How To Have A Good Day

How To Have A Good Day Plot Summary

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why some days feel effortlessly productive while others leave you drained with little to show for your efforts? The difference often lies not in what you do, but how you approach your work. Your brain—that remarkable three-pound organ—holds untapped potential to transform ordinary workdays into extraordinary ones when you understand its natural rhythms and preferences. The science of peak performance reveals that small, deliberate changes in how we direct our attention, structure our tasks, and manage our energy can dramatically improve both our productivity and satisfaction. By working with your brain's natural tendencies rather than against them, you can experience more flow, less stress, and greater impact in everything you do. The techniques in this book aren't about working harder—they're about working smarter by aligning your approach with how your brain naturally functions best.

Chapter 1: Set Intentional Direction for Your Day

Setting intentional direction means deliberately choosing what deserves your attention rather than letting your day unfold reactively. This practice works because of how your brain filters information—you consciously notice only a small selection of what's happening around you, and what gets through those filters is strongly influenced by the priorities and assumptions you bring to each situation. Martin, a strategy director for an aircraft manufacturer who also advises high-tech entrepreneurs, discovered the power of intention-setting by accident. "I was sitting on the bed before going to work, feeling overwhelmed by everything on my plate," he recalls. "For some reason I just started thinking about what really mattered to me. I picked up a notebook and wrote about why I was doing what I was doing, and how I wanted to do it. It was incredibly clarifying." The experience left him feeling more upbeat and purposeful. Recognizing the benefits, Martin developed a shorter version he could fit into each day. "Before leaving for the office, I spend a moment clearing my head, just breathing deeply. Then I ask myself what's most important today, given what I'm trying to achieve at work, and make a few notes about where I want to focus my attention." The payoff has been clear: "My first hour at work used to be all over the place, very unproductive. Now I'm 100 percent ready to go when I arrive. I'm calmer and in a better mood." To set your own intentions effectively, consider three angles: your aim (what really matters most in making today's activities successful), your attitude (acknowledging any concerns dominating your thoughts and deciding whether to set them aside), and your attention (where you want to focus based on your real priorities). This mental "aim-attitude-attention" checklist takes just a few minutes but can dramatically shift how you experience your day. When setting intentions, make them positive rather than negative. Instead of "I need to make sure my colleague realizes his mistake," try "I want to improve our working relationship so we can be more honest with each other." This approach makes it easier to spot constructive solutions and avoid triggering defensive responses in yourself or others. Remember that setting intentions isn't about rigidly controlling your day—it's about consciously choosing where to direct your precious attention rather than letting circumstances dictate your focus. This simple practice creates a foundation for everything else you do, allowing you to work with greater purpose and clarity.

Chapter 2: Focus on One Task at a Time

Multitasking has become a badge of honor in our busy world, but research consistently shows it's actually a productivity killer. What we call "multitasking" is really task-switching—rapidly moving our attention between different activities—and it comes with significant cognitive costs. Each switch requires our brain to reorient, consuming valuable mental resources and increasing the likelihood of errors. Anthony, a digital marketing expert, discovered this truth when he analyzed his own work patterns. "I was working too much, always overcommitting, and dealing with endless emails. I tried to take control, but failed. At my company, there was a sort of cultural 'presenteeism'—you needed to look like you were always present, always working. It was toxic." He ended up burning out. "I was completely exhausted, and I realized it wasn't sustainable. I decided something had to change." The breakthrough came when Anthony recognized that what seemed like one task on his to-do list often involved several different mental modes. "Finding and sharing interesting articles with clients involves gathering information, which means my mind needs to be wide open and in scanning mode. Then there's digesting, which means I have to stop and think. Then there's sharing, where I have to make decisions about what's worth passing on, to whom." He found that chunking these different types of activity made him more effective: "Now I tell myself, 'Now I'm gathering and I'm entirely focused on that'; 'Okay, now I'm digesting and I'm focused on that.' It takes a lot less time overall, and what I do is better-quality." To break free from multitasking in your own work, start by batching similar tasks together to reduce mental mode-switching. Group your email checking, phone calls, creative work, and analytical tasks into dedicated time blocks rather than jumping between them throughout the day. Then identify uninterrupted blocks in your schedule for different batches of work, giving your biggest and best chunk of time to tasks that need deeper thinking. Create an environment that supports single-tasking by turning off notifications, closing unnecessary browser tabs, and storing stray thoughts in a "parking lot" to revisit later. If you're concerned about being unavailable to colleagues, consider establishing specific times when you'll be responsive and communicating those boundaries clearly. Remember that focusing on one task at a time isn't just about productivity—it's about being fully present for what matters most. When you give your complete attention to the task at hand, you'll not only produce better results but also experience greater satisfaction in your work.

Chapter 3: Create Brain-Friendly To-Do Lists

Having clear goals is essential for productivity, but not all goal-setting approaches are created equal. The way you articulate your goals makes a surprising difference to your chances of success. By understanding how your brain processes goals and applying a few science-based principles, you can create a to-do list that actually helps you accomplish more with less stress. Research by psychologists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham shows that people who articulate specific goals boost their performance by about 15 percent on quantifiable tasks. Clear goals help us stay on track by focusing our attention and encouraging persistence. But beyond just listing practical tasks, consider setting behavioral goals that support your broader intentions. Ask yourself: "What can I shift in my own behavior to help make my intentions a reality?" and "What does that shift look like in practice?" Martin, the aviation strategist we met earlier, discovered the power of breaking larger goals into bite-sized chunks. "I have a spreadsheet that lists the projects I'm working on, and for each one I've identified the very next thing to do. So I always know the small next step that I need to take. I've found that if you break one goal down into three smaller ones, it feels more doable and you get three times the pleasure of scratching them off the to-do list." This approach creates a steady flow of reward for your brain, keeping you motivated throughout the day. To create your own brain-friendly to-do list, start by making your goals positive, personally meaningful, feasible, and situation-specific. Research shows that "approach" goals (doing more of something good) work better than "avoidance" goals (doing less of something bad). For example, instead of "I'm not going to lose my cool in the meeting," try "I'm going to remember to smile and ask great questions to make sure everyone feels heard." Find a personal "why" behind each task to increase your motivation. Our brains process self-chosen goals differently than externally imposed ones, engaging areas associated with desires and needs rather than self-control and discipline. Even for assigned tasks, you can ask: "What bigger aspiration or value of mine does this speak to?" Create specific "when-then" plans for your most important goals. Instead of "I'm going to be more collaborative today," try "When the other person raises issues, then I'll stop to listen properly and ask questions to find out more." Research shows this implementation intention approach makes people up to three times more likely to achieve their aspirations. A brain-friendly to-do list isn't just about getting things done—it's about aligning your daily actions with your deeper intentions and values. When your to-do list reflects what truly matters to you and is structured in a way that works with your brain's natural tendencies, you'll find yourself not just checking off tasks but making meaningful progress toward your most important goals.

Chapter 4: Plan Deliberate Downtime

In our achievement-oriented culture, it's easy to believe that working longer hours without breaks is the path to greater productivity. However, research consistently shows the opposite is true: strategic downtime is essential for peak performance. Your brain's deliberate system—responsible for complex thinking, self-control, and concentration—needs regular periods of rest to function optimally. When our brain's deliberate system is overworked, we experience what scientists call "decision fatigue." This phenomenon was dramatically illustrated in a study of parole board judges. Researchers found that if a prisoner's case was heard at the beginning of a session, when judges were mentally fresh after taking a break, the prisoner had a 65 percent chance of getting parole. But if a case was heard toward the end of a session, before the judges were due to take a break, the chance dropped to almost zero, regardless of the case's merits. Anthony, the digital marketing expert we met earlier, now makes deliberate downtime a priority in his workday. "It's become a collective thing in the office, to go for a walk and talk about things. We've decided it's a legitimate use of time because we often get so much done when we've had a change of scenery." He's in no doubt about the processing his brain seems to do when he steps away from a challenging task: "If I'm working hard on something, and then I bugger off and go for a walk, I find I can ace it in thirty minutes or less when I return. If I try to push straight through without a break, it takes me much longer overall." To incorporate deliberate downtime into your own workday, plan to take a brief break between different task "zones." Never let more than ninety minutes pass without doing something to refresh your mind and body—even a five-minute walk or a few moments of deep breathing can help restore your mental clarity. Schedule meetings that are shorter than the standard thirty or sixty minutes whenever possible, to give your brain time to recharge between commitments. Use your downtime strategically by matching the type of break to your needs. If you've been doing focused analytical work, a social break chatting with colleagues might be refreshing. If you've been in meetings all morning, a few minutes of solitude might be more restorative. The key is to truly disconnect from work demands during these breaks rather than filling them with low-priority tasks. Remember that downtime isn't just about rest—it's about giving your brain the space it needs to process information, make connections, and generate insights. Some of your best ideas will come not while you're actively working on a problem but during these periods of mental relaxation. By planning deliberate downtime throughout your day, you're not taking time away from productivity—you're investing in a more effective and sustainable approach to your work.

Chapter 5: Beat Procrastination with Science

Procrastination—delaying important tasks despite knowing we'll be worse off for it—is one of the most common and frustrating challenges we face at work. It's not simply a matter of poor time management or laziness; it's a complex psychological phenomenon rooted in how our brains process short-term costs versus long-term benefits. At the root of procrastination is what economists call "present bias"—our tendency to give more weight to immediate rewards and costs than to future ones. Most tasks we avoid promise long-term benefits while requiring immediate effort. Our brain's automatic system finds it easier to assess the known present than the unknown future, so we tend to postpone important work in favor of immediate rewards like checking social media or chatting with colleagues. Elta, a senior manager at a global research company, often found herself procrastinating on preparing presentations, a core part of her job that she dislikes. "It's hard for me to agree to speak in public," she says. "And then, once I'm on the hook, I'll spend endless time avoiding thinking about what I'm actually going to say." She's learned several techniques to overcome this tendency, all centered on rebalancing how her brain compares short-term costs with long-term benefits. One powerful approach Elta discovered is to vividly picture the future benefits of completing the task. "It's helpful to think about the fact that people in the audience will remember me if I do well. And then my advice will be more respected whenever they next see me, because they know that I have sensible things to say. I'll feel more credible, and that's important to me." This visualization makes the distant future benefits more emotionally salient, helping to counterbalance the immediate discomfort of tackling the task. For tasks where the future benefits feel too distant, try planning short-term rewards for finishing each piece of the project. You might promise yourself a walk, a favorite snack, or time to read something enjoyable after completing a difficult task. You can also tie the first step to something you enjoy doing today. Elta says, "I like to walk through a park on my way to work, so that's when I think about whatever I'm avoiding, like deciding the key message for my next presentation. Because I'm in a good mood, I seem to be able to connect more readily with what I need to think about." Another effective strategy is to check the downside of inaction. When Elta considered the potential disadvantages of deferring her preparation, she realized it was her worst nightmare: "I'd be jittery as I stood up, I'd do a bad job, and I'd actively harm my reputation." This realization was galvanizing, making the cost of procrastination feel more immediate and concrete. If you find yourself repeatedly returning to a task but still unable to take the first step, try the "five whys" technique. By patiently asking yourself a series of "why" questions about your reluctance, you can unearth the roots of your procrastination and address the underlying concern rather than just the symptoms. Remember that overcoming procrastination isn't about forcing yourself to do things you hate—it's about finding ways to make important tasks more approachable and less threatening to your brain. With these science-based strategies, you can transform procrastination from a persistent frustration into an occasional challenge that you know how to navigate.

Chapter 6: Build Rapport in Every Interaction

In our increasingly digital and distracted world, the ability to create genuine human connection—what psychologists call rapport—has become both rarer and more valuable. Rapport is that sense of mutual understanding and trust that makes interactions flow smoothly and creates the foundation for effective collaboration, influence, and negotiation. Peter, the head of a consultancy that advises businesses on IT issues, often parachutes into fraught situations after huge projects have started to go off track. Despite being good at his job and quick to smile, Peter was finding that tensions often ran high with both clients and colleagues. As we talked, we realized that Peter's sense of self-worth had long been tied up with being smart and spotting problems. Over the years, he would engage in conversations with a clear (if unspoken) intention: he wanted to show he was right to demonstrate his usefulness. And showing that he was right, in his mind, meant showing how other people were wrong. Peter began to see that if he was to have the effect he wanted, he needed to express his desire to help in a more collaborative manner. He started to recast his intentions for client meetings by focusing on building a trusting relationship rather than proving his expertise. His first experiment was a dinner with the CEO of a business where he'd already made some enemies. Instead of highlighting all the ways he was more knowledgeable, Peter set a clear intention to understand the CEO's hopes for his new role. "I found it really difficult not to wheel out my data, to show him how badly his business was doing, but I held back," Peter said. The result? "It really was a great conversation, much better than I expected." To build stronger rapport in your own interactions, start by setting a collaborative intention before important conversations. Ask yourself: "What do I really want from this exchange?" Focus on outcomes that benefit both parties rather than just advancing your agenda. Check any negative assumptions you might have about the other person, as these will shape what you notice during your interaction. Practice asking quality questions that show genuine curiosity. Most questions we ask in conversations are superficial pleasantries, factual inquiries, or platforms for conveying our own hypotheses. The kind of question that signals genuine curiosity is different: it's open-ended, invites people to share their thoughts and feelings rather than just facts, and shows that you actually intend to listen to the answer. Look for points of similarity to create an "in-group" feeling. Research shows we're more likely to feel empathy for people we perceive as similar to ourselves. Francesco, an accountant, tried this approach before a challenging contract negotiation. "I started by treating the other guy like a normal person, rather than the enemy," he says. He asked about the man's background and quickly found they'd worked for the same accounting firm years ago. When they came to the negotiation just minutes later, his counterpart said, "Don't worry, I trust you—your proposals look fine." Remember that rapport isn't about manipulation or false friendliness—it's about creating genuine human connection that makes work more enjoyable and effective for everyone involved. When you approach interactions with authentic curiosity and openness, you create the foundation for relationships that will support your success in all areas of work.

Chapter 7: Master the Art of Resilience

In our complex and rapidly changing work environments, challenges and setbacks are inevitable. What separates those who thrive from those who struggle isn't the absence of difficulties but rather the ability to navigate through them with grace and determination—what psychologists call resilience. Lucy, the chief operating officer of a payroll and pension services company, has seen firsthand how unresolved tensions can impact business performance. "I've been in three jobs where I had to sort out a major relationship issue that was having real business impact. Tensions build up, and it's amazing to me that very few people really do anything to resolve things by having a real conversation about the issue." Lucy has become skilled at addressing these situations using a technique called "notice-acknowledge-offer." In one instance, Lucy was responsible for managing a global alliance her company had formed with another firm. One regional head was notoriously unsupportive of the alliance, though the reasons weren't clear. Instead of labeling him as difficult, Lucy went to see him directly. "I said: 'This is what we're trying to achieve.' Then I opened up a bit and said, 'I've noticed you're not on board, which obviously worries me. Tell me—what's working, and what's not working?'" His immediate response was revealing: "You're already halfway there, because you've bothered to come to see me and ask what I think!" It turned out he wasn't against the alliance at all. He'd been feeling that he was being ordered to attend meetings without anyone checking his availability, and more broadly, that he was being told what to do rather than engaged in discussion. "By contrast, I was now asking for his views, including and involving him, and showing that he was respected," Lucy explains. After that, they met monthly, and she made sure he was included in all operational discussions. The "obstructive" behavior disappeared. To build your own resilience in challenging situations, start by understanding that our negative assumptions about others can become self-fulfilling prophecies. When someone behaves in ways that frustrate or disappoint us, we tend to attribute it to their character rather than their circumstances—what psychologists call the fundamental attribution error. Countering this tendency by assuming positive intent can dramatically change how you perceive and respond to difficult situations. When you need to raise difficult issues, try this approach: ask permission ("Can I talk to you about something?"), describe what you observed without emotion or interpretation, say how it made you feel and why it matters to you, ask for the other person's perspective, and then do some joint problem solving. This structured conversation helps prevent defensiveness and creates space for genuine understanding. For your own emotional regulation, identify your "hot buttons"—the specific situations most likely to trigger you—and your early warning signs that you're slipping into defensive mode. Then develop a simple "step back and reset" routine that allows you to pause and reengage your deliberate thinking system. As Peter says, asking himself "What really matters?" is a good reset question: "It stops me trying to pound the person with my point of view, by reminding me that's not actually my aim. A better relationship is the aim." True resilience isn't about never feeling frustrated or disappointed—it's about having techniques to process those feelings efficiently so you can return to effective action more quickly. With practice, these approaches become second nature, allowing you to navigate workplace challenges with confidence and grace.

Summary

Throughout this exploration of behavioral science and its applications to our working lives, we've discovered powerful tools for transforming our daily experience. From setting intentional direction at the start of each day to creating brain-friendly to-do lists, from breaking free of multitasking to planning deliberate downtime, from beating procrastination to building rapport and mastering resilience—each approach leverages our understanding of how our minds actually work. As research consistently shows, "We have more room to maneuver than we generally realize. The secret lies in learning some of the science explaining how the brain works, and why people behave the way they do." By applying these evidence-based techniques, we can create more of those days when we feel productive, connected, and energized despite the inevitable challenges that arise. Start today by choosing just one technique from this book to implement consistently. Notice how it affects your experience, then gradually incorporate more approaches as they become habitual. Your working life—and perhaps your life beyond work—will never be quite the same again.

About Author

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Caroline Webb

Caroline Webb is an economist, management consultant and executive coach who has spent the last fifteen years showing her clients how to apply insights from behavioral science (neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics) to boost their professional effectiveness and job satisfaction. After a first career at the Bank of England, she worked for 12 years at management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where she was a partner in their leadership and organizational change practice. She then founded her own firm (Sevenshift) to provide behavioral science-based coaching to leaders. Her forthcoming book, "How To Have a Good Day," translates that experience onto the page, showing readers how they can use behavioral science to transform the quality of their everyday working lives. The book will be published on February 2 2016 by Random House (Crown Business) in North America, and Macmillan (Pan Macmillan) in the UK & Commonwealth. It will be published in thirteen other languages later in 2016.

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