Former CIA agent shares her No. 1 secret to a highly productive and successful week

I never enjoyed working on Mondays. Even when I was at the CIA, and waking up at dawn was something I looked forward to, I would still feel a bit down by Sunday morning because Monday was just around the corner.

So as soon as I became my own boss, I started canceling Mondays. I slept until I naturally woke up (which was never later than 8 a.m.), dabbled in and out of work, and didn’t obsess over getting things done.

At first, it felt lazy, self-indulgent and wrong. But I soon realized that one of the biggest perks of working for myself is that I get to create my own schedule.

Now, I limit my expectations for the day and use Mondays as a warm-up for the rest of the week — and I’ve never been more productive.

Map your energy to boost your success

I try not to book anything energy intensive on Mondays — be that phone calls, meetings, events, speaking engagements or emails — unless I absolutely have to. If I do, I limit myself to doing just one important thing.

Not everyone can cancel their Mondays. But you can still find ways to modify your scheduleusing what I call a “Personal Energy Map” (PEM).

This is mine:

Photo: Rupal Patel

Think of your PEM as a way to understand your energy levels and frame of mind during a typical day, week or even year. It begins with paying attention and reflecting on the patterns that emerge when you ask yourself:

• When in the week do Ifeel most creative? 
• When am I most productive? 
• When do I have a head for detail? 
• When do I get fed up with minutiae? 
• When am I full of energy?
• When do I need a nap? 
• What day, or time of day, do I enjoy interacting with others?
• What day, or time of day, do I find myself desperate to be alone? 
• Are there monthly or seasonal variations in my energy levels for different types of activities? 
• Are there monthly or seasonal patterns to what kinds of activities Inaturally shift focus to? 

You will never be able to work according to your preferences all the time. But knowing what it looks like when you lead with your strengths will help you get back on track when you do hit roadblocks.

Ultimately, I’ve found that building my personal energy map has made me better at protecting my time, and setting boundaries, not just at work, but in all aspects of my life.

Rupal Patel’s career has taken her from military briefing rooms in jungles and war zones to corporate boardrooms and international stages. As an analyst and field agent at the CIA, she advised four-star generals and earned War Zone Service Medals. Today Patel is an international speaker, corporate consultant, and executive advisor. She is the author of “From CIA To CEO: Unconventional Life Lessons for Thinking Bigger, Leading Better and Being Bolder.”

Don’t miss:

Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our new newsletter here

Get CNBC’s free Warren Buffett Guide to Investing, which distills the billionaire’s No. 1 best piece of advice for regular investors, do’s and don’ts, and three key investing principles into a clear and simple guidebook.

*This is an adapted excerpt from “From CIA To CEO: Unconventional Life Lessons for Thinking Bigger, Leading Better and Being Bolder” by Rupal Patel, published by Heligo Books. Copyright © 2023 by Rupal Patel.