How To Have A Good Day: The Essential Toolkit for a Productive Day at Work and Beyond

by Caroline Webb

What really matters most right now? (It may help to revisit your intentions for the day.) What really has to happen today, if nothing else? Project forward to the end of the day. What will you be most glad or relieved to have done?

we often pay a lot of attention to what we’re discussing—

very little attention to how we’re having the conversation.

PREPARING FOR THE MEETING

Aim: If you could achieve only one thing in the meeting, what would it be? So what really matters most?

Keep most email to just a few lines if you can.

Highlight any action or decision that you’re asking the recipient to take.

Start with some appreciation.

Praising something specific is more effective than making general warm statements,

Lead with solutions, not problems.

Engage the recipient on why it matters.

engages their reward system by inviting them to pursue the benefits of resolving the problem:

Set your intentions

Ask yourself: “What matters most today? What does that mean for my attitude, attention, and actions? What specific goals should I set for the day?”

Visualize the ideal

imagine the most important thing you’re doing today. Picture yourself doing it and being at your best. Notice what you’re doing and saying.

most looking forward to today,

Plan a block of uninterrupted thinking time to work on your most complex task.

switch off devices and e-mail. headphones. write emails in draft, edit and send later in the day.

Create another slot (or two) for reading and responding to all your messages.

Batch other similar tasks...

Decide what mental attributes you most need in your thinking today, and create whatever cues

image, a song, a change in your workspace setup.

Set the tone

Decide what behavior you want from other people and how you can project that tone yourself.

Compliment someone for something, ideally unprompted. Be unexpectedly helpful

To quickly reduce tension, say something appreciative.

Find a reason to smile,

smile in the mirror before I go to work

Label any frustrations

When you feel irritated or upset, write down what the facts are (free from interpretation) and how they make you feel.

later—read back what you’ve written and decide what your “best self” (or wisest ...

“What really matters most today?” Write it on a sticky note

Take a break every ninety minutes, even if it’s just getting up and stretching your legs.

LUNCH Connect with someone

Make space to have at least one short interaction with someone

Do some exercise

FOR EACH TASK

“What’s most interesting about this task?”

“What’s the bigger

reason for getting th...

“If I could apply my personal strengths in the way I do this work, how...

“When has this been done well before (by me or others), and what ca...

Start with a positive question (e.g., “What’s going well so far?” or “What’s the ideal outcome?”).

ask a few “whys” until you get to the real blockage. To resolve it, what would you have to do? And what would be the very smallest first step? Replace your to-do with that.

AT THE END OF THE DAY End on a high note

Think about the three best things that happened today.