Dividing your work day into four quadrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw an article by Stephanie Vozza at Fast Company on April 27, 2022 titled How to use ‘daily quadrants’ to get more done each day. She referred to advice from productivity expert Donna McGeorge. Donna advised that you should use the first two hours of your eight-hour workday for high-intensity, high impact work. The second two hours are for high-intensity, low impact work. And, after lunch, the third two hours are for low-intensity, low impact work. Finally, the fourth two hours are for high-intensity, low impact work. As shown above, we can display her advice visually via a 2x2 table, where we start at the upper right and then go around clockwise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back on July 3, 2020 I blogged about Is that 2x2 graphic a table, a chart, or a matrix? Should the axis go from left to right, or right to left? As shown above (via a color version rather than her gray scale one), in the last chapter of her most recent book, The 1 Day Refund, Donna displays her advice using a horizontal axis for Impact with High at the left. She says that:

 

“Our body clocks are designed for greater mental agility in the morning and more physical dexterity in the afternoon. This means thinking about when you do something is as important as thinking about what you do.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna assumes that you are a morning person – what Wikipedia terms a Lark. If instead you are an evening person, then her advice on what to do when might not be helpful. As shown above in another 2x2 table, the first two hours should be used for for low-intensity, low impact work. High-intensity, high impact work only should come in the fourth two hours.