Why each of us needs to have “Hate Days” on a regular basis

I'm a big fan of the Focus, Buffer and Free Days productivity method. He became popular thanks to business coach Dan Sullivan. On days off, you don't have to do absolutely anything. Buffers are reserved for different things, with the exception of everything related to clients and appointments. Well, in focus, you should use your talents as much as possible - get down to business, meet the right people and devote time to clients.

When I was actively working as a consultant, this kind of schedule saved me. I started the week with a buffer day to get a good preparation and tackle the basic marketing, administration, and networking tasks. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were reserved for focus days - I devoted them to clients and fast-growing projects. Thursdays and Fridays became either buffer days or free days, depending on how much work was left before the weekend. And this technique worked like a clock, until life intervened.

First there were children. Then I had an irresistible desire to be creative. And then the coronavirus hit the world. Today, as a writer and consultant who works most of the time while two young children crawl under my feet, I’m struggling to be creative on a schedule. And, frankly, I am glad about it, because the last year has been difficult and without constant explanations “Children, daddy has a focal day today”.

If you watched me for even a week, you would think that my life is a real chaos. Sometimes in the morning I write, and sometimes I look after a child with a temperature or even two children with a temperature. At lunchtime I talk to clients. Or I work closely with partners on joint projects. Or I’m sleeping. In the evenings I play Uno. Or lying on the couch. Or write again.

It sounds like a complete mess, and often it is. But I quickly realized that such a loose schedule suited me much better than the strict one I had followed before. In addition, one unusual and very interesting approach helped me stay productive even with such a questionable schedule.

What are the "days of hate"

Once in Munich I was telling a friend about my next “day of hate”. This is not a strange holiday when I hate everything, but just one day a week when I gulp down all the tasks that suck the energy out of me. My friend replied: “We have a special term for this in Germany - the Kleinscheiss Tag. It means 'little damn day'. "

Payment of bills, parsing email and other small tasks are perfect for a hate day. The same goes for, for example, business letters and calls that you constantly put off for later, or developing personal skills that are not very enjoyable but are very needed, such as public speaking skill.

Why Hate Days Work

In addition to the fact that the Kleinscheiss Tag sounds very cool, I like this approach because it allows you to filter annoying tasks into a separate list throughout the week. This helps you to focus properly on the really important issues.

Of course, this does not mean that in one single day it will be possible to complete absolutely all small matters. Sometimes they appear out of nowhere, so you have to deal with them here and now. However, "days of hate" are like putting off serious worries for later, so that reduce stress levels. Knowing that you've taken the time to tackle annoying little tasks that you don't really want to tackle gives you a sense of freedom.

You also don't have to worry about effective interaction with colleagues and partners. Most often, in this case, a simple reminder or answer works: "I have everything planned for Wednesday." This helps to keep the hate day tasks up and running while keeping those who need it up-to-date.

Finally, when I complete the last task on Hate Day, I feel a special satisfaction, which has a therapeutic and calming effect on me.

How to incorporate days of hate into your life

If you like the idea of ​​the Kleinscheiss Tag and your schedule allows this method, give it a try. You can start with the Kleinscheiss Stunde - "little bloody hour" when you sort out all the tedious cases within 60 minutes.

For many of us, the quality of our work is directly related to how well we perform on tasks that don't inspire us. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather endure one rainy day in the middle of a clear week than reach for an umbrella every day.