The beginning of a new week can feel overwhelming. Even though you’re picking up your project schedule where you left off two days earlier, Monday can feel like starting from scratch again (or at least a memory exercise). Here are nine tips to get you off to a productive start of the week. Happy Monday!

1. 9 Ways to Get Your Week
off to a Productive Start

2. Wake up early.
Most successful people are
early risers and use their
mornings to get some serious
work and creative thinking
done.
Try waking up one hour earlier
just once or twice a week for
starters.

3. Prioritize your tasks.
1. Establish what’s most
important to accomplish
this week.
2. Organize the tasks and
actions that you need to
complete.
3. Take on 1 - 3 action
items a day.

4. Keep your project schedule updated.
Staying on top of your
schedule saves time by
letting you do your work
rather than always playing
catch up.
If you’re using collaboration
software, then keeping your
plan updated is important
for your team members, too.

5. Know where you’re needed
Make an effort to connect
with team members to see
what people need from you
this week.
Unexpected surprises are
the speed bumps in your
work productivity.

6. Track your time.
Productive people maximize
their time because they know
how they use their allotted
daily hours.
Use time tracking software or
log activities in a notebook to
see how you use your time.
Know what your most
productive time of day is, and
then hammer it!

7. Take breaks.
The brain is good for 60 - 90
minutes at a time then it starts
to flag.
Take advantage of this fact
and step away from what
you’re doing. When you return
you’ll feel refreshed and have
a fresh view of your work.

8. Limit your meetings.
Try an experiment this
week. Find one meeting that
you can skip. Then, take
that time and schedule in
work that you need to get
done to move your project
and business forward.
How great does that feel?

9. Turn off your phone and email--
--at least for a while.
The tug of email and phone
notifications is a huge
distraction. Try turning off
what you can, and get into a
fruitful flow state.

10. Pace yourself.
Go out too hard on Monday and
you’ll be toast by Thursday.
Instead, start the week by
assessing the big picture and then
finding a good stride.
Your career is a long-distance
event. Give yourself a pace that’s
sustainable over time. You’ll be
happier and more productive in
the long run.