How My European Speaking Tour Made Me More Productive by Working Just 2 Hours a Day

By Dr. Mary Kelly

As a leadership economist and professional speaker, I often help others with how to manage their time better, streamline their workflows, and focus on what truly matters. But last month, I was a student. And my teachers? Medieval cities. Amazing wine. Chocolate croissants. I was in Europe.

During a whirlwind European speaking tour—delivering keynotes, leading executive workshops, and helping organizations build better leadership practices, I faced a glorious constraint: I could only work about two hours a day on US time. Between the time zone changes, train schedules, meals that lasted hours (bless the Europeans for understanding the value of conversation), and simply soaking in the cobblestone beauty of old cities, my usual 12-hour days were a no-go.

At first, I was. But then something surprising happened.

I got what I needed to do done.

Remember, I have a team of people supporting me. But I had to focus and be extremely productive.

The Power of Productivity Constraint

Here is the thing about limited time: it forces you to focus. When you know you have 120 minutes to get it all done before your next train to Barcelona or your next espresso in Avignon, there is zero time for fluff.

No over-checking emails.
No second-guessing that sentence in a keynote.
No scrolling, no spirals, no procrastination disguised as productivity.

I did not have time to look productive. I had to be productive.

How I Did It: My European Two-Hour Workday Rules

Here is how I restructured my work habits during that month:

1. I prioritized ruthlessly. – Each night, I made a list of the one to three things that absolutely had to get done the next day. I did not touch anything else until those things were finished. This forced me to distinguish between “nice to do” and “mission critical.”

2. I scheduled my work sprints. – I blocked my two-hour work session—typically in the morning—and shut down all distractions. It was me, my laptop, and a very firm timer. I was laser focused.

3. I delegated and automated more. – What did not require my personal involvement got assigned or scheduled. My team knew I was only available for limited windows, so they covered for me, and they made decisions for me.

4. I trusted good enough. – Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. Sometimes the second draft was the final draft. And guess what? Nothing fell apart. In fact, the clarity was refreshing.

5.I used my 12-Month Planner – My planner was my go-to. Not on the planner? Did not need to get done.The Results: Less Stress, More Impact

By limiting my work hours, I rediscovered a rhythm that allowed for breathing room, creativity, and clarity. The irony is that I became more productive because I stopped doing the things that did not really matter.

I came back from Europe with:

• Two new keynote outlines
• Two book chapters written.
• Seven proposals delivered.
• And I actually felt refreshed.

I was in Spain for the country-wide power outage when everything was shut down, so we went to cafes and had wine, bread, and cheese. I had long conversations with new friends in tiny cafés. I was not rushing, I was living.

What I Learned from This

You do not have to fly across the world to reset your schedule or find your focus. You can implement your own two-hour productivity challenge right where you are.

Try this:

• Pick two hours a day this week where you go “all in” on your most important work.
• Treat it like a sacred appointment.
• Let everything else wait.
• Use the tools you already have to make your life easier (yes, I am looking at you, my resource vault).

The lesson I learned in Europe is simple: when you work with purpose and structure, you do not have to work around the clock. You just have to work smarter and with better focus, and you need to trust your team.

So, here is my challenge – if two hours were all you had, what would you get done?