Why not working first thing on Monday can supercharge your productivity

Okay, it’s not that much of a secret. It’s the headline of this piece, and it’s blocked out on my calendar. By this point, every Jane, Dick, and Harry knows that I don’t do work on Monday mornings—and that I don’t think you should, either.

Here at Zapier, we value learning and development (L&D), and I’m encouraged to spend a couple hours during the workweek on my L&D goals. Originally, I had carved out two hours every Friday morning to spend on L&D-related things, like a UX writing course I’m taking. “Friday is a quieter day,” I thought, “so it’s perfect for learning.”

But after a couple of months, I noticed I wasn’t actually using that block of time to learn. It was regularly being eaten up by “real” work—like wrapping up projects or tying up loose ends before the weekend.

It was incredibly frustrating because I felt I wasn’t making progress toward my professional development goals. At the same time, I felt powerless because, ultimately, my work has to get done—not just because that’s my job, but because I collaborate with others who rely on me to do my share of the work on time.

Leave a Comment