If you’re a fitness professional, you wear a lot of hats — to the point that you may often feel like a human hat rack. You might coach clients, manage staff, schedule programs, answer emails, post on social, fix the printer and unclog the toilet. Only then might you find time for lunch.
In a profession with numerous responsibilities and a fast-paced environment, finding ways to be productive is not optional. It is essential.
I have read dozens of books and listened to hours of podcasts on productivity. Everyone has their system. Some swear by time blocking. Others live and die by the inbox zero rule. Some people meditate. Some wake up at 4 a.m. and claim they love it. There are a million methods and even more opinions. But I have found that the best system is the one that works for you.
What I am going to share is not a one-size-fits-all framework. These are just a few of the specific strategies that have worked for me. If they help you, great. If not, hopefully they spark some ideas for building a system that fits your style. We’re all wired differently, so there’s no perfect way to do it. Figure out what works for you and run with it. The key is being intentional and consistent. Here is what helps me stay productive.
My email system
I check my email first thing in the morning. I know many experts advise against it, but it works for me. I also check again midmorning, midday and at the end of the workday. Every email I receive falls into one of three categories. If it is quick, I respond right away. If it is related to a project, I put it in a project-specific folder. If it is not related to a current project, but I may want to revisit it, I file it in a general saved folder.
Every Sunday during my admin time, which I will discuss shortly, I strive to achieve inbox zero. I deal with every email that is left and go through the general saved folder. This is usually where people send me articles to read, webinars to watch, or things they think I’ll want to check out. At that point, I decide whether to calendar the task or delete the email. If I actually want to do what it’s asking, I schedule time. If I do not, I delete it. I also take a few minutes to unsubscribe from email lists that are no longer relevant to me.
This system saves me time, reduces overwhelm and ensures essential things do not fall through the cracks. It keeps my inbox under control, my mind uncluttered and my focus exactly where it needs to be.
My to-do system
I use a basic, free to-do app. It’s nothing fancy, but I use it religiously. I put everything in it right away, or I will forget. The trick is writing tasks down clearly. In the past, I was too vague. I might have written something like “AB Article.” Later, I would forget what I actually meant or when the deadline was. Now, I am more specific. I write down: “First draft of AB article on Productivity, due November 14.”
Every Sunday, during my admin time, I review the to-do list and prioritize both my personal and professional tasks. Then I add the most important ones to my weekly planner. I use a paper planner called Clever Fox, and I love it. I write my weekly priorities in there and also block off time in my digital calendar, so I know exactly when I plan to do those things.
As with email, I audit my to-do list weekly. Sometimes, tasks become irrelevant. Things change. If an item has been sitting in the app for a while and does not make it into the weekly plan, I delete it. Sometimes what you think is a to-do is actually a to-don’t.
This simple system keeps me organized, honest about what really matters and moving forward instead of spinning in circles.
My calendar system
I use two calendars. One on my laptop and one in my Clever Fox planner. Most productivity experts would advise against doing that, but again, it works for me. My digital calendar is color-coded. I have categories such as travel, writing, workouts, meetings and personal time. This gives me a fast, visual sense of where my time is going.
I calendar everything that matters to me — not just meetings and deadlines, but workouts, learning time, reading and even rest. To do something consistently, schedule it in your calendar. What gets scheduled gets done.
I set reminders for all meetings. There is nothing worse than looking at the clock and realizing your meeting started five minutes ago. I also review my calendar every morning and every night. It helps me stay prepared and make sure nothing falls off the radar.
I batch tasks together to reduce mental fatigue and improve flow. I group creative work, such as writing and presentations, into blocks. I handle admin tasks together in their own chunk. I plan my days around how I work best. I am sharpest creatively in the morning, so that is when I do content creation, presentations and strategy. In the afternoons, when I am a little brain-dead, I handle admin tasks, errands and email.
There is a popular productivity tip from the book Eat That Frog that advises tackling your biggest, most important and most dreaded task first thing in the morning. If you eat the frog early, the rest of the day is more straightforward. I love the idea in theory, but I have found that knocking out a few quick wins first helps me get into a groove, and then I eat the frog. Again, use whatever amphibian-consuming timeline works for you.
My admin time
If you have read this far, you have noticed me mention “admin time.” It deserves its own section because it has been one of the biggest game changers for my productivity.
I block off time every Sunday morning to plan, clean up and get organized. I know some people do not like working on the weekends, and that’s fine. You can do it on a Friday afternoon or a Monday morning. But for me, Sunday works best. If I know I will be traveling or unavailable, I move the time block. I never skip it. This is sacred time.
During admin time, I do a few key things. I go through my email and get to inbox zero. I review my to-do list and move items into my calendar and planner. I check my calendar for the week ahead and make sure I am prepared for everything. I open my Clever Fox and map out my priorities. I even do digital housekeeping.
I keep a desktop folder for downloads and temporary files. I review that folder and move files to permanent storage if I need them or delete them if I don’t. I also go through the photos on my phone. I delete the random memes I thought were so funny that I had to send to my friends and family, or screenshots I no longer need, and move important photos into organized folders. These may seem like small things, but they clear clutter and create space for more important work.
Productivity does not have to be complicated. It just has to be intentional. The goal is not to have the perfect system. The goal is to have a system that works for you. Your version of inbox zero, your to-do list, your calendar habits, your admin rituals, these can and should reflect how you think, how you work and what your life actually looks like.
There are other quick wins, too. Create a dedicated work environment that helps you focus. Set your phone to Do Not Disturb when you need to focus on a task. Use headphones. Get out of the house or office when you get stuck. Go for a walk. Do not multitask unless it is doing cardio and watching Netflix.
Productivity is not about doing more. It is about doing what matters. When you are intentional, you get results. So, when you’re feeling like a walking, talking hat rack, the best way to keep those hats from toppling over is to build simple systems that support how you work best.
