When was the last time you had a really successful day?
We all strive to lay in bed after a long and tiring day with a feeling of satisfaction. That feeling that makes you truly happy as you know that you did your best to make today successful. Not every day is successful and that is quite normal.
With all the things going on sometimes what starts as a productive day ends up being a not that productive one. But don't worry, there are things that can help you have a great and productive day. To get closer to achieving it start implementing these 5 tips.
WAKE UP AT TIME
Even if you are not waking up super early it is still very important to wake up when your alarm rings. The biggest mistake we make is snoozing our alarm and trying to force sleep again. That is only making us more tired than if we actually woke up and started with our day. A tip that could help you wake up immediately after you hear your alarm go off is not leaving your phone near your bed. Another thing that could keep you in your bed even when you finally opened your eyes is social media.
It is very tempting to scroll through social media as soon as you wake up but that is probably not the smartest thing to do. The reason behind that is simple, social media is a black hole and once you fall into it, it is hard to come back. The last thing you want is to wake up just to spend an hour or two in your bed checking every possible social media. Imagine how many productive things you could've done at that time.
CHECK YOUR CALENDAR
With a lot of different tasks and deadlines life can get pretty confusing. The last thing you want is to forget about an important appointment or task. Having a calendar in which you write down all the tasks and deadlines is crucial for not only a successful day but a successful life. A lot of people prefer to use calendars on their phones or laptop. That is very convenient and helpful. Although, I always encourage you to have a printed calendar on your wall above your working area. It is scientifically proven that we remember better things that we write down with our hands and see often.
This means that whenever you enter your office space and lift your head you will be able to see what you need to do as soon as possible and for what you have more time without grabbing your phone. There are a lot of cute calendar designs you can print for free. I recommend having at least 2 months printed and placed on your wall so that you have a longer time frame in front of you. Fill important tasks first and then add additional ones as they occur.
WRITE YOUR TO-DO LIST
Writing your to-do list after you checked your calendar will help you to remember all the urgent tasks and the little ones that you slowly start working on. Don't overwhelm yourself by writing too many of them at once. Write the 3 most important ones and add more as you go. This is personally something I struggled a lot with, as strange as it may sound. I just couldn't find the right way to plan my day and write my to-do list to actually cross everything from it eventually. I've tried so many planners and notebooks and nothing worked until I one day watched this video.
I realized that I don't need to make it so complicated. Your to-do list doesn't need to look like a work of art. It just needs to be convenient. From the mentioned video I only use the part about writing your daily tasks. I use dots before every task, cross for the ones I finished, and an arrow for the ones I am moving to the next day. It is so simple and easy to follow. I don't feel overwhelmed or disappointed if I didn't accomplish something that day. I use a simple notebook as it gives me more freedom. I write the top 3 tasks that I need to finish for university and top 3 for my blog.
TAKE BREAKS
For a successful day it is important to find the balance between the work and the break. Some people tend to either overwork or lose their focus all the time. To prevent both from happening you need to learn what works the best for you. Of course, if you have a job with a set working and break timeframe then you can't really do much. Something you probably can and should do is taking a little water or stretch breaks. Doing one thing for a few hours isn't good for your mind but also for your body.
If you are working from home or are a freelancer then you are probably more flexible. This can sometimes be even harder as you are in charge of how much you work and how much you rest. The first thing you need to do is realize during what part of the day are you most productive. Some people like to work in the morning and some feel the most productive at night. According to that plan your work but also know when you feel the most tired and need a break.
OFFICIALLY END THE DAY
For a successful day, you need to know where your work life ends and personal one starts. Most people feel overwhelmed and stressed as it seems like their workday never comes to an end. That is why it is very important to officially end the workday and leave your work behind. Once you've closed your laptop that is it. Now it is time for you to relax and do what you love. Of course, there will always be more work to do but that doesn't mean that you need to force yourself in one day. You had more or less 8 hours to work and what you managed to do is enough for that day.
You need to set the boundaries otherwise the line between work and personal life will get blurry. When that happens both your work and your personal life will suffer. Time management is what you need to work on. Knowing when you are doing what and how long it will take you is how you will be able to complete the whole day successfully. You've worked hard and now its time to regenerate and rest for the day ahead.
Are you implementing any of these tips?
How do you make sure that your day is successful?
Post a Comment