Mac Power Users 456: Workflows with Laura McClellan

Just wanted to hop in real quick and say how GREAT the discussion about routineswas on this episode. It’s easy to forget that while having the best apps and latest tech is nice, it’s all about how consistently we act and do the things we need to do in order to make progress.

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That’s so true, Aaron. I love playing with apps and tech, but learning to be more intentional and purposeful about my habits and routines has definitely had the biggest impact on my productivity. Are there any routines you’ve developed that help you be more productive? (I’m always looking to learn from others and improve my routines!)

Hello :slight_smile:

Actually, something that has become a mainstay of my life is something I learned from at a restaurant from a former of boss of mine is that “doing the thing” and “preparing to do the thing” are not two separate processes.

I mostly understood what he was talking about, but the book Work Clean: The life-changing power of mise-en-place to organize your life, work, and mind made it REALLY click for me (I am in no way attached to the author or amazon, btw). So now I have a “daily Mise” at night, taking about 30-45 minutes to prep myself for the next day: checking OmniFocus, checking my calendar, working through my inboxes, laying out my clothes for the next day, etc. That way when I get up, I’m hitting the ground running and not starting my day with chaos, not running all over looking for this or that. Everything is right where I put it and I’m ready to go.

When I plan out my day the night before, things run efficiently (but not always smoothly) and I have really productive days. When I fail to do this, it’s chaos and disorder from morning until night.

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