How to Have a Productive Day: 4 Principles to Focus, Work, & Rest

Want to know how to have a productive day? 

Let's start with a shocking reality: most people waste over five hours daily on distractions, wasted effort, and poor planning. According to one study in the UK, the average worker is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes during an 8-hour workday. 

That’s not good.

But here's the truth: productivity isn't just about efficiency. It's about faithfulness. Work is part of God's design. You were made to create, build, and contribute. Your time isn't just something to manage—it's something to steward.

Thousands of years before Oliver Burkeman wrote Four Thousand Weeks, the wisdom of numbering our days and weeks was already laid out in Scripture. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Regardless of how hard we try, our time is limited. We don’t get an endless supply of it. And we can’t hit a pause or rewind button.

Since our time is limited, the question is, what will you do with it? 

What will you do with your days? 

Most people let their time slip through their fingers. They react instead of lead. They do what feels urgent instead of what’s important. They stay busy but go nowhere.

Don’t be that person.

A productive day isn’t about checking off tasks. It’s about moving forward. It’s about investing in what matters—your work, your relationships, and our faith. Every day is an opportunity to serve God, love others, and build something that lasts.

In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned about having productive days, including:

• Root your day in what matters
• Prioritize your week or waste your time
• Block your time and do the work
• Take breaks and rest well

Let’s work together toward stewarding our days well. 

1. Root Your Day in What Matters

You need vision. 

Without it, you're just spinning your wheels.

Every productive day starts with knowing where you're headed. Not just at work. Not just at home. Your entire life matters.

Historically, this is what’s called Coram Deo, which means to live every moment before the face of God. That means your Monday meeting matters as much as your Sunday worship. The way you handle emails, conversations, and responsibilities—it all counts. Everything you do during the day requires time. 

Here’s the truth: you won’t hit your big goals in one day. But each day should move you closer to what matters.

That could mean:

• Crushing that work project
• Leading family devotions
• Building key relationships
• Growing your skills

Most people drift. They let the day happen to them instead of taking control. They react instead of leading. They rush through tasks without thinking about where they're going.

You don’t want that.

So, ask yourself:

• What do I want to achieve this year?
• What needs to happen this quarter?
• What can I do this week?
• What matters today?

Now, take that answer and do something with it. Productivity starts before you ever sit down to work. If you don’t know what you need to do today, you’ll waste time—or worse, get pulled into things that don’t matter.

To have a productive day, start with clarity. Know where you’re going. Know what deserves your best time. Then, prepare to act on it, which leads us to the next point.

2. Prioritize Your Week or Waste Your Time

If you want to have a productive day, you need a plan bigger than today.

Your daily work should serve a weekly purpose. Your weekly work should fit into a monthly plan. And your monthly plan should move you toward the long-term vision you’ve set.

This is how you make real progress.

Most people don’t do this. They wake up and tackle whatever seems urgent. They let emails, meetings, and last-minute requests dictate their schedule. They stay busy but go nowhere.

You don’t want that.

So take control. Every Sunday night or Monday morning, step back. Look at the big picture.

• What do I need to accomplish this month?
• What must happen this week to move me toward that?
• How do I structure my days so my time goes where it should?

Once you have weekly priorities, schedule them. Block time for the work that actually matters. Make space for your family, your faith, and your relationships. Treat these commitments like non-negotiables.

Each morning, drill down further:

• What must happen today?
• What would make today a win?
• What moves me toward my weekly goals?

One framework I’ve found helpful in prioritizing is the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s something you can use to cut through the noise and focus on what matters (if this is new to you, consider reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey):

Your week is only as productive as the days inside it. And your days will only be productive if you turn your priorities into action.

That’s where time-blocking comes in. Now that you know what matters, it’s time to put it on your calendar and actually do the work.

3. Block Your Time and Do the Work

Most people plan their week but never guard their time. 

They start the day with good intentions. Then the emails, meetings, and distractions take over. By noon, they’re scrambling.

You can’t let that happen. If your priorities aren’t scheduled, they won’t happen.

In this section, I’ll walk you through how to fight for your priorities:

1. Turn priorities into a schedule 
2. Protect your deep work
3. Stick to the plan

Let’s do this.‍

a. Turn priorities into a schedule

A to-do list isn’t enough. You need a schedule.

Your calendar is a commitment, not a suggestion. When you block time for your most important work, treat it like a locked-in appointment. If it’s on your calendar, it’s happening. No excuses.

Each week, schedule deep work blocks for:

• Strategic projects that push you forward
• Creative thinking that requires focus
• Problem-solving that demands energy
• Key relationships that deserve your time
• Spiritual growth because faith in Christ is eternally important

You can’t build a strong life on weak habits. If you don’t make time for your faith, your relationships, and your future, they’ll always take a backseat. Your calendar should reflect your real priorities.

But scheduling alone isn’t enough. You have to protect your time.

b. Protect your deep work

Most people let their schedules get hijacked. They plan deep work but let distractions win.

You can’t afford that.

You need focused blocks of time where nothing pulls you away. No emails. No Slack or Teams messages. No mindless scrolling.

Be ruthless with your focus:

• No notifications
• No email
• No social media
• No distractions

Treat deep work like a locked door. If you don’t, everything else will sneak in and steal your time.

But even the best plan won’t work if you don’t follow through. That’s where discipline comes in.

c. Stick to the plan

This is where most people fail. They set the time and make the plan—but when it’s time to execute, they flinch.

Don’t be that person.

When your calendar says it’s time for deep work:

• No checking "just one email"
• No quick social media breaks
• No responding to "just a quick question"
• No multitasking

Stick to your plan like your work depends on it. Because in the long run, it does.

If you set the time, guard the time, and follow through, you’ll move from busy to effective. You’ll get meaningful work done. You’ll end each day knowing your time was well spent.

And if you don’t take control of your day, someone else will.

When you block your priorities, eliminate distractions, and follow through, you lead your time instead of letting your time lead you.

4. Take Breaks & Rest Well

Most people think being productive means grinding longer and pushing harder. 

That’s a lie.

Real productivity isn’t about non-stop work.

It’s about working wisely.

You’re not a machine. You can’t run forever without breaking down. You have limits. Push too hard for too long, and you’ll burn out.

From the beginning, there was a rhythm—work and rest.

Here, I’ll break down:

1. Rest is built into creation
2. Daily rest shapes tomorrow
3. Weekly rest resets your mind

Here we go.

a. Rest is built into creation

The world didn’t make itself. It was created. And the One who made it set a pattern for how life works best.

Six days of work. One day of rest.

This isn’t optional. It’s wired into reality. The same way a car needs fuel, your body, mind, and soul need rest.

This rhythm is built into creation itself. Genesis 2:2-3 says, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

God didn’t need to rest. He wasn’t tired. But He set a pattern for us. Work hard, then rest. Not because you’re weak, but because you were made for it.

Ignore this pattern, and you don’t just get tired. You start breaking down. Your focus drifts. Your decision-making suffers. Your relationships take the hit. Eventually, you crash.

This isn’t just about avoiding burnout. It’s about stewarding your energy so you can give your best daily. If you want to have productive days, you have to protect your ability to focus, engage, and lead. That starts with rest.

b. Daily rest shapes tomorrow

Rest isn’t just about taking a day off. You need daily rhythms of renewal.

Without boundaries, work bleeds into every part of your life. You’ll always feel “on” but never fully present.

Prepare for rest before it’s too late.

• Set a stopping point
• Shut down screens before bed
• Wind down with purpose (e.g., read, pray)
• Get 7–8 hours of sleep

Your work tomorrow depends on the rest you get tonight.

You don’t build a productive life by pushing until you crash. You build it by working with discipline and resting with intention.

c. Weekly rest resets your mind

One day a week, stop. Step back. Reset.

You weren’t made to grind endlessly. You need a day to recharge. Not just to check out, but to refocus.

This kind of rest isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about renewal.

• Shut down your usual work
• Do what restores you
• Prepare ahead of time
• As a Christian, I’d add worship 

This weekly reset doesn’t just give you a break—it gives you clarity. It reminds you why your work matters and helps you step into the next week with fresh energy and focus.

Remember, rest isn’t wasted time. It’s fuel.

When you rest well, you work better. Your mind is sharper. Your energy is stronger. Your ability to focus, create, and lead increases.

Stop running yourself into the ground. Work hard. Rest deeply. Be ready for what’s next.

How to Have Productive Day

If you want to know how to have a productive day, it starts with being intentional. 

Productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters.

A productive day isn’t built on hacks or busyness. It’s built on clarity, discipline, and stewardship. Every day is an opportunity to move forward, invest in what’s important, and make real progress.

Follow this checklist to make each day count:

• Know your goals and set a clear vision
• Prioritize your time before the week begins
• Block deep work and protect your best hours
• Eliminate distractions and stay focused
• Do the hard things first before anything else
• Rest well so you can work with purpose

This is how to have a productive day—not by chasing endless tasks, but by focusing on what truly matters.

You don’t have unlimited days. Use them well.

Work hard. Rest faithfully. Steward your time wisely.

‍