🕘 How I like to plan my day

Monday was the first day of Q3 - the third quarter of the year. Splitting the year into quarters can really help us to get major projects completed quickly, and break up the year into manageable chunks. However, I like to take this concept a step further…

Ever struggle to regain focus after something "knocks you off balance"?

Unexpected problems arise, but they don't need to completely wreck your day. This is a problem that ties into my post last week about being the best version of you in each situation. Here is a neat little trick to prevent wasting days due to unforeseen issues:

One of my clients, Anton, who runs an ad agency often had unexpected issues crop up that destabilised his day.

We cannot always control external forces - algorithm changes, children, internet connection - but we can make small changes in how we react to those forces so we can still get stuff done.

While the approach I take is tailored to each client and their situation, for Anton we implemented a system where we split our day into 4 "quarters".

Q1 Morning

Q2 Early Afternoon

Q3 Late Afternoon

Q4 Evening

We assigned just one task for each quarter.

We make sure tasks are not directly related to avoid knock on effects - the success of Q2 doesn't depend on the completion of Q1's tasks.

This small change in how we see our day has two huge advantages:

1️⃣ Firstly, it helps us to have a single point of focus. We know what we need to complete this quarter and how long we have. We also have some "slack" in the schedule, the task rarely takes 4 hours. We can truly focus.

2️⃣ Secondly, when something goes wrong it may destabilise one quarter, but we have a clearly marked spot where we get to try again next quarter. We can mourn the loss, take a break, and go again. It becomes MUCH easier to regain focus and to start afresh on important tasks.

For Anton, this shift in perspective was a "new paradigm shift for real". It has helped catapult his productivity and his business is running much smoother and making much more money now.

Try splitting your day into quarters this week, I would genuinely love to hear how you get on with it.

Splitting your day into quarters can make a big difference

Time tracking + 4 quarters really helps productivity

💡 Quote I'm pondering

"Some things just take time, no matter how great your talent or efforts. You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant” - Warren buffet

This quote reminds me of two things:

1. To keep calm. Focus on the direction of travel, not the speed. Things take time.

   
   

2. To allow for plenty of slack in time estimates. If I think I can do it in 4 months, give it 6. Do my best to beat the estimate, but understand that things take time.

   
   

I like to break big tasks down into little chunks, and to always give myself more time than I think is needed. Things take time, often more than we think, and different people take different amounts of time to do something. Bake extra time into your estimates and averages. Don’t rush things, do it properly even if it takes a little longer.

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-july-3-2024

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