Practice the Powerful 'Morning 3' for a Focused and Satisfying Day, Says Google's Executive Productivity Advisor Laura Mae Martin, author of the forthcoming book 'Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing,' shares her strategies for success.

Many people consider "being productive" in outwardly measurable terms — how much progress was made on a task or how many items were checked off a to-do list.

"But productivity is so much more than that," says Laura Mae Martin, Google's executive productivity advisor and author of the forthcoming book Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing.

"It's longevity, creativity, efficiency and avoiding burnout," she explains. "It's about both vision and execution. It's a holistic way of getting things done and living well while you do it, which is how I define 'Uptime.'"

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"Once you've identified your power hours, you want to do whatever you can to keep those hours blocked."

Many people have a general sense of when they can do their best work. Martin calls those periods of time "power hours." For instance, a morning person might be most alert and focused between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. But if you're unsure when your ideal productivity window is, Martin suggests keeping a journal to note whenever "you're feeling particularly in the zone."

"Once you've identified your power hours, you want to do whatever you can to keep those hours blocked for strategic, focused work," Martin says. "Keep them clear of low-energy meetings, administrative tasks or catch-up chats. Even blocking these hours one to two days a week can make a huge difference on how 'on top of it' you feel."

But whether you identify as an early bird or a night owl, there are three things you can do to set yourself up for success in the morning — which translates into a focused and satisfying rest of the day, according to Martin.

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These are the "Morning 3" Martin suggests incorporating into your routine:

1. A playlist

"Music sets our mood," Martin explains. "If we're listening to something we are delighted by, it's more likely to make us feel that way for the day. Find something that relaxes you and play it during your morning routine. I like instrumental, piano music or film scores from my favorite movies."

2. The right lighting

"Start your day with dim or natural light," Martin says. "My alarm clock slowly gets brighter over a 30-minute span to mimic the rising of the sun. I open my kids' curtains to wake them up or turn on lamps instead of using overhead lights. This gives your brain a chance to ease in and wake up for a peaceful morning.

3. A gift for "future you"

"Every night before you go to bed, try to do something that 'morning you' will be happy about," Martin says. "Pre-pack the lunchboxes, set your coffee to brew on a timer, clean those dishes in the sink. Do something to delight your future self so you wake up happy that something is already done for you and more energized for the tasks ahead."

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And two additional hacks for people still struggling with procrastination later in the day? Consider stopping in the middle of a task — because it can make it easier to pick back up when you know exactly what your next step will be — and "acting as your own assistant."

"For example, I had been wanting to make banana muffins for a week, and I kept putting it off," Martin explains. "My bananas were beginning to go bad! One night, I was too tired to make them, but I told myself I would just pre-measure and set out all the ingredients on the counter with the muffin tin. The next morning, I came downstairs and, delighted that everything was already set out for me, made the muffins right away! By separating these two activities, I was able to push through and get it done."