No, I am not talking about buying a new car. I am talking about making the best of the opportunity we have before us while we are isolating in our homes. Life is a journey, and we are all along for the ride. While we are stuck inside, why not work on that ride? Why not work on ourselves, and find ways we can improve what we do on a daily basis and how we do it? This is great chance to implement some changes that can up your game and make this journey through life a lot more enjoyable. Here are five ways to improve the ride by getting more out of your day…
1. Establish A Routine
What is your average day like? What is your routine? Do you have one? It is critical that you have a routine to your day. To be more productive, your days should not be a surprise to you. You should know what tomorrow will be like before it even gets here. Sure, life will throw you surprises, but most of the time, you can easily plan your days and see that day through. And having a consistent plan is the best way to get the most out of your day.
What are your habits? Are they good or bad? Identify some habits that you know will improve your life and schedule them in your day. Wake up in the morning with a plan to get the most out of each day and execute that plan. Establish a plan full of good habits that move you closer to what you want out of life. Don’t let each day be a surprise. Have a plan. And that plan needs to be consistent enough that your day becomes a routine. A routine that you can execute, tweak, and make better, improving what you get out of each and every day.
2. Use Time Blocks
In the category of having a plan for the day, use your calendar to block off times in your day. Personally, I have each day planned out the day before. I block off times in my calendar to do the things that will help me grow and move me forward in life. I have time blocked out for exercise, work, happiness, learning, etc…. The day is not a surprise to me. I plan a productive day, the night before, and then I execute on that plan the next day. If my calendar says it is time to exercise, I exercise. If it says it is time to read, I read. I do the things I know I need to do when they are scheduled. I do them because they are scheduled and I made that plan when I was thinking clearly. If I made the decision to exercise when it was time to exercise, I may not feel like it and it wouldn’t get done. Use your calendar to block out times to do the things you know you need to do to get more out of your day. Once your day is planned, just go on autopilot.
To understand the benefits of time blocking and planning your day, read my post: Life On Autopilot.
3. Establish Goals
What’s harder to hit than a target you can’t see? A target that doesn’t exist! In order to get what you want out of life, and be more productive, you have to have goals. Not only do you have to have goals, you have to write them down, and read them daily. If you write your goals down, read them daily, you will be more likely to work towards them. You can plan things, throughout your day, to help you reach your goals. A goal without a plan is a dream. And though it is nice to dream, it won’t get you far if you don’t write it down and make a goal out of it.
Every January, I take time to write down my goals for the year. Goals aimed towards improving my business, my happiness, my family life, and my health. I have a goal for all areas of my life where I want to improve. I understand that you can’t hit a target that doesn’t exist. I make it a priority to establish a target and visualize it every day.
4. Meditate
One of the biggest challenges in productivity is the ability to focus. I remember a time where I would focus on something for a few minutes, only to be interrupted by the sound of an email alert that just came in, a desire to refresh my Facebook feed, or responding to a text message the moment it comes in. All of these things are a distraction and result in an inability to focus. So, I started to read about how to focus better. That’s where I read about meditation. I always viewed it as something weird people do, but as I read more about it and started to experiment with it, I discovered that it can truly help remove the static from my life and help me focus on what I am working on.
I meditate for 10 minutes each day. That’s right. It doesn’t take long, and it’s not a big investment, but it pays dividends in what I get back. When I work, I am laser focused and kick butt. A big contributor to that is meditating.
Read more about meditation in my post: Meditation: Am I A Weirdo? Also read about my favorite mediations in my post: My Favorite Meditations.
5. Learn To Reflect
Ah, to reflect on your day. But what does it mean to reflect on your day? Simply put, all you have to do is take five minutes at the end of your day and think back over the day. Think about what went well, what didn’t go well. Think about your wins from the day and your losses. What worked and what didn’t? Then take what you learned from the current day and invest that knowledge in your plan for the next day.
It’s easy to do, especially if you time block your calendar. All you have to do is block off five minutes of time at the end of your day and go back through your calendar, looking at each time block and what you got done. Were you focused? Did you do the right things? Did you complete everything you wanted to do that day or did you fall short, and why? Scrutinize what went well and what didn’t. Plan your next day based on what you learned from today. Take time and reflect. It’s important!!!
The Takeaway
In order to be more productive, you have to build productivity habits. This post discussed five things that I know will up your game and help you enjoy this journey through life. Now, it is easy to read the suggestions in his post, then forget about them and move on. But guess what will happen? You will get out of life what you’ve always gotten. If you want to improve your ride through life, you have to have the habits that will help you get more from your day. These five productivity habits can change your life. Give them a shot!!!