Doing things can get in the way. But there is so much that needs to be done. And all that needs to be done gets in the way of all the other things we need and want to do. How is it possible to pick the first thing that must be done? What comes second?

Productive procrastination is a trap. When we wake up in the morning there are priorities. When I wake up, my priorities are exercise, reading, and writing. I know it is important to do all three consistently. Sometimes I read for 20 minutes or write. Then I exercise. Sometimes I wake up and within 3 minutes I am downstairs warming up for a workout; the reading and writing gets pushed aside and prioritized at a later time. However, there are also days that I wake up and for some reason think the most important thing to do is empty the dishwasher. Then I change the laundry. Then I get the mail that I forgot to grab the day before.

Take out your calculators, it’s about to add up. Before I know it, I have spent an hour and a half doing productive things that get in the way of starting my day the way I know I need to. At this point in fatherhood, employee-hood, husband-hood, and other “-hoods” in my life, it is extremely important to set myself up for success and energy throughout the day. For me that is some alone time to exercise and read/write in the morning.

What do you need to do to feel good about your day? What gets in the way?

Productive procrastination is deadly on its own. Combine it with pointless procrastination and time wasting, watch out. Sometimes I sit on my phone doing nothing or numbing my brain. Numbing, aka essentially still doing nothing. Then my hour and a half of productive procrastination, like dancing while folding laundry, either doesn’t happen or turns into 3 hours.

So, in the grand scheme of productive mornings or productive days, would you agree that we are better off prioritizing the most important stuff we have to do first? Stuff like taking care of our interests and hobbies and well-being? Most would say yes but also add that as

“functioning people” we still have to make time for chores and work and it is difficult to find enough time for everything, every day.

Try to break down each task or commitment.

I try to categorize how I function. At times the walls of each category are lowered, they disappear in the grey matter and all my tasks, obligations, commitments, and responsibilities blend together. I get the house organized and looking tidy, but then my workout isn’t done. I organize my work files and catch up on emails, but I was unable to make time for a healthy breakfast. I sat and worried about how much time I had to do everything and ended up doing nothing.  

Putting things off is necessary. There are too many ways to be productive and too many resources for finding the right career path, workout plan, or daily routine. No matter what the breakdown is we all need to try different things. Since I value exercise so much I will be transparent about it. I have worked out consistently since sophomore year of high school in 2010. It probably took me 3 years of high school, 5 years of college and grad school, and then a few more years to discover that morning workouts are my favorite and work the best for me.

In the morning, the real day hasn’t started yet. No distractions. Tons of energy (caffeine when necessary). It took about a decade of working out 5-6 times a week to figure that out. So, what do you want to do with your life? What do you want to do with your day? These are much harder questions than “when do you want to spend one hour moving yourself around?” Make decisions about the small things you need and want to do. Then do them consistently. The progress over time will surprise you.

See this previous article on the problems with multi-tasking. Being in the moment and fully focusing on the task at hand allows us to create an efficient environment for productivity. But which task should we pick first? What routine makes sense for our lifestyle? Should we stick to a routine at all? You can answer these questions by structuring your day differently over time, collecting the data, then adjusting as needed.

Imagine all of your responsibilities disappear overnight. Tomorrow you wake up with a clean slate. What would you choose to do first? Second? What would you eliminate? Clean out your routine like a spring clean of your overflowing clothing closet. Choose what to keep and what to donate. Now what does your schedule look like?

I go with the simple scale of “I liked that” or “I didn’t like that” – give it a go. Happy Monday.