Never having worked in a traditional, corporate setting before, I have always had flexibility as to when I carry out tasks. I don’t know what it’s like to work “9 to 5” and, to be honest, it wouldn’t get the best out of me. Sure, the flexibility is a blessing at times, but founding a company in Mexico City whilst looking after my daughter means I have to have a strategy to win the day.
I’m not dogmatic about any one part, I’m still evolving. But here are some of my best practices, which I’ve learned through failing, being overwhelmed (has anyone ever been whelmed?) and then slowly figuring out what works for me.
Identify the most productive time of the day
I make a conscious effort to identify my most productive time of the day, that is, the times when I feel the most awake. I wanted to be a morning person because so many great leaders talk about their “ miracle mornings”. Alas, for me, this is definitely NOT before 9am. That time is spent getting my daughter ready for school and I really love being fully engaged with her, especially as she’s at such an inquisitive, talkative age.
My least energetic point of the day is between 2pm and 4pm. I’m just so sleepy! If I worked in an office, I’d be hiding in the bathroom napping. In those less productive times, I’d send ad hoc messages, read, meditate or nap (of course).
All of these observations reveal that I’m a total night owl. This might be from years working in bars in my early 20s.
I am most awake between 9pm and midnight. This is when I am at my most fierce! Not really — the picture was just a bit intimidating! I take a collaborative approach wherever I can. I spend these hours clearing through emails at my own pace, and setting myself up for the next day.
Apps? No thanks.
There are a lot of well meaning articles about productivity which showcase the latest, most intuitive, AI integrated apps. I’ve tried a few. None of them stuck!
I am a pen a paper person. I have one continual list for all things, business, family and personal. You won’t find any fancy categories either. Keeping it simple means more time doing and less time thinking-about-doing.
Some things might stay on the list for a week. Nothing stays there for more than two weeks. I take the view that it either wasn’t that important or I need to delegate it.
Mindset
After I’ve dropped my daughter off at school, I set myself up for the day with a bit of meditation. I still haven’t managed to find a yoga class in Condesa (recommendations welcome please), but I’d like to work that in to my mornings soon. I often listen to an audio / podcast to give me inspiration. I don’t like the word motivation — I am very motivated to achieve my goals. Listening to someone else and their journey helps me to become more self-aware and to make better decisions. This usually takes less than 30 minutes, but I feel ready to work without distraction.
Time away from screens
In the past, when I first started running my own business, I was responding too often to emails. I now find it is better to plan my reply (sometimes overnight) to avoid sending emails with mistakes or incomplete information. Also sending more emails leads to receiving more emails. Taking the “measure twice, cut once” approach helps me to avoid the rest of an email chain attempting to correct an error or misunderstanding.
Listen to your mother
When I’m finished being a productive night owl, I spend a lot of time preparing for tomorrow. I learned this from my mother. I have a 2 hour bedtime routine. I clear through the majority of my emails (carefully), I have a shower at night, I set my desk up for the morning, I lay out my daughters clothes and get a bag ready if I’m travelling in the city. I also turn off all devices 1 hour before bed.
How do I know it’s working?
I used to do everything “on-the-go” and it felt like I was constantly fighting fires replying to emails. I was in chaos and I didn’t seem to have any time.
Now my days are more productive and I can do more than just correspondence and maintenance. I can give time to more creative parts of the business, make more strategic decisions and analyse, adapt and refine what we do. This, invariably, add more value to our clients, staff and Mexico City.
Thanks for reading.
Zoe
CEO of BE School, Mexico City
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on October 14, 2017.
