The more efficient you are, the more you will get done in less time, and you will earn more money in less time. It sounds pretty simple, right? But it's not that simple for everyone. Are you having trouble getting out of your warm and cozy bed in the morning, do you snooze a lot?

Does it seem like you're always making the final touch of your mix the same day it's suppose to be delivered? Or that things take a lot more time than you had planned? If that’s the case you might consider to change some of your daily routines.

Finding a good routine that works for you is very individual. Something that works great for me might slow your creativity or workflow down. But the first question we have to ask ourselves is: How do I feel? And how can I improve?

Snooze And You Loose

I am not going to hide it, I was a snoozer before, and I always tended to get up from bed ten minutes late every day. So I had to start my morning in a stressful way, hurrying off to the studio because I usually book early recordings.

When I came to the studio my head was not always in the best place because bad stress (there are different kinds of stress) will cause less logical thinking.  When recording Voice Overs for commercials it's common that you do both the directing and the engineering. And in those situations you want to be on your A-game.

A solution for me was to get up one hour earlier then a used to. Then I had time to make myself a good, healthy breakfast with oatmeal, a homemade fruit-smoothie and a cup of coffee, and for once I could eat in a normal tempo like a normal human being. 

On my way to the studio I have time reading all the fantastic Pro Tools Expert articles from my colleagues on the team, checking my mail, preparing myself for my recording sessions that I have later on, and even have time to check the stock market. When arriving to the studio I have been awake for almost 2,5 hours and my brain and my senses are on top. 

Just a simple thing like waking up a bit earlier makes me so much more efficient and the hours between 9 and 11 are probably my most efficient hours in a day. I probably get twice as much done as I did before, during that time.

Food For Champions

Another thing that I realised too late, was to eat regularly and healthily. I can imagine that this could be tricky if you are a live-engineer or is out on the road touring. But your body needs fuel to work properly and you are responsible for fuelling it up. Skip meals and snacks that contain a lot of sugar, and instead go for slow carbs that will keep your energy on a balanced level for a longer period of time. You want to avoid “sugar rushes” that will give you energy for 45 minutes and then you're back to square one.

Work Out

Working out is good for you - that's not news. It counteracts stress and helps you sleep better at night. It also strengthens and boosts your immune system which makes you less likely to fall sick, which leads to less days off from work being sick, which allows us to work more - and make more money. It also helps you maintain focus during the day and you will be more efficient and you can get more things done in less time. And with the extra time you get, you can take on more jobs: more money.

Work From Home? Get Dressed Properly!

Get up on time and get dressed for work, just like you would if you were going to a “regular” job. I have heard stories about people that worked from home who woke up, took their bike, had a ride for 15 minutes just to arrive back home. Then they did the exact same thing at the end of the day when it was time to go “home”. I think you need to have discipline and great mental strength to be able to work from home.

We Are All Individuals

This works wonders for me and I have been able to perform better which allows me to make more money, or have more spare time if you prefer. But to be honest I am really bad at giving myself more spare time. This may work superbly for me but may not be as suitable for you, we are all different, and that’s a good thing.

What Works For You?

Please share your stories, what do you do to be more efficient? Do you have any good tips for me? Please share them in a comments section below.