I love Mondays. It may sound odd, based on popular culture, but I really do. For some odd quirk of fate, I usually have only one or two meetings on Monday, instead of the normal 8 to 10. I have what feels like acres and acres of free time on Mondays. It is a beautiful thing and should be the most productive day of the week.
Lately, I have fallen into a rut on Mondays and I end up accomplishing very little. Today, however was different. In thinking about it on the way home from work today, I think I have a clue about what changed. Two weeks ago, our vice president decided our director in India needed some enterprise exposure. That means he wanted him to have a direct report outside of India. Yup, they decided on me. I have the honor and distinction of being the very first manager in the United States to report to a director in India. I don’t think it is a bad thing. I like this guy. He is smart and a quick study. And eleven and a half hours off-schedule to me.
For us to get time to talk, I have to go in at 7:00am. That way he and I can talk for a few minutes before he goes home for the day around 8:00pm his time. Today was my first day on that schedule. By altering my start time of the day, I felt like I had been at the office a long time before anyone else even came in. That little alteration to my day caused me to be able to focus better than normal. I got more accomplished today than I have in the last few weeks. I checked several items off my list and still fought several ‘fires’. And I still only stayed 40 minutes late.
That is my suggestion for today. If you find yourself in a bit of a productivity rut, change your schedule around. Get up and start an hour earlier. It might help. Let me know if it does. I’m curious.
