Do you ever find yourself frustrated because the day has just gotten away from you? If so, we’ve got good news for you: there are things you can do to set yourself up for a successful and productive day. Today Mike is joined by writer, author, and podcaster Dave Caolo. Dave was the managing editor at The Unofficial Apple Weblog for eight years where he covered major Apple releases, produced podcasts and video, and oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. He’s a regular contributor to Unclutterer, a website dedicated to home and office organization, and he’s created a few video courses for the Dojo, our online productivity community.

Dave’s latest video course is all about setting your day up for success, so in this episode, we dive deep on specific things you can do the night before to make sure tomorrow is productive, how to get your day started right with a solid morning routine, and what you can do to overcome a midday slump.

Thanks to Weebly for supporting The Productivity Show. Go to weebly.com/tps to get 15% off your first purchase.

Cheat Sheet

3 keys to setting up your day for success 2:15

Why getting enough sleep is so important 3:12

Why the simple act of saying hello and goodbye to coworkers can make a big difference in your productivity 8:04

How to identify your MITs (Most Important Tasks) 12:43

Tips for prepping your gear the night before 16:35

Making sure your calendar is ready to go for the next day so you can hit the ground running 20:10

How to have a productive morning 25:08

What to include in a morning routine 29:00

How both of them tried "Morning pages" and didn't end up incorporating it into their routine 35:25

How to "chunk" your time 41:15

How to overcome a mid-day slump 44:35

All about the "52/17" method 51:31

What Dave uses to track his time 53:23

When to turn off your email client 57:17

Where to start in order to implement something you've learned tonight 1:02:45

Links

Overcoming Digital Clutter: Strategies for Reducing Stress and Regaining Focus w/ Dave Caolo (TPS185)

The Power of Positive Thinking: How Gratitude Gives You More Energy (TPS175)

Never Enough Time? Schedule Your Priorities by Color Coding Your Calendars

Getting Things Done

The Artist's Way

Busy: How to thrive in a world of too much

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Pomodoro 2.0 w/ Esington Method Founder Rudy Marsh (TPS188)

DavidSeah.com

Timing app

RescueTime

SetApp

Connect with Dave Caolo

52tiger.net

@davidcaolo

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