Three general strategies to make your daily routine as productive as possible:
- Use your daily calendar proactively to manage your time and set your Targets.
- Follow standard routines to minimize the mundane aspects of life so you can concentrate on what’s most important to you.
- Get eight hours of sleep each night and exercise regularly so you stay alert and sharp.
Takeaways
1. Use a daily calendar with notes on your Targets to remind you of the purpose of every appointment.
2. Do not schedule every hour in the day; you need time to react to the unexpected and to think strategically.
3. Prepare for the next day every night: review your schedule and lay out your wardrobe.
4. Maintain a simple and repetitious routine for mundane daily tasks.
5. Take a short nap in the afternoon to raise your effectiveness later in the day.
6. Have dinner regularly with your family, unless you are traveling or facing a crisis.
7. Get eight hours of sleep each night on a regular basis.
8. Recover from a poor night’s sleep by sleeping longer than eight hours the next night.
9. Exercise regularly, preferably doing a modest amount of exercise nearly every day.
10. Find a group of people, such as those on a sports team or in a workout class, that can offer support for your exercise routine.
* Source: Extreme Productivity by Robert C. Pozen