So that's why I don't get much done!

On a recent business trip I passed time on a BA flight by reading their in-flight business magazine, where I came across an interesting column by Viv Groskop, "All in a week's work". It starts:

"Mastering the working week is a delicate balance between industry and indolence. Thanks heavens for Tuesdays, or we'd never get anything done."

All week we count down to Friday, 5-4-3-2-1! Monday is the first day after the weekend. We're more tired than rested and need the day to "get ready" for work. Apparently it has even been proven that fewer emails are sent and received on Mondays than any other day of the week. This works for phone calls too so don't make any important calls on Mondays.

Wednesdays is the worst day of the week. Suddenly you realise that Oh, my God, it's already Wednesday and I haven't done half of what I should do this week! The weekend isn't so close but it's still too late to achieve that which you had originally set out to do before the weekend. "Most Wednesdays are paralysed with indecision. Should you work really seriously and hard or should you just postpone everything to next Monday when you'll have a clear week ahead of you again?" Needless to say, most opt for the latter.

Thursday, you are beyond the crisis stage; there's not even a need to panic. You just have to accept that it will have to wait until next week. Thursday is also the day when you can take a sick-day without anyone getting suspicious. If you are at the office, don't those drawers need to be cleaned out? And what about those business card from that conference; they need to go into the CRM.

"Fridays are obviously a joke. To all intents and purposes they are the first day of the weekend, which just happens to be spent in the office." Meetings held on Fridays are pointless. Sometimes important things happen and you'll almost think it's Tuesday, but then you remember and calm down.

So Tuesdays are the only days when actual work is done. Why? Because: "It is the day you realise that you did not do anything on Monday and already a fifth of the week has passed. But, unlike with Wednesdays, it's not too late." So Tuesday is the busy, busy day. You make 27 calls and send 89 emails...