The issue that many of us can relate to is having a longer list of things to do than actual time to complete it all. That feels especially the case now with a lot of us working from home and our professional and personal lives are colliding without many boundaries.
After having many days run completely off the rails and feeling discouraged and demotivated about the lack of accomplishment I felt at the end of every day, I decided to adjust my plan of attack for each day (because yes, it can feel like we are in a battle right now at times). It doesn’t mean I get EVERYTHING done on my list of things to do every single time, but it has helped me I accomplish the most important tasks and feel good about the plan to finish the rest.
Here are my top five tips for setting up your day for success:
RULE the morning
If my morning gets off track, the whole day is off as well. It’s so important to make sure you make time to get dressed, have breakfast, meditate or do whatever that’s in your routine that makes you feel ready for the day. And doing it without feeling rushed is the key. Starting the day in a panic trying to rush through your morning routine to start work or your task list sets you up for a chaotic day. Making time to enjoy your wake up routine and remind yourself of your plan for the day helps you feel more in control and ready for a positive day. This may mean going to bed earlier the night before)
Write down weekly goals
Each week can be very different than the one before. One week the most important thing you want to accomplish could be to nail a presentation at work. The next week it could be preparing to host family for a holiday gathering. Or in my case, it could be a big week in potty training (pray for me, this is hard lol). It’s good to think about the week ahead and prioritize the tasks that are going to make you feel the most accomplished if done by the end of the week. Think about what is going to bother you the most if it doesn’t get done. These are the tasks that you want to make sure are highest on your to do list as you are planning out each day.
Set a daily plan that matches your weekly goals
Now that you have your weekly goals set, make sure you map out your plan for each day with your broader weekly goals in mind. The higher the priority, the more time and consideration your most critical tasks should have in your daily plan.
Assess when you are most productive and plan most critical tasks during that time frame
This one is critical for me. I am my freshest and do my best thinking in the morning, usually starting at 5am and I’m strong until 1 pm. And then I start to become a little fuzzy around 3pm. While I still need to be productive after 3pm, because, I mean who can end their day that early, my most important things to accomplish are never left until the afternoon. You probably know when you are the clearest and when you start to lose steam. Recognizing we all have high and lows in our day, plan the most critical work when you are at your peak.
Set constraints on social media
Social media is such a gift in most ways but can be a curse to your productivity. It’s a way to connect with others, get information and of course be entertained by the latest memes and gifs that can help the day go by. But unfortunately, it can suck you in and if you are not careful, hours can go by before you realize you’ve been scrolling the day away. I try to set my social media time to only certain points in the day and for a specified time. And it’s never during the time when I know I’m most alert and productive in the morning. I use it as more of a reward for the good progress I’ve made in pressing forward on my daily goals.
What ways have you found to help you set your day up for success?
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