of my job is reactive. I place a loose structure on tasks for the day but understand it’s subject to change if an immediate media opportunity or client inquiry lands. I’m still learning to embrace this fluidity! I keep my bosses favourite saying top of mind: ‘PR not ER’. Public relations is a fast-paced, high-pressure industry but if I can’t get to a task on any given day, there is always tomorrow.
Genevieve Novak, author and columnist for The Age
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Give yourself structure. It’s really easy to delay a creative project until you’re feeling inspired, but that’s a good way to never finish it. I keep strict office hours when I’m writing, factoring in time to procrastinate, time to work and time to switch off. I set goals and deadlines and take them as law. Treat your creative practice like a job, because it is.
Jazmin Wotton, owner of Lesser Store
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First and foremost, a quick cold shower to get the blood flowing (apparently great for the skin, mostly just gets the adrenaline going). Then, I head to the store to chat with our team and, most importantly, down coffee number one for the day together.
After setting my mindset up right for the day, I use a three-hour window every morning to get my most important emails done while my mind is sharp, which forces me to prioritise what is most productive for me and gives me the space to get creative with mum and build relationships with clients for the rest of the day without being distracted! The other cheeky hack I use is pouring a generous glass of wine with the team as we finish the day to R&R (and sometimes influencing creative plans).
Francesca Broome, PR specialist at Mecca
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Ultimately how I start each day has a huge impact on how I feel throughout, so I’ll always wake up with plenty of time to go to the gym or get some fresh air. If I can walk with a friend in the morning, even better! If you can, showering at work or the gym is an absolute game-changer. This ensures I arrive early enough to beat peak-hour chaos, shower, grab a coffee and be ready to attack the day without the rush and stress that often comes with a morning commute. Arriving just that little bit earlier also gives me time to (attempt to) clear my inbox and start the day with a clear mind before the 9am rush.
For more productivity tips, head here.
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