A Day in the Life of a Focused Leader
From the Desk of Angela
Tuesday, 6:15am
It’s a typical Tuesday morning. I wake up at 6:15am and hop out of bed. Rather than reaching for my phone to dive right into emails, I wait until I’ve completed my morning meditation and morning routine and have a few slow minutes while my coffee brews to focus on one thing - the “daily digest” that my Executive Assistant, James, has teed up for me in my inbox. Besides my beloved morning coffee, this digest is what gets me ready for the day ahead and helps me stay focused, as it highlights specific emails in my inbox that need attention, requests from my team and direct reports, and updates to my calendar. I’m reminded that I’ll be leaving the office early to celebrate my daughter’s birthday so I grab the card (and the gift that James helped me order) I had tucked away so they’re both in my car, ready for that evening’s celebration.
I spend some time with my husband and kids over breakfast before they head off to school. I love that I can focus this time on them without worrying about all of the emails in my inbox or preparing for meetings I have that day. James had blocked off time yesterday so I could prepare for today’s conference call, and I know exactly which emails need my attention when I get into the office–and they can wait.
8:00am
I arrive at the office. Having used the time during my commute to mentally run through the day’s events that my Executive Assistant highlighted in my daily digest, I feel ready to tackle the day.
I have three emails that I know need my attention this morning–my EA highlighted those in the digest–and I focus on those and only those for the next thirty minutes. James blocked off two hours for me this morning so I still have an hour and a half of uninterrupted time to focus on some specific “quick hit” tasks that we have been keeping on a running list for me to tackle, including making a short phone call to a board member to confirm their presentation at our upcoming meeting. It feels good to accomplish so much this early in the morning!
10:00am
Having already crossed some tasks off my list and answered questions demanding my attention in my inbox, I’m feeling strong and focused! This is always my “peak” focus time of the day, so James has blocked off the next two hours for me to focus on my “one thing.” After reading The One Thing, I expressed my desire to have dedicated time to focus on the core of my work and where I produce the most value in my organization, so James started blocking off this time on my calendar for deep work.
I spend these two hours drafting our donor acquisition plan for the upcoming fiscal year. I’m grateful for the focused time I’ve been able to dedicate to this important work without the constant pings of email or zoning out in back to back meetings. I take a quick stretch/bathroom break and grab a cold water and realize that my energy level is still strong because I’ve been able to truly focus on the task at hand.
12:00pm
Lunch time! Despite having a lot of energy and focus, I’m grateful I don’t have to worry about lunch, as James had a protein bowl delivered from my favorite healthy food joint so I don’t even have to leave the office. He’s blocked off this hour for me to catch up on the remaining emails in my inbox that I didn’t address first thing this morning. Since I already knocked out the big ticket items, I just have some quick hits to reply to and a report to review while I eat my lunch. I’m almost finished at 12:45 when James pushes through a text (something we’ve reserved for only last minute or emergency situations) that my 1pm appointment has cancelled, so he’s blocked off the next hour for me to prepare for next week’s board meeting instead. I always appreciate his proactivity so I’m not tempted to waste time on something mindless.
1:00pm
I spend the next hour doing a deep dive analysis of the past month and draft the outline for my board meeting report. Now I just need to fill in some holes later and I’ll be set with days to spare. Awesome–I’m way ahead of the game!
2:00pm
I do a quick glance at my email before I take a conference call and see that my EA has sent me a “decision stream” with questions about my upcoming travel and meetings. I’m able to navigate through all of his questions and respond within fifteen minutes, so he can get rolling on booking those travel plans and scheduling those meetings. I’m relieved to know that he’s handling it, and that I've had input as to how my time will be arranged.
2:15pm
I dial-in (on time) to the conference call using the information in my calendar and am pleased with the attendance, though I shouldn’t be surprised. James confirmed with all of the attendees that they’d be present ahead of time and circulated the agenda to us all so we can dive right in without waiting on anyone or getting off track. We’re able to collectively answer the issue on the table and define each party’s next steps without wasting hours on the phone. I’m all about efficiency!
3:30pm
I have the next hour blocked off for input management. I catch up on what’s come through my inbox since lunch. Having this time to focus allows me to power through them quickly and I’m glad to say that by the time 4:30 rolls around, I’m feeling accomplished and satisfied with my day. I close up my laptop and head out, not worrying about the next day or any lingering tasks. James helped me delineate the important items for today, which I crossed off the list, and I know he’ll do the same tomorrow.
4:30pm
With a gift and card in tow, I leave the office and head to my daughter’s favorite restaurant. We’re having a family dinner there before we’ll go home for cake, ice cream and a quick round of Candyland before bed.
She’s thrilled with the gift I got her (mental note: I need to tell James it was a hit!) and loves that I have time to play her favorite game with her before she goes to bed. She’s gotten used to the quality time we’ve been able to have since I’ve had an Executive Assistant, but she still remembers her birthday last year when I had to duck out of the restaurant to take a conference call. Guess I’m not the only one who is glad I hired an executive assistant!
I spend some quality time with my husband before going to bed. It’s been a full but rewarding day, and I’m glad that I was able to invest my time in what matters most–my family and most important work. Ready for another day of the same tomorrow!
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