My ‘First 30’ Routine: Using the First 30 Minutes of My Workday To Ensure a Productive Day
The steps in this routine, completed in the first 30 minutes of my workday, ensure that I've set myself up for success. I understand the pace of my day. I’m clear about what must be accomplished and when I will accomplish it.
Why do routines matter? Routines are my way of using the least amount of time ⏱️, effort 💪, and brain power 🧠 on required tasks. Putting these things on autopilot allows me to preserve my energy for the things that matter: spending time with my daughter, focusing on an important work project, or writing an article like this. This is the second segment in a series highlighting the routines that save me time. Read my first article about email clean-up here.
We’ve all been there. You’re rushing from your train or your parking garage to get to the office for your first meeting. You dash in the door and head straight into a conference room full of people. Or maybe you work from home. You get a later start than you had hoped, and you’re flipping your laptop open one minute before your first Zoom call starts. You log on, wondering why the video software only seems to need an update when you are running late. Your day has started and you’re off to the races. You’re not in control of your day; your day is in control of you. You rush from one meeting to the next. Email fills the spaces between meetings. You end your workday overwhelmed. Did you accomplish everything that needed to be done? Are you forgetting something?
Exhausted from days like this, I’ve spent the last year experimenting. How can I better plan and manage my workdays? I’ve landed on a ‘first 30’ routine: a mini planning session that I carry out every morning.
The steps in this routine, completed in the first 30 minutes of my workday, ensure that I've set myself up for success. I understand the pace of my day. I’m clear about what must be accomplished. I have identified the time to accomplish these things. I have a contingency plan to address the tasks that will not fit into my workday.
None of the items below are revolutionary; they are all quite simple. The benefit comes from committing to this quick routine on a daily basis. I put these steps on autopilot and feel confident that I’m able to accomplish the items required of me each day.
Step #1 - I start my workday at least 30 minutes before my first meeting.
This has been the most critical change in my morning routine. When I arrive at the office — or open my laptop — just in time for my first meeting, I’m behind before my day has even started. I now use a calendar invite to block this ‘first 30’ time on my calendar. With a 20-month-old at home, of course there are days when something unforeseen happens that puts me behind. But as much as is in my control, I try to carve out and hold this 30 minutes of time. If I must miss this time because of something unexpected, I move the calendar block to the next available 30-minute space on my calendar.
Step #2 - I open my task list and calendar side-by-side on my screen, so I can review them together.
Tasks and time go hand-in-hand. Reviewing my task list and my calendar in tandem ensures I have the time to accomplish the things that must be done on a given day. I keep a weekly task list in an Excel spreadsheet and use Outlook as my work calendar. Each morning, I review my full task list and highlight the items I plan to accomplish that day. I also review my calendar for the day and block enough time for my required tasks. If I do not have enough available time to complete these tasks, I need to reevaluate my day. I have a choice to make: decline or reschedule a meeting, push a task out a day or more, ask for help from a colleague, or commit to working into the evening hours. Typically, there is communication associated with this choice. I take this time to reach out to any affected colleagues about missing a meeting or pushing a deadline, or I text my husband about needing to work into the evening. If any meetings on my calendar require preparation, I also block this out on my calendar.
Step #3 - I review email and other apps (such as Teams or Slack) for critical items. I avoid the temptation of spending my entire ‘first 30’ solely on email.
I quickly scan my email inbox for critical and time-sensitive items. These might be messages from clients, my team members, or my boss. Depending on the state of my inbox, I sort by sender or search for names or keywords to find critical messages as quickly as possible. I respond to these messages immediately or flag them for follow up at a later time. If I can get through my whole inbox in five minutes or less, I typically go ahead and run my email clean-up routine. If not, I calendar time later for inbox clean-up. Many times I do this while watching TV in the evenings after my daughter has gone to sleep. During my ‘first 30,’ I avoid getting pulled into extensive email clean-up. I’ve found it’s not the most valuable way to start my workday.
Step #4 - Finally, I consume any news or other information that is critical to my work.
I check the Google Alerts I have set up for work-specific keywords. I scan a few specific newsletters for relevant industry news. For me, these include the San Francisco Chronicle, Axios San Francisco, San Francisco Business Times, and The Wall Street Journal. I click through any relevant stories, consume as much as I can, and save the full articles to Instapaper to read in their entirety later. I have a longer list of publications I read regularly, but for the sake of efficiency, I limit the list to the essentials during my ‘first 30’ routine. I try to catch up on other publications at lunchtime or in the evenings. Commute time also works well for this. Define for yourself the newsletters and websites most critical to your role.
Being intentional with the first 30 minutes of my day has transformed my workdays. This mini-planning session sets me up for a realistic and productive day. Do you have a workday start-up routine? What helps you get off to a productive start? I would love to hear from you.