Most Productive Day and The Best Time for Productivity

Productivity Versus Efficiency

We all know that productivity and efficiency contain certain keys for success: maximizing the time at hand not only gets you from one project to the next on time but allows sufficient time to finish each task fully and completely. However, as much as some of us may be career-driven people dedicated to our work, we’re only human and sometimes we can tend to check out of reality when tired and not up for the tasks at hand. Khronos Design blog features an infographic by Doug White examining precisely at which times during the day and during our work cycle in which we are most likely to be productive and most likely to become easily distracted and procrastinate.

The Most Productive Day of the Week

One of the things I found most interesting was that based on surveys taken by Accountemps in 1987, 1998, 2002, 2007, and 2013 yielded the same results when asking participants which day of the week is most commonly productive: the answer was Tuesday by overwhelmingly large figures, including a staggering almost 60% poll result from the 2007 survey. So, if you are stressing out about how much you have to do at work or about an upcoming project, Tuesdays usually seem to be the best day to work given that the lazy Monday has passed by and the week gets into full swing soon after. Not surprisingly, almost everyone agreed that Thursdays and Fridays are not the most productive times of the week, as weekend plans and upcoming holidays tend to shift our focus from work to play. Another interesting observation was that the hours of 4 to 6 pm are the worst times of day for work to be done. No doubt the thought of being close to the end of the work day forces many of us into express mode rushing to do whatever outstanding tasks are left so we can get home and relax.

The Best Time For Productivity During the Week

Overall, the general consensus provided by White’s infographic is that the absolute best time for productivity during the week falls between the hours of 10 am to noon on Tuesdays. Despite some people not necessarily being morning persons, the morning hours actually prove to be very useful in accomplishing tasks efficiently and maintaining focus. The lazy bug pinches us all sooner or later, yet if you are able to stick to these suggestions, hopefully some of the stress and pressure will be lifted off your shoulders as you glide through your daily tasks.