Key Messages
Learn How To Make Everyday A Good Workday With These Research-Backed Strategies
We all know the feeling of having a great day at work, when everything just clicks.
With the right advice and actions though, you can turn almost any day into a good day.
It may sound difficult at first to think about transforming your days like this, but with a very achievable action plan it is not impossible.
In this book summary by How To Have A Good Day, you’ll learn useful practices on how to focus effectively and bravely postpone procrastination.
You’ll also be taught how to carry out meaningful conversations with coworkers and open up new opportunities for yourself.
Additionally, by tapping into your area of interest (e.g.
sports) outside of work, you gain skills that are transferable beyond the office walls and will equip you with more confidence and influence in your present job setting as well as workplace relationships overall.
By following the steps recommended in this book summary, you can definitely strive to make each day better than the last – effortlessly turning them into good days!
Improve Your Productivity By Creating Approach Goals, Avoiding Distractions, And Making When-Then Plans
If you want to have a more productive day, one of the best things you can do is to clearly set out your intentions and goals.
This helps to keep you on track and avoid any distractions that may take away from achieving those goals.
One person who has realised this is Martin – the strategy director of an aircraft manufacturer – who noticed he had a habit of checking news websites when feeling overwhelmed.
He decided to actively work on reducing this habit and focus his attention on achieving his daily goals.
Another way to make sure your day runs smoothly is by framing your goals positively.
Researchers found that students using approach goals improved their performance, compared with those using avoidance goals.
Finally, it’s wise to make what’s called a when-then plan, in order to anticipate any obstacles that can come up during the day.
For example, the author usually felt tempted to sleep in instead of starting her working day early – so she made a rule for herself: when I wake up, first I’ll take a short walk, then I’ll check my e-mails – which kept her motivated throughout the morning.
So if you want your days to be more productive, start by laying out what it is you hope to accomplish clearly and figure out how best to reach them without being distracted or falling into unhelpful habits!
How To Deal With Crises Of Overwhelm: Create A Plan And Schedule Breaks
Making a plan is the key to managing overload, beating procrastination and staying focused.
Angela was an example of this; she was able to overcome her overwhelming task of “election prep” by breaking it up into smaller and more manageable steps, like ”have a talk with my boss about my idea”.
It’s essential to schedule in enough breaks throughout the day.
Research has shown that the human brain typically can stay focused for no longer than 90 minutes before needing to take a break.
By scheduling 10 minute breaks every 1-1/2 hours, your brain gets the chance to recharge itself and you can remain productive throughout the day.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed and need a way to beat procrastination and stay focused, start making your plan today!
Split each daunting task into smaller steps, schedule strategic breaks – maybe even try leaning back on a couch or office chair for a few minutes and focus on your breathing – and soon enough you’ll be productive again.
Building Rapport And Identifying Commonalities Are Keys To Creating Positive Interactions At Work
It’s essential to have positive relationships and interactions if you want to make the most of your day.
Building rapport with the people you meet is key, whether in the office kitchen or at a networking event.
You can start by engaging them and asking open, honest questions about how they’re doing and what their interests are.
This creates a sense of connection with someone, which can in turn help you find common interests or shared areas of interest – all key components for successful collaboration at work.
When it comes to job searching, highlighting similarities between yourself and potential employers can also go a long way.
According to research conducted by sociologist Lauren Rivera from Northwestern University, 74% of hiring managers admit that they are more likely to hire someone they feel some kind of connection with (e.g., shared hobbies, ideas etc).
Resolving tensions is also important for making the most out of each day – it’s no fun having an argue in the office that takes up your time and energy!
The best way forward here is to be direct but polite when confronting these tensions.
Give examples but still remain clear about what you feel and why it’s wrong/unacceptable for both parties involved.
For instance, Simon – a real estate advisor – was annoyed with a client who wasn’t following through with their promises; instead of burying his frustration he addressed it directly; asking calmly what he could do better next time instead of just jumping straight into complaints.
As a result he was able to learn from the experience without creating any bad blood with his client.
By building rapport and resolving tensions directly, we can ensure that our days will always be well spent!
How To Make Difficult Decisions By Developing A Routine And Using An Issue Tree
Making decisions can often feel overwhelming, but one way you can make the process simpler is by using thinking routines and breaking down complex problems into an issue tree.
For example, Peggy, an advertising art director, developed a routine that she uses to make sound decisions.
Her routine involves asking herself questions such as “what are the alternatives and potential disadvantages to this choice?” or “what would the worst-case scenario be?”.
This helps her evaluate her current situation more objectively and holistically which in turn helps her make better decisions.
When it comes to problem-solving skills, breaking down complex problems with an issue tree can really come in handy.
Start by writing down the key issue that needs addressing – for instance if your business is doing poorly then your central question might be “how can I increase profits?” The two possible options that form the branches of the tree could be increasing revenues or reducing costs.
You can then brainstorm concrete actions that help you realize each of these options, such as launching a new product to increase revenue or dismissing employees as a way of decreasing costs.
Eventually this will help you systematically map out all potential next actions that you need to take to tackle your problem!
How To Keep Your Audience Interested While Giving A Presentation
If you want to make sure your message is getting across, always involve your audience and make your presentation as memorable as possible.
Emma, for example, found success in hosting training programs for teachers.
Instead of doing a traditional lecture-style presentation where it was hard to get people to really engage and listen, she gave the participants more agency in what they learned by setting up stations around the table with each station focusing on different teaching methods.
Another way to keep your audience attentive and engaged is to incorporate videos or posters into your presentation that pique their interest.
Taking advantage of a whiteboard will also prove useful – drawing and writing out the information yourself allows people to better internalize what’s being said than if you just use prepared slides.
Stanford University’s experiment showed that recalling slide content increases by 9% when someone watches it being drawn instead of completed.
Keep it simple too!
Use short and fluid sentences to emphasize why your audience should care about what you’re saying and how it benefits them – that’ll help ensure that everyone stays attentive during the whole presentation.
How To Face A Difficult Situation With Calmness And Gratitude
When life throws you a curveball, it can be difficult to have a good day.
But with the right strategy, we can all take even the toughest of challenges and turn them around into something positive.
One way to do this is by reflecting on past situations that you’ve overcome and drawing on the resources that helped you back then.
Thinking about how Jacqui, the college PR officer, managed an earthquake that caused power and water outages for her school is a great example – her approach of spinning it into a positive story demonstrated how powerful attitude and skills are in overcoming any challenge.
It also serves as a reminder of your own strength when faced with difficult situations!
Another key component for having a good day is boost energy when it droops.
Make sure to identify energy-drainers like lunchtime lethargy, and come up with activity-boosters like making tea or taking five minute breaks where you talk to colleagues.
Finally make sure you practice gratitude – small moments such as remembering or forgetting your umbrella can fill us with appreciation, making us feel more confident even if we face setbacks in our day.
Wrap Up
The How To Have A Good Day book was an eye-opening read for me.
It offers readers plenty of actionable advice that can help you get the most out of your day – from setting realistic goals, taking frequent breaks and starting each day with a positive frame of mind.
The key takeaway from this book is that it’s normal to feel exhausted at times, and by taking proactive measures such as recognizing what will help boost your energy or connecting with colleagues, you can make the most of your waking hours.
Additionally, the book emphasizes on reducing the amount of time spent checking emails to maximize productivity and achieve more meaningful tasks during a work day.
All in all, this has been a valuable book filled with practical advice that I am confident I can start applying right away to have better days ahead.
