As we all know there are 24 hours in a day. I don’t see that changing any time soon, so let’s talk once again about your calendar and using it to be more productive, one hour at a time.

Right now it is 7:30 a.m. and I am ready to begin writing this Pro Tip (as I do every Friday morning per the calendar event I have created). My first work block of the day begins at 7:15 with 15 minutes dedicated to emails. I begin by archiving some (those that have been read and responded to when necessary and moving them into the appropriate Gmail folder). I am one of those people who revels in the sight of my inbox containing less than 10 emails (all of which have been responded to but may need to be revisited again soon; those get a star). . . Okay, enough about my email obsession.

Now it’s time to write, so here I am with 45 minutes left in my block. During this block I try my best to stay focused on the task at hand. Ignoring more emails as they come in (that’s really tough) and keeping my phone where I can reach it but am not looking at it. Early morning is my most productive time as many of my doctors are just starting clinic, while others (on the west coast) are still sleeping (in other words, it’s quiet). Later on in the day my blocks include conference calls and Zoom meetings in one hour increments with a final block when the house is quiet (aka the baby is asleep) when I once again catch up on emails, take a look at the calendar for the next couple of days, and then, shut off work for the day. Scheduling every part of my day is essential to feeling productive and making time for me (even a 30 minute workout gives me clarity/sanity).