Having a well-planned out day with key tasks ranking top on your to-do list of the day will save you lots of time.
Most people believe in planning their day before it starts in order to maximize it to the fullest. This can be done either early morning when one wakes up or a day before. The thing about planning your day before it starts is that it saves you time that you can then use in executing your goals for the day. Although we all have 24 hours in a day, we all don’t use it the same way. As such, for better utilization of your hours, it’s advisable to plan your day – and week if possible – ahead to allow you full use of your hours. Here are a few tips on how you can plan your day for productivity:
1. Have a good morning routine
There is so much that you can achieve if your morning routine is great. Over time it’s been proved that the most productive people wake up early, workout and have a healthy breakfast before starting their day. Others prefer writing down their thoughts and ideas to warm up their brain. Whatever your morning routine, ensure that it is a good one and that you are able to fully stick to it.
2. Prioritize
Prioritization is one of the things many people struggle with, myself included. Having a well-planned out day with key tasks ranking top on your to-do list of the day will save you lots of time. Knowing where to start and what to do can be quite challenging. However, you can easily beat this by listing down all your day’s task and prioritizing them based on urgency and importance. You will need to decide what is important and not urgent or what’s urgent and not important. Use the ‘High-Medium-Low’ metrics to rank your tasks.
3. Apply the ‘one thing at a time’ rule
Your attention can’t be distracted and be everywhere when you need to get things done. You need to focus to get your tasks done. Ensure that you do one thing at a time and see it till the end. Don’t start on one task then leave it halfway and jump to another. You will never be able to tick anything off your list this way. If there are distractions that stop you from concentrating fully, find a quiet corner and get working. If music works for you, put on your headphones and get working.
4. Take a breather
Of course, we all deserve a little break without which all the life in us would be sucked out of us. Ensure you take breaks between your tasks. This will help you reenergize and get back to your task with a fresh eye. Go for a short 5-minute walk if possible or stand at the balcony of your office and enjoy the beautiful view of God’s creation. You can then take longer breaks during your lunch. To increase your productivity you can use the Promodoro Technique and find a routine that works for you.
5. Reflect and celebrate the day’s accomplishments
Some days, you will realize that you aren’t able to accomplish all that’s in your to-do list. It happens to most of us and there’s no need to beat yourself about it. Make time at the end of the day to celebrate what you’ve been able to accomplish and reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Reflecting helps you find better ways to plan your day and know what time to allocate to what. In the end, you will learn how to better manage your time for maximum productivity.
