I’m Obsessed With Productivity. Here’s What I’ve Learned Over the Years.

by sarah selip

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m just like you. I have a ton of aesthetically pleasing self-help books on my bookshelf, which I’ve only cracked open once or twice.

When it comes to work, I’m very much a “can’t stop, won’t stop” kind of girl. My brain works a million miles a millisecond. Efficiency is always crucial, but sometimes, it’s better to work smarter first so you can work harder.

Here are a few tips I swear by:

Color-Code Your Contacts

I started color-coding my contacts about two years ago, and let me tell you, it changed me. My contacts are broken down by color in terms of association.

For example, my former Capitol Hill colleagues have a yellow contact icon, reporters and media are coded with blue, and personal friends are coded with pink. It’s like labeling folders or creating a rule in your inbox. It might sound silly, but it has made a massive difference for me and my time management when I can glance at my iMessage and immediately know what’s going on — especially helpful when you’re on a project deadline.

Label Your Group Chats

This only applies if/when everybody in your team has an iPhone because green texts can hold you back. (Sorry, Android devotee friends!) When working in comms, you most likely have a million group chats going at all times, especially regarding an approval process.

Here are a few examples: “social media drafts,” “comms approval chat,” “senior staff,” “comms team + (member).”

Searching for coworker + coworker + coworker + coworker + member in your search bar gets old real quick. I like to set a related emoji (like a phone for something comms-related) as the group photo, with a colored background. Not only is it easier to search, but it’s easy to pin when you don’t have to scan for names or squint to figure out contact photos. I promise you it helps everyone out immensely.

Prioritizing Your Inbox

Okay, so full transparency here: I learned this from a friend. I’m not an inbox-zero person whatsoever. I wish I could be, but I’m not.

I have a few policy friends who create rules for folders religiously (hi, Nathan!), breaking down emails into folders for specific people about a particular topic, for a committee, for a specific bill, and so on. I like everything (for the most part) where I can see it.

Here’s what worked for me when I was on Capitol Hill:

I created three folders: “high priority,” “needs attention,” and “read later.”

When you first get to your desk, sit down and immediately look at your emails. If something needs to be done or replied to immediately, move it to “high priority.” If it’s on deadline but isn’t as high priority, “needs attention.” Anything else goes to read later.

Boom, you have an instant to-do list and won’t be drowning in catch-ups for the rest of the day because you didn’t immediately see a late-night email.

I swear, this only takes 5–10 minutes. You can walk into your office, put a K-cup into the Keurig, make your coffee, and by the time you’re done, the cup has already cooled down.

Scheduling E-mails

Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’m a Type-A workaholic. If I’m not actively working on something, I’m brainstorming or thinking about the next thing to work on, which, sorry to say, means I end up texting or e-mailing people at (or after) midnight.

Let’s take a step back. E-mailing people in the middle of the night can help you check off some items on your to-do list, but it likely doesn’t help the recipient when your late- thoughts get lost in their inbox.

So, when I’m up until 2 am, I schedule e-mails to send first thing in the morning. Two wins. I’m checking off my to-do list (that could honestly be done in the morning), and the recipient won’t miss your message. Boom.

Schedule Workout Classes

Again, it’s hard for me to clock off. The best thing I’ve done for my mental health in recent years is to sign up for workout classes, so I’m forced to stop thinking about or doing work.

I pay a hefty $30 to get an hour of uninterrupted me-time.

A few years back, I talked with a therapist who said, “Sarah, I think yoga would be great for you. (note: yoga isn’t my thing) But I know you’d stop mid-vinyasa from checking your notifications the second you get a text from a client.”

Kendra was right. That’s exactly something I would do. And it’s why I don’t wear an Apple Watch for workout classes.

So, instead, I like to spend the extra chunk of change for a morning workout class where I’m forced to put my phone in a locker.

Exercise is good for endorphins; endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t burn themselves out because they can’t stop working to take an hour for themselves.