The First 2 Hours

Chapter 2Lay the foundation for productivity

When I ask my clients to tell me about a time when they were at their best, their most productive, they reply with things like:

• after a good night’s sleep
• when a deadline is looming
• when I can see tangible results
• working in a great environment
• when it was peaceful and quiet
• with food and water
• following my routine
• being physically active.

Our ability to be productive is influenced by a number of factors (which hopefully you are starting to see), and it is, of course, quite personal. Yet we are all human, which creates some commonalities between us when it comes to our physiology and what we can do to improve how we think and work.

Just like building a house without solid foundations, to-do lists won’t work if you lack the energy to complete even the simplest of tasks.

You can try all the time management techniques in the world, but they won’t get you far if you are simply not looking after yourself.

The energy to work

Three key factors influence how you work and how well you work — no matter the time of day — as shown in figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1: the three key productivity factors

Let’s look at each in detail.

Fuel

Take a few seconds to cast your mind back over the last few weeks. Can you identify a day where you felt you were super productive? Can you remember what you ate that day?

Think of feeding your body like you’re adding ...