Tuesday ranks as most productive day

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2008

Why tackle today what can be put off until Tuesday?. In a survey by Accountemps, Menlo Park, Calif., a specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals, 57% of executives maintain Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for employees. Monday was the second most popular answer, although it appears to be losing favor: 12% rank Monday as most productive, compared to 26% in 2002.

"In addition to serving as a 'catch-up' day after the weekend, Monday is when many regularly scheduled meetings occur, which can decrease the time available to complete tasks," notes Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies. "Many view Tuesday as an opportunity to focus their efforts and establish momentum for the rest of the week."

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Accountemps offers the following advice for maintaining a high level of productivity throughout the entire week:

Make a plan. Spend 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of each day mapping out your desired accomplishments. Prioritize the tasks that are the most important to the business.

Sharpen your focus. People are more productive when working for an extended period in the same mental mode, as opposed to changing gears frequently. Try to cluster tasks that require similar effort or resources in the same time frame.

Limit distractions. It can be quite tempting to review e-mail each time a message arrives. However, unless your job requires an immediate response, it often is best to check your in-box periodically throughout the day.

Do not delay. Even peak performers occasionally put off working on unpleasant or overwhelming assignments. One effective way to overcome procrastination is to break a project into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Recharge. Taking short breaks throughout the day can help replenish energy and fight fatigue.