How to 'Get it All In' in a Day

Someone asked me this week for a sample of my daily schedule and tips for ‘getting it all in’. What a great ask! Let me be the first to admit, I still have days that I feel stress about NOT being able to ‘get it all in.’ I’m human and no matter how much I strive to maintain balance while being highly productive, I will still have times I struggle. We ALL will. Knowing this going in to any given day will help you let go of any stringent expectations of yourself! All that being said - the key to being the most productive each day is to PRIORITIZE. The way I do this each day during the week is my calendar.

Appointments keep us accountable to ourselves and others. Yes- I even schedule in the gym. Each week, I start the week with a ‘baseline calendar’: basically my MUSTS each day. There are 4 things I refuse to sacrifice each day:

My daily morning walks where I prepare my mind and body for a busy day.
My Work- I love my job and I strive to bring my best to work daily
My workouts - I will find space for them somewhere- even if it’s a 30 minute sweat session in my garage.
Dinner with my husband when we are both home

Each week, I sit down and look at my calendar and find blocks of time for each of my priorities and I physically block those out so that nothing can be scheduled over.

** NOTE: there will be times you may have to move things around- just be flexible and you can make it work! Each day looks different but those 4 things will always be incorporated. So let’s use today as an example:

530a: wake up and eat something small. Spend 5 minutes outdoors in meditation
6a-640a: Walk with my pup with a thought leadership podcast or Audible book
640a-730a: Get showered and ready for my day
730a: Head up to my home office to start processing emails and begin calls/projects/work
1130a: leave the house for a noon crossfit class
115p: Back home from noon crossfit class-freshen up and get ready for afternoon calls
130p-3p: calls/work
3-330p: afternoon doggie walk break
330p-6p: finish up my work day
6p: begin cooking dinner
630/645p: dinner with my husband
7:30p: My husband and I walk our dogs together for a short evening walk
8p-9p: Read or Finalize any project plans for the following day
930p: Bed Time! The MOST important appointment of the day! I strive for 8 hours a night at the LEAST!

Granted I work remotely from a home office so this affords me more time without a commute. However, I do have to commute an hour and 20 minutes each week at least once to our RTP office for various meetings and work engagements. Tomorrow I will be there for all day work meetings and a team dinner.

Tomorrow will look like this:

530a: Wake and eat something small. Spend 5 minutes outdoors in meditation
6a-630a: Morning walk with my pup and a thought leadership podcast or Audible book
630a-7a: Quick garage gym metcon-style workout
7a-740a: Shower and get ready for day
745a: Leave the house for commute - listen to Audible books or podcasts on the way or take calls
9:15a: Arrive at RTP
930a - 5p: Multiple meetings + multiple outdoor walking breaks throughout the day to keep my activity level/movement aligned (and myself highly productive)
5p-730p: Team Dinner in Raleigh
730p-9p: Drive home - Call family/friends on drive
9p-930p: Time with my husband
930p: Bed Time for 8 hours sleep

There are also some things I recommend during the week AND weekend to make life easier with a busy weekday schedule:

I take a day off from the gym during the week and start my work day earlier to allow for a more open schedule one day a week
Prep food on Sundays so you have an easier time during the week. No you don't have to 'meal plan' but have some proteins/veggies/fruits pre-made and chopped in the fridge for easy access to healthy foods that will fuel your day
Make a weekly dinner plan before you go to the grocery store on the weekends. On Saturdays, we go to the store and I create a list of each meal with potential ingredients I can use in multiple meals to make our week easier with fresh meals each night. This cuts down on weekly 'runs' to the grocery store when time is limited.
Make a weekly cooking plan with your partner (or yourself) on Sunday. If I am working late or at work dinners, my husband takes over the cooking (and has gotten damn good at it!) but we plan for this at the beginning of the week. If he is unable - we simply plan for leftovers or something quick like salads.
DON'T schedule things on the weekends. Yes make time for friends, family and above all - FUN. But allow your schedule to be open so you have a break from being scheduled.
SLEEP more on weekends if able to help boost your hormones and health for the coming week! In fact, if you don't have to, try not to set an alarm. My dogs are ALWAYS my alarm and we rarely 'sleep in' per say, BUT we can sleep an extra hour until 630a sometimes and it feels GLORIOUS!

These are just a few of my tips to make 'getting it all in' more doable for your daily life! I have MANY more for being more productive in your work day that will be another post!

Happy and Productive living today!