How To Create A Daily Routine For Productivity

To create a daily routine for productivity, you need to design a powerful morning routine, an efficient work routine, and a calm evening routine. 

The combination of these three routines contributes to a productive and successful day in the office wherever that may be. 

Creating a conscious and intentional routine ensures you’re working on the most important things that will get you towards your goals.

Before diving into how to create a routine, let’s look at the importance of different routines. 

Importance of a morning routine, work routine, and an evening routine

A morning routine is the perfect way to kick off your day and put your mind and body in the right condition to face the day. 

A work routine ensures you prioritize the most important and urgent work when you have the most energy and mental clarity. This usually means better quality work is done more efficiently. 

An evening routine helps you wind down after a busy and often stressful day. It allows you to give your mind and body the relaxation it needs to prepare for the next day. 

Morning Routine

Every person is different and will have different things that work for them best to achieve higher levels of productivity.

Below morning routine is a general idea of what a morning routine looks like. Feel free to change or skip whichever doesn’t work for you. 

1. Drink a glass of water

As soon as you wake up, a tall glass of water helps you rehydrate your body from the night before.

Research also suggests that drinking water on an empty stomach increases your metabolism and increases your red blood count. 

2. Move your body

Doing some sort of light exercise or even a full workout if you have the time is a great way to energize your body and improve your mood.

This doesn’t have to take long. You can go for a walk, run, do a short yoga sequence, or a workout. 

3. Take a cold shower 

After your exercise routine, a cold shower can help improve circulation and immunity and make you feel good in the morning. 

Research also suggests that cold showers can give you healthy skin and hair as well as help with workout recovery. 

4. Meditate

Now that your body is energized and fresh, it is time to center your mind and awareness. And a simple meditation practice is the perfect way to do that.

If you don’t know how you can start with a simple mindfulness meditation or zazen practice. Mindfulness is an important part of any daily routine for productivity.

5. Read/Write

Another great morning routine is reading or writing. You may choose to read the news, an article, or a book of your choice. It’s a good way to continuously improve your knowledge and educate yourself.

The simple act of journaling or writing has also been linked to several benefits such as improved mental health, regulation of thoughts, improved creativity, and increased self-awareness. 

6. Have a healthy breakfast

A healthy breakfast/brunch is essential for peak performance and should be part of your daily routine for productivity. You need the right nutrition to fuel your mind and body. 

It’s best to make a healthy breakfast at home before you leave for work. A smoothie, overnight oats, or breakfast bowls are all fast and healthy recipes.  

Work Routine 

Ever wonder why some people just get so much done within a day? It’s not that they have more time. 

The most productive people amongst us have figured out ways to manage time more efficiently compared to the rest.

A solid work routine is an essential part of a daily routine for productivity. 

1. Work on the most difficult tasks in the morning

When your mind is at its sharpest after a well-rested night and an energized morning, use that time to work on the most challenging tasks.

This allows you to get the best results on the tasks that are usually the most important and can contribute to your career development.

2. Set a specific time for emails

Emails. We all have them. I mean most of us at least. Emails can be time-consuming and oftentimes unproductive. 

And yet as a company, it’s important to respond to emails and you as an employee or an entrepreneur should too. 

Have set specific times daily to respond to emails like once in the morning and once in the afternoon and create a time block for it. 

3. Create time blocks including breaks

Another very important part of your work routine should be creating time blocks for your tasks. Otherwise, you’re likely to waste a lot of time switching between tasks and not prioritize.

By creating a time-blocked calendar, you know what to work on at any given time of the day. 

4. Schedule meetings and calls for the afternoon

Some meetings are very important and can bring in revenue to the company. But more often than not, meetings take up a lot more time than it should causing delays in more important work. 

If you must, schedule it for after lunch when you likely have completed the most important tasks for the day. If it’s something that can be done without a meeting, always try not to schedule it. 

5. Follow your daily plan as much as possible

After you’ve created your daily plan, you most probably will get distracted by the amount of things happening at your workplace. 

And it is unavoidable sometimes. But whenever possible, say no to distractions and stick to your plan to achieve more. 

6. Make tomorrow’s plan at the end of today

At the end of each day, review what needs to be done the next day and make your plan for tomorrow. 

That way, you walk into the office the next morning knowing what you need to work on and can avoid wasting the most productive hours in the morning. 

Evening Routine

Just as a morning routine and a work routine is important, so is an evening routine. This doesn’t mean you need to do all of these every day. 

But taking the time to wind down and relax is essential to get well-rested and rejuvenate yourself for the next day. 

1. Take a warm shower

A warm shower can help you relax and calm down after a full day at work. Warm showers are known to improve your sleep as well. 

Warm showers also relieve nasal congestion and help you breathe better. 

2. Skincare routine

A skincare routine is an important part of self-care. It helps keep your skin healthy and beautiful and improves your self-confidence. 

While skincare is not directly related to productivity, a confident person is more likely to be productive. 

3. Have a tea

Some amazing teas such as chamomile and valerian tea help you fall asleep more easily.

The process of making and having tea is a mindfulness practice that you can incorporate into your evening routine.  

4. Read/Gratitude Journal

The evenings are a great time to review and reflect on your day. Journaling is an amazing mindfulness practice to regulate your thoughts and know yourself better.

Reading a book before bed is another healthy habit you can add to your evening routine.

5. Aromatherapy/Scented candle

Set the mood and smell of your room using aromatherapy or a scented candle. It will help you relax your mind and body, and prepare you for a good night’s sleep. 

Why is a Daily Routine Important?

Routines structure your day and allow you to manage time efficiently. It also helps you work on your most important goals across different aspects of your life.

Routines allow you to put in focused work with fewer distractions towards your goals. It’s a great way to consistently ensure you’re working on improving yourself without having to worry about what you need to do every day. 

I hope this post has helped you understand how a daily routine is more than just what you do for work but a combination of morning, workday, and evening routines. 

By focusing on all three routines, you give your mind, body, and soul the energy and clarity it needs to achieve high levels of productivity.   

How To Stop Being Lazy – Overcome Laziness With These Steps

If you want to stop being lazy, you must change your perspective on laziness, be clear on your goals and how to achieve them, and ensure you’re treating your mind, body, and spirit right. 

We all feel the occasional laziness from time to time. Unfortunately, some of us get stuck there for longer.

If you’re stuck in a rut and unable to do what you’re supposed to because of laziness, keep reading. 

By understanding laziness, you too can learn how to stop being lazy and become more productive. 

Why am I so lazy? 

Think about the times when you’re not lazy. Like when you’re going out with your friends, going on vacation, shopping, playing a sport you enjoy, doing the work you are passionate about, etc.

And now think about all the times you are lazy. It could be cleaning your house, cooking your meals, doing laundry, writing that article, etc. 

The point I’m trying to make here is that a lot of the time you become lazy when you have to do something you do not enjoy. 

However, that is not all. Laziness can be caused by more than just your interest in doing an activity or not. 

Poor habits and lifestyle choices too can make you lazy. For instance, eating junk food, not getting enough sleep, lack of exercise, etc all contribute to causing laziness. 

So, How Do I Stop Being Lazy?

The first thing you should understand if you want to know how to stop being lazy is that we are not born lazy. Laziness is a learned behavior over time. 

Therefore, it can also be unlearned. Start with changing your narrative on laziness. 

Instead of labeling yourself as a lazy person, believe that you’ve become lazy for several reasons. Once you fix those, you are more than capable of overcoming laziness.

After that, you need to figure out why you may be lazy and start working on a plan to overcome laziness.

If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. The below steps will help you understand it better, and create a plan on how to stop being lazy.  

15 Actionable Steps to Overcome Laziness

Laziness impacts the mind, body, and spirit. And to overcome it, we need to approach laziness in all 3 aspects.

Mind

1. Shift your perspective

Instead of believing you are just a lazy person, think that there must be some reasons for your laziness.

This mental shift is a powerful way to tell yourself that your laziness is a problem that can be overcome by addressing it in the right way. 

2. Identify your interests

The truth is most of us feel lazy when we are constantly having to push ourselves to do things that we have no interest in. 

Are you working in a field that you’re passionate about? Or are you just working only for your paycheck?

Take time to learn more about yourself and what your interests are and try your best to pursue a career in a related field. 

3. Goal Setting

Another main reason for laziness is a lack of motivation or direction in life. Without any goals to work towards, you’re bound to become lazy.

I’m not saying you should have everything figured out to become productive. However, goal setting can help you stay motivated and overcome laziness. 

4. Break down your goals into simpler tasks

Most of our goals are pretty big. And big goals are achieved in smaller chunks. 

Goals are just words without a plan to achieve them. And the more ambitious a goal is, the harder it may be to achieve it.

If your goals lack a plan, it may hold you back from ever working toward them. And this discouragement can make you lazy.

The solution? Break down your goals into smaller tasks and set timelines to achieve them. 

5. Practice Mindfulness

Mindless consumption of food, social media, and anything else can make you lazy. If you want to learn how to stop being lazy, start a mindfulness practice.

The truth is, most of the time we don’t even realize how much time passes by while we are mindlessly scrolling through social media. 

By practicing mindfulness meditation and other mindfulness habits, you increase your awareness and remind yourself of what you should do to improve yourself.  

Body

6. Get enough sleep

This is something I’ve compromised too much throughout my 20s. And when you’re young you may get away with it for a while

But eventually, it will catch up with you. Now it’s much simpler for me. If I don’t get enough sleep, I feel tired and lazy the next day. 

Make it a priority to sleep early and make sure you are getting at least 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep every night. 

7. Keep yourself hydrated

A lot of us do not drink enough water. Maybe we drink coffee and other drinks but water is not replaceable. 

Dehydration can also cause laziness. So make it a habit to carry your water bottle and drink enough water. 

8. Eat healthy 

What we put in our bodies can have such a big impact on how we feel. No health expert will dispute you on this.

And yet a lot of us complain that we feel tired and lazy while continuing to eat unhealthy processed foods. 

While it’s okay to indulge in your favorite junk foods occasionally, you should always ensure that the majority of your meals are healthy and nutritious.

9. Exercise

To overcome laziness, you also need a healthy body. And for a healthy body, exercise is very important. 

People who lead sedentary lifestyles complain much more of laziness compared to people who lead an active lifestyle.

So make it a priority and start exercising. You can go for a run, swim, start working out, or even start a yoga class. 

10. Take cold showers

Practitioners of this habit swear by its amazing impact on their bodies and performance. Today, a lot of scientific research is supporting these claims. 

You may have heard of the famous Wim Hoff also known as the Ice Man who made this topic mainstream. 

Many athletes and successful people use cold showers and cold plunges to get a head start on their day and beat laziness.  

Spirit

11. Uplift your mood with music

Sometimes, laziness is a result of a bad mood and a demotivated spirit. Music is known to uplift your mood and get things going.

Find the type of music that gets you up and moving and keep a feel-good playlist to help you through lazy times. 

12. Listen to motivational podcasts

Nothing motivates us like hearing about the perspective of other people with similar ambitions. Podcasts share raw stories of real people and how they overcome challenges in their lives. 

Today there are some great podcasts available on the internet for free, that you can listen to while doing low-focus activities such as making breakfast, commuting to work, or going for a walk. 

13. Read about other people’s success stories

If podcasts aren’t your thing, no worries. There are also so many success stories of other people just like you who completely changed their lives by overcoming laziness and establishing healthy habits. 

14. Continue to hone your skills

If you want to overcome laziness, never stop working on your skills. Be consistent in your efforts to achieve your health goals and allocate time for wellness.

Find the time to read books, take courses, talk to people, and educate yourself on how to become better every day. 

When this becomes a lifestyle, laziness will be a rare occurrence. 

15. Take rest days and reward yourself when due

No matter how productive and well-structured your days are, from time to time your body and mind will ask for breaks. 

When this happens, reward yourself with a much-needed rest day, and enjoy doing nothing. 

Some Final Thoughts

The truth is overcoming laziness is something we have to work on consistently by adopting a lifestyle that has little room for laziness. 

It’s not to say to pack your days with so many tasks you have no breathing space. But to create well-structured days with an emphasis on things that bring growth to your mind, body, and spirit.

I hope this post has provided some helpful information on how to stop being lazy and inspired you to go out there and achieve your goals.  

Master Goal Setting With These Tips

To master goal setting, you need to know what goal setting is, why you should set goals, the different types of goals, how to set goals properly, and most importantly how to achieve them. 

And that is exactly what you will learn from this post. 

What is Goal Setting?

Goal Setting is the process of identifying a goal, defining it, and designing an action plan to guide and inspire towards achieving that goal. A goal can be set as an individual, a couple, an organization, or even as a family. 

Goal setting often starts with setting an intention, sparked by an interest or passion. A goal runs much deeper than a want or desire. 

Goals are intentional, require planning, and most importantly a lot of hard work and sacrifice. 

Why should I set Goals?

Goal Setting allows you to visualize what you want to achieve in life and design and implement an actionable plan for getting there. 

Let’s break this down into separate points for a better understanding. 

1. To have a vision and mission in life

We all have a purpose in life. You may not believe it and think we are here just to live and go. But there is a bigger purpose too. We all have our unique set of skills and abilities, some of us just fail to put in the work to make something out of it.

Goal setting will allow you to set your vision and find your mission in life. Living a life of purpose gives your life experiences more meaning and value. 

2. To keep you on track 

Another reason to set goals is to hold you responsible and keep you on track toward realizing your dreams in life. 

By setting goals, you are clear on what you need to do and when you need to do it. You are less likely to lose your way and realize you’ve wasted so much time doing things that had little value to you. 

3. To become the best version of yourself

All of us have some talent and skill, but many fail to realize it and settle for less than they deserve. Don’t be one of them. 

Make a promise to yourself to set your goals, and go after them relentlessly. Goal setting is key to making this happen and making it your lifestyle.

4. To find fulfillment in life

I see many talented people who lack motivation and the desire to be great. This is not to say you shouldn’t be happy until your life is perfect.

When you find your purpose in life, your work or career becomes your purpose. It’s no longer just a job but your passion. You can talk to anyone who’s doing what they truly love, and they’d tell you how fulfilling it has made their life. 

What are the different types of Goals?

Goal setting can and should be done across different aspects of your life. Otherwise, there would be no balance. 

And when there is no balance, it can lead to burnout, stress, anxiety, and other mental and physical health issues. Below are five major aspects of life in which you should set goals. 

1. Career Goals

A career is defined by who you are as a person. There is no right or wrong career as long as it brings no harm to others. What matters is you choose to do something you’re passionate about and love to do. 

This includes what profession you want to be in, how far up the ladder you want to climb in your job, if you want to start your own business and become an entrepreneur, etc. 

2. Personal Goals

Personal goals include anything of a personal nature such as hobbies and interests. If you’re an avid reader, you might have a goal of reading a certain amount of books every year. 

Or if you’re a travel enthusiast, you can set a goal to travel to a new country every year. It can be anything that brings joy and meaning into your life. 

3. Financial Goals

This is a big one. Whether we like it or not, we all need an adequate amount of money to enjoy a happy life. You’re not being greedy if you set a goal of making X amount of money by the time you reach a certain age. 

It’s ambitious and can keep you motivated to stay true to your goals. Just be mindful of money and don’t let your ego make your financial goals driven by greed. 

4. Health Goals

Health is wealth. It truly is. Without good health, you’re unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor. If you neglect your health to achieve all your other goals, you’ll regret it later.

By setting health goals such as a strong and fit body, prioritizing mental health, and eating nutritious and healthy food, you constantly choose to live a healthy lifestyle.  

5. Family Goals

Most of us have similar goals when it comes to family. We long to have loving relationships with our parents, spouses, children, friends, and other family members. 

Setting goals to build healthy relationships with family and friends, having a family of your own, a family home, traveling together as a family, and raising kind and loving children are all great family goals to set. 

How to set goals properly

Below are some important things to consider when setting goals to make sure your goals align with your values, passion, and lifestyle. 

1. Try different things to find your passion

When you’re a young adult just starting your career, different fields of work may seem interesting to you. While you’re still young and have the time, try a variety of work until you find something you’re passionate about.

When you’re working for something you’re passionate about, it will resonate with you deeper than any other work you have done. Work your way up from there and use that as a guide to goal setting.  

2. Set goals that you’re passionate about

Once you know the things you’re passionate about you will have an inner calling to do work built around those things.

By setting goals that align with your passions, you give yourself a much higher chance of success and consistency in your efforts. 

3. Set a timeline

Your goals need to have a timeline to be successful. If you intend to become something someday, it most likely will never happen.

Instead, set a goal and a time frame to achieve it. For example, you could set a goal to become a manager by the age of 25, make your first 100k by the age of 40, or have your own family by the age of 35. 

4. Make sure it is realistic

We all want to achieve great things. But if your goal is to become a pilot but are scared of flying, chances are you won’t achieve it.

An important part of goal setting is to ensure the goals you’re setting are realistic, align with your skill set and experience, and are achievable.

5. Create systems to measure your progress

After setting your goals, you also must create systems to measure progress. Most long-term goals are dynamic and require multiple levels of tasks and improvisations to make it happen.

For example, becoming an entrepreneur and running your own business might be your main goal. But you also need to create a company, find products or services to sell, decide the price, and find ways to market and distribute them.

How do I achieve my goals?

After you’ve set your goals, now you need a plan to achieve them. By following the below tips, you can ensure you create a plan that works and put in the necessary work consistently.

1. Breakdown your goals into smaller chunks

Most goals are big and ambitious. For instance, creating a business, gaining financial independence, having a toned body, etc. 

Break down your goals into smaller daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. This will simplify things and keep you motivated throughout your journey.

2. Fit them into timelines

The next step is to fit those goals into timelines. By breaking them down and giving each goal a timeline, you know what needs to be done next to achieve those deadlines. 

For example, if you want to build a business you need a product or service to sell. Set timelines to register your company, research products, create or buy those products, and start marketing.

3. Create a working structure or system

Once you have your goals defined and timelines set, you need to create a working structure or system to achieve them.

For example, to have a toned body you need a solid workout and diet plan as well as lifestyle changes. To achieve financial independence, you need to figure out how to increase your earnings, reduce spending, and grow your money by investing. 

4. Commit to it daily

Achieving your goals is a journey. You will have ups and downs, feel lost and demotivated, and even question if your goals are achievable at all. 

But if you’re passionate about something and serious about achieving your goals, you need grit. When you’re tired, take a rest and start working on it again the next day. 

5. Measure and improvise

No matter how well-planned you are, things will change and you will have to adapt. That’s the nature of life and this is a quality all successful people have. 

Do monthly and quarterly reviews of where you are with your goals and find ways to improvise when needed. 

Key Takeaway

Goal setting is a key deciding factor separating successful people from the rest. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to set goals, find ways to achieve them, and be consistent in your efforts.

If you have the above qualities and an unstoppable mindset, you can truly achieve anything you aspire to.   

Here’s Why You Should Start Time Blocking

Workplaces today are more demanding than ever. You’re not alone if you constantly push beyond 5 pm to meet deadlines. 

For most of us, our workdays are filled with unproductive meetings, emails, calls, good old friendly chats, and distractions in the office. 

Starting time blocking can take the constant pressure off you and give you some breathing space allowing you to work more mindfully while achieving better results. 

What is Time Blocking?

Time Blocking means creating specific time blocks and assigning them to different tasks. It is one of the most effective time management skills you should learn and utilize. 

Every block of time you create and dedicate to a specific task ensures that you’re only focused on one task at a time and can eliminate distractions.

Time blocking allows you to give your full energy to the task at hand which usually translates into better quality work done time efficiently. 

How to Time Block Effectively

Below are some helpful tips when planning your day using time blocks. While every person has different goals and work schedules, following the below guidelines can help you create a custom daily work plan to take you closer to your goals. 

1. Prioritize tasks by importance

Productivity is achieved not by doing more work. But by doing the important tasks. Identifying and prioritizing the most important tasks is key to efficiency and productivity. 

Blocking time for such tasks in the morning when your mind is well-rested and fresh will allow you to give those tasks your best efforts.

List your next day’s tasks by importance and urgency and keep the rest towards the later part of the day. For example, a client proposal that is likely to bring revenue to the company should be worked on earlier in the day. A participation form or email that is not urgent can be attended to after lunch.  

2. Scheduling and timing your time blocks

The next step should be to schedule your time blocks on a calendar or any other app that you use daily. Todoist and Asana are great tools that allow you to do this easily.

Each time block should have a start and end time where you dedicate that full-time slot for the allocated task.

3. Add time blocks for procrastination

Even the most productive people amongst us get distracted. Instead of getting distracted in the middle of a dedicated time block, schedule a short break for procrastination between time blocks.

Use this time to do whatever you feel like. Scroll through social media, browse the internet for random thoughts you get, or anything else you want to do at that time. 

4. Commit to your time blocks 

Once the time blocks are created and the day is planned, commit to them without any excuses. The only reason you should change them is if some unplanned last-minute urgency comes up or in case of an emergency. 

Anything else can wait. By making this process a habit, you’ll start getting used to strictly following your time blocks and getting the most important things done daily. 

5. Create your time block schedule in advance

Dedicate the last 15 or 20 minutes of your work day to plan the next day. The last time block on your daily calendar should be planning the next day. 

By creating your time block for tomorrow, you come back to work the next day mentally prepared to tackle all the tasks and don’t have to waste any energy planning your day.  

What are the different Time Blocking Methods?

Now let’s look at some of the most common time blocking methods you can use to make the most out of this amazing time management strategy.

1. Task Batching

Task batching is the process of batching several similar tasks to fit into one block of time that you set. By batching tasks of a similar nature, you avoid switching between different tasks within that time block.

A good example of task batching would be to put in research, writing, and editing into the time block you have created for content creation. 

2. Day Theming

Day theming is a more advanced method of time blocking. This is when you dedicate each day of the week to a selected theme or type of work. 

For example, Mondays to write, Tuesdays to create graphics, Wednesdays to post, Thursdays for administrative tasks, and so on.

3. Time Boxing

Time boxing is quite similar to task batching. Time boxing is to set a certain amount of time to do a very specific task and dedicate your time blocks to very specific and individual tasks.

For example, 30 minutes to read, 01 hour to reply to emails, 01 hour to research, etc. 

What does time blocking look like?

How Time Blocking can boost Productivity

Time blocking takes a lot of wasted energy out of your workday saving a lot more time than it may seem. Having to think and figure out what to do next after you complete each task can take up a lot of time and energy that could be spent much better. 

Below are 5 ways time blocking can help you increase productivity and get better results.

1. Higher levels of focus

By setting clear tasks for each block of time, you don’t have to think of anything else and can dedicate the allocated time block fully towards the set task. 

This will help you achieve higher levels of focus resulting in a better quality of work. 

2. Enables to achieve the flow state

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you are in such a state of flow that you find it so much easier to do uninterrupted work, ideas seem to be flowing to you more effortlessly and you can achieve much better results. 

Creating and committing to time blocks can help you achieve this flow state more due to higher focus, clarity of mind, and better management of energy, and time. 

3. Clarity of Goals 

By constantly creating a calendar with time blocks of the important tasks you need to work on, you start seeing the bigger picture and can visualize your overall goals much more clearly. 

When there is clarity of your goals, it becomes much easier to plan and execute your workday more successfully. 

4. Saves your energy

Time spent deciding what you need to do in between every task takes up a lot of energy. We all know we have limited energy every day. 

By having a solid daily plan dedicated to specific tasks, you can save the hassle of planning when you should be working on your actual goals. 

5. Better time management 

With the amount of daily tasks most of us need to do, I think we can all agree that we feel there isn’t enough time in a day. If we could eliminate planning every hour for the next hour and do it once per day, we could free up a lot of time. 

Time blocking is a great strategy to achieve better time management and be on top of the list of the things you need to do. 

Key Takeaway

While I don’t disagree with the fact we have so much to do and so little time, I strongly believe that we can always learn smarter ways to utilize the limited time we get every day. 

From my humble experience and 10+ years of working life, time blocking has been the most reliable time management strategy that has enabled me to climb the corporate ladder, work on my personal goals, and find work-life balance. 

If you’re still not convinced, try it for a week and let us know how it went for you in the comments below.  

Best Time Management Skills to Achieve Your Goals

Do you ever wonder how some people get so much work done? However, We all have 24 hours a day, but some of us are doing so much more.

By learning the best time management skills you too can eliminate distractions, focus on the important, and start achieving more. 

In this post, we are going to dive into what time management skills are, why it is so important and learn 10 time management skills to take your productivity to the next level.

What are Time Management Skills?

Time management skills are skills that allow you to achieve better results within an allocated amount of time. It’s not necessarily getting more tasks done, but knowing how to plan and utilize your time more smartly and efficiently allowing you to get better results.

Through effective time management, you can meet your deadlines, get more important work done, and achieve the desired outcome.

Time management skills are important in both your professional and personal life. It will help you move up the ladder in your career, deal more efficiently with your home and family responsibilities, and make time for health and wellness. 

Why is Time Management Important?

First, let’s look at some of the reasons why you should learn time management skills starting from a young age. 

1. Achieve higher levels of productivity

In today’s global work environments, if you aren’t productive you’re likely to struggle with climbing up the ladder and achieving your career goals. 

Most organizations are performance-oriented and review employees based on productivity, work ethic, and most importantly results. By utilizing effective time management skills you can achieve higher levels of productivity and prove your value to your employer which can result in promotions, salary increments, and higher bonuses.  

2. Meeting deadlines

Most of our tasks have deadlines that need to be met and are often required by key decision-makers to make important decisions that can have big impacts on an organization. 

Time management skills will allow you to prioritize your tasks and ensure that key tasks are always done and delivered on time. 

3. Avoid distractions

Office environments are full of distractions. Your colleagues will start random conversations from time to time, people will interrupt you to ask work-related questions, you will get phone calls and notifications on different apps, etc. 

Time management teaches you how to avoid such distractions and allocate blocks of time to do uninterrupted focused work. 

4. Reduce burnout and stress

With the amount of responsibilities around finances, career, family, and health, burnout and stress levels are at an all-time high. 

While burnout and stress are unavoidable, effective time management can help reduce the likelihood and intensity of how much you feel them. 

5. Time for family & self-care 

When we are busy and loaded with unfinished tasks and deadlines to meet, one of the first things we compromise is our family time and self-care. 

While your family is generally more understanding compared to your employer, if this becomes the norm then it’s likely to create problems at home. And over time, neglecting health will catch up to you too. 

Time management skills will help you free up more time to nurture family relationships, and friendships, and take care of yourself. 

10 Time Management Skills to Achieve Your Goals 

Now that you know why time management is so important, below are 10 time management skills to start learning today to achieve your goals and reach new levels of success and happiness. 

1. Goal Setting

One of the most important time management skills is goal setting. While you may already know what you want to achieve in your life, you need to break it down into smaller more achievable goals to move closer towards realizing those goals. 

Setting those goals will let you know exactly what you need to work on and avoid wasting time doing anything else that may seem to be productive when it’s not. 

2. Planning

Planning your day and what goals you will be working on at certain times of the day is another time management skill that will help you do the important things. 

At the end of each day, make a list of the most important tasks for the next day and schedule to do it in the morning when your mind is well rested and at its peak performance. 

3. Prioritizing

Chances are you have a lot of different tasks to do. While all of them are likely to be important, some will be more important than others and can be done later. 

Prioritize the most important tasks and give your full focus on those as they are the ones that will move you closer towards your goals. 

4. Eliminating

When working towards some goals, there may be tasks that at first may seem important. But in a lot of cases, there will be things that you thought were important when it’s not.

Make a list of such things and eliminate them. This will free up more time to give your best efforts to the high-priority tasks. 

5. Delegating

If you have colleagues working with you as coordinators or if you’re an entrepreneur and can afford to outsource administrative tasks that can be done by anyone, do it. 

Getting more done is not equal to achieving more and can take up a lot of valuable time that is better spent on more important tasks that can drive revenue. 

6. Batching

Switching between different tasks takes up a lot of mental space and time. Tasks such as writing, designing, etc require mental clarity and focus which is not something you have 24/7. 

Batching tasks such as these will help you create high-quality content in a lesser amount of time than if you were to do multiple different types of things in a block of time.   

7. Time Blocking

By blocking time for things in advance, you have a clear idea of what your workday will look like and ensure 100% focus and dedication is given to just that one task during the allocated block of time. 

Block specific times of your day to check email, make phone calls, check social media, etc, and stick to it religiously. 

8. Minimize Distractions

Distractions are the biggest hurdle to productivity. We are surrounded by it. People, things, noise, social media, etc are all distractions that can come up at any time. 

Tell your colleagues not to disturb you unless it’s urgent, use headphones, go to the meeting room, switch off wifi, etc. Do whatever it takes to ensure you’re minimizing distractions. 

9. Utilizing Tools

Today there are some amazing tools you can use such as daily planners, and scheduling tools which can free up a lot of time. 

Look for such tools that can support your work and learn to use them. 

10. Ensuring Peak Health

Even if you know all of the above time management skills, if you’re not in good health both mentally and physically, your work will not produce the best results.

That’s why it’s the most important time management skill. Ensure you’re eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, and prioritizing mental health. 

Conclusion

Time management skills can help you move up in your career, scale your business to new levels of profitability, achieve your health and fitness goals, and give you more time for family and friends. 

If the above sounds like things you aspire to in life, take ownership of your destiny and start taking action today!  

10 Signs you need a Social Media Break

Social Media is great, no doubt about it. It has changed our lives so much that almost everything is on social media. We have come to learn so much about our world through social media. But sometimes, you need to listen to your inner self and be able to see the signs you need a social media break.

There is so much good to learn from social media, however, we need to always be aware that we only see what people want us to see on social media. If we use social media excessively, it is very easy to get caught up with the highlight reels of other people and start feeling inferior because our lives may not necessarily be as exciting as the things we see on social media.

For instance, we wake up one day and while scrolling through social media, see that our friend just bought his dream car or landed that dream job, our neighbor is having the time of their life while traveling through Europe, or our colleague just got engaged to the love of their life. This can easily cause us to think that our life isn’t going as great as it should be, especially if we are going through something at that particular time and struggling overall.

When it has come to a point where you start comparing your own life to the things you see without being aware of the things that happen in people’s lives behind closed doors, you start feeling like you’re not good enough and this can lead to a lot of things such as anxiety, mood swings, lack of motivation and many other mental conditions.

For this reason, it is very important to be able to read the signs you need a social media break. This will help you stay grounded, focused on your goals, and most importantly maintain good mental and physical health.

So what are some of the signs you need a social media break?

1. It’s the first thing you do as soon as you wake up and last thing you do before bed

We are all a little guilty of this very bad habit. While it’s okay to occasionally do this, if you find yourself caught up in this habit every day or even most days, start realizing this before it’s too late. And if you are already there, don’t beat yourself over it. Now that you’ve realized that this is the case in your life currently, make a conscious decision to take a break from social media to reset yourself and start fresh.

2. You constantly check your phone for notifications on social media

If you’re always sneaking at your phone hoping that you have some likes or notifications, then this may be a good sign that you need a social media break. Don’t let your life be dictated by the number of likes and comments you get on social media. 

3. You cannot enjoy anything without posting about it 

Do you get the urge to post about every nice meal you have, every sightseeing and every social occasion? If this is true for you, then it’s another sign you need to let your foot off that social media gas pedal and slow down. Take the time to enjoy what you cook or eat at a nice restaurant without having to share it with the whole world. When you’re at social events and family gatherings, be more present and fully embrace your people and their presence. 

4. You often check social media during work hours

If you work near a desk, then you might get a lot of flexibility sometimes on what work you actually do, even when you’re in your office. If you find yourself checking social media every hour or whenever you’re not working on a task, that’s not good. Start by being aware of this unhealthy habit and do something else whenever you do have some free time at work. You could read some helpful articles rather than checking social media.

5. You are on social media whenever you have free time

Let’s be honest, even if we are pretty busy people, chances are you have some window of free time during different times of the day. And this might be a good time to check social media to check what your friends and family have been up to. But if you find yourself utilizing every free minute you have to excessively scroll through social media, then this is definitely a sign that you need a break from it. 

6. You feel like other people’s lives are more exciting than yours

Another drawback of excessive social media use is starting to compare the best moments of other people’s lives to the most mundane moments of your own life. Remember, people do not often share the not so good parts of their life and only share the highlights or good things about their life. We only see what people choose to share with us. When you see these highlights of other people and think how much better their lives are compared to your own life, it’s very easy to start spiraling down a negative path that you don’t want to be in.

7. You have started to feel more anxious lately

Have you noticed that you have been feeling more anxious lately and don’t understand why? Reflect back to how much you have been using social media mindlessly. This could be one of the reasons for your anxiety and is a sure sign that there is good to be gained from taking a social media break.

8. You have trouble falling asleep at night

This is more common if you’re on social media just before bed. By stimulating your mind with all the data right before bed, it can become more difficult to fall asleep as well as sleep deeply. This can lead to you waking up feeling restless and exhausted. So ask yourself if you’ve been doing this and make a decision to take a short break from social media until you have fixed your sleeping habits.

9. You are easily getting frustrated seeing other people’s posts

Do you get irritated by seeing what other people share on social media? Sure we all do have our own judgements about what we see on social media. But it’s two different things to have your own judgment on something you don’t agree with and getting irritated by seeing these things. If you have noticed this, then this may be another sign you need a social media break.

10. You have lost focus at work and started missing deadlines

Another sure sign that you need a social media break is your performance at work. If you have lost focus and start missing deadlines at work, then this could be due to distractions you see on social media and because you have lost your motivation for more important things. 

Always remember, social media or any other technology should only be used to your advantage. You should never let anything else take over your life and well being. While social media is an amazing tool to stay connected to your community, be aware of what’s happening around the world and get inspiration, if you don’t have self discipline on how to use it to your advantage, it can lead to a lot of distress in your life.

So be smart and mindful, and use social media wisely.

Top Productivity Hacks to learn this year

What is Productivity?

No matter what line of work you’re in, chances are you’ve come across the concept of productivity. Productivity comes down to a lot more than just ticking off as many tasks as possible during your work day. Productivity also means knowing how to plan, what to prioritize and what to avoid or delay in order to achieve maximum results. Learning the top productivity hacks has become so important, if you want to achieve better results and ultimately more success.

What is a Productivity Hack?

A Productivity hack is any tactic or habit that allows you to achieve better results within the same time frame. It could simply mean doing something in a better way or avoiding it at all to ensure you’re utilizing the same time to do another task that will get you closer to achieving your goals. 

In the fast paced work environments we spend the majority of our time in, it has become even more important to be productive in your job or business. Competition is at an all time high and in order to be successful in your job or building your own business, you need to learn the top productivity hacks.

Why can’t I be productive?

There are so many obstacles to productivity. Research suggests that lack of productivity can come from so many different aspects of a person’s life. It can be both internal and external factors that dictate a person’s productivity.

For instance, things such as anxiety, lack of confidence, lack of rest and poor diet can all overall lead to unproductivity. Similarly, external factors such as workplace processes, noise and even your lovely colleagues can cause you distractions. 

While it’s okay to get distracted and lose focus sometimes, you need to ensure you’re still putting in an adequate amount of quality work on a consistent basis if you want to become productive. The good thing is it’s totally possible to achieve great levels of productivity despite any internal and external obstacles. 

Below are the top 10 productivity hacks you should learn this year.

10 Top productivity hacks you should learn this year

• Go to bed early & wake up early:

We all know how important sleep is for our health and well being. If you want to be more productive, fixing your sleep cycle and ensuring your body is well rested is essential. The simplest way to fix your sleep cycle is to start going to bed early and waking up early. This makes it a lot easier for you to start your work day earlier than the majority, giving you the perfect opportunity to start your day right.

• Meditation:

Meditation has been proved to have amazing benefits to your health, wellbeing, focus and even creativity. In order to become productive, you need to see things clearly from a stable mind. I highly recommend starting a meditation practice if you don’t already have one. If you’re totally new to meditation and don’t know how to start, please read this post about meditation for beginners. 

• Plan your day:

Even if you are clear on your bigger goals and what you want to achieve in life, you still need an action plan on how you are going to achieve your goals. This action plan is made up of small daily tasks that will ultimately lead you to where you want to be.

Hence, it is very important to have a daily plan of tasks you are going to work on, prioritize it in order of importance and how long you are going to work on each. Taking the time to make this plan at the end of your day or in the morning before you get started is super important. This will ensure you are aligned to your goals, monitor progress and most importantly stay motivated.

• Set a dedicated time for emails:

Emails are still a very important part of corporate careers. Most businesses communicate with each other via official email and this means that you probably have to respond to emails very frequently. 

Responding to emails can be very time consuming. Therefore it would be a smart idea to set dedicated slots of time from your work day to attend to emails so that you can be fully focused on other more important tasks throughout the day. The focused work that you do during this time can compound into amazing levels of productivity overtime.

• Don’t multitask:

Being able to multitask is being popularized as a great skill. Being able to multitask when necessary is great. But if you’re always trying to multitask, chances are that the work you’re putting out may not be of the best quality.

Instead, if you have dedicated time for each task and are fully focused on whatever you’re working on, you will be able to produce much better quality of work which translates into productivity in the long run. Remember, productivity is more about better results than output.

• Block out distractions:

We are all guilty of this, all too often we find ourselves checking messages, and then without even knowing we are scrolling through social media wasting precious time we could have been doing an important task. Another distraction is people, especially if you’re working in an office with many co-workers or even at home around your family

Make a rule not to check your phone unless it’s a dedicated break time planned in your work routine or unless you know it’s an urgent call. You can also tell your family that you are working on something and not to disturb you unless it’s urgent. 

• Work in short bursts:

It is more difficult to do focused work for longer hours and it may seem unachievable. You can start using something like a pomodoro also known as a tomato timer to set bursts of 20 minute work sessions where you are very focused allowing you to get more quality work done. It can be followed by a 5 minute break as a reward where you can walk around or check your phone etc. 

Doing this ensures that you’re putting in 50 minutes of focused work every hour without feeling burned out as you’re also taking short breaks to rest and reset.

• Take an actual break:

We are not machines and need to take rest to avoid burnout. Short breaks throughout work hours may not be enough if you’re working every day. Hence, ensure you take a longer break for lunch and make time to eat your meals properly.

It is also important not to to check your emails and messages during this time to give your mind the actual break it needs.

• Stay on track with your goals:

When we are working on so many different things, it is sometimes easy to go out of track and distracted from your goals. You might find yourself working on or spending time on things that actually don’t contribute towards your goals.

So it is very important to check in regularly whether the tasks you’re putting in your time are actually helping you get closer to your goals. When you find yourself doing things that might not be very helpful in achieving your goals, make the conscious decision to take a step back and focus on what’s important.

• Review and Reflect: 

Once a week or more depending on your goals, it is very important that you take the time to review your week and reflect on the work that you have done. This process when done regularly will remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing and make sure you get back on track whenever you lose focus.

This process can be done in the last hour of your work week before you take a day off for the weekend. It is as simple as just acknowledging the things you have worked on in the past week and thinking how it is contributing towards your goals.

Takeaway

Productivity is not a straight line and there will be days where you will not be productive at all. But rather it is more about being aware of your goals, knowing what to do to get closer to them and putting in the work on a consistent basis.

Learning and implementing the above productivity hacks will help you stay focused, motivated and consistent on achieving your goals. Remember, the only thing standing in the way between you and your dream life is yourself.

The Power Of Setting Daily Intentions And How To Do It

How does your typical morning look like? Do you wake up just before you have enough time to do everything in a rush?

Not taking the time to check in with yourself can lead to feelings of disconnection from yourself and your goals, and leave you feeling lost and unmotivated. Setting daily intentions before you start your day can be an empowering tool to move past this feeling and help you remain more focused and productive.

What does this mean? It means to ask yourself every morning what you want out of this new day that is ahead of you. By setting daily intentions, it becomes easier for you to stay more mindful of your actions and to guide yourself back in the right direction when you feel like you’re getting distracted.

Setting daily intentions is a simple practice that can be done under 5 minutes and by doing this daily, it becomes easier to stay true to your goals, ambitions, and most importantly to your authentic self.

In this article, we are going to learn about what daily intentions are, why they are so important, and how you too can start setting daily intentions.

What does it mean to set a daily intention?

Let’s start with what an intention is. An intention, by definition, is something you want and plan to do.

A simple example of setting a daily intention could be something like, “Today, I intend to be more mindful and considerate of all beings I come across”.

Intentions can also be set on things such as:

• Being more present in the moment
• Working on your goals and staying focused on them
• Being kind to everyone you come across
• Drinking more water and staying hydrated
• Eating healthy food that provides your body and mind with the nourishment it needs

Intentions can be very different for different people. It can be a great tool to align yourself with your personal values, goals, and ambitions.

Why are setting daily intentions so important?

If you are committed to your goals and ambitions, setting daily intentions becomes even more important. The way we bring transformation to our lives is by setting goals and committing to them every day. The little steps you take toward your goals daily are what ultimately changes your life.

While setting goals and ambitions are great, we often struggle to keep up with it and get distracted by other things.

Setting daily intentions around these goals will help you stay aligned with what you want to achieve and remind you why it is so important for you. Through daily intentions, your goals and ambitions and how to achieve them becomes imbibed into your brain. When you set an intention, it keeps you accountable for your choices and actions.

By setting intentions, you start to live your life with more purpose and it allows you to direct your life the way you truly want it.

Now that you know what an intention is and why it is so important, it’s time to learn how you can start setting daily intentions correctly.

There are several ways you can start setting daily intentions. Experts agree that writing it down daily can help to deeper engrain it to your brain. You could jot it down on your journal, daily planner or simply anywhere you can easily see them throughout the day. I highly recommend you do this process as part of your morning routine or before you start your daily activities.

Below are questions that can help when setting daily intentions.

• How would you like to be today?
• How would you like to treat others today?
• What do you need to do today to move closer to your goals?
• What are the things that make your life more meaningful?

When setting daily intentions, it is very important to align them with different aspects of your life such as personal goals, career goals, family and relationships, health, finances, etc.

Here are some examples of some daily intentions to set for a more meaningful and driven life:

• I will be more accepting and kind to myself
• I will be more mindful and considerate of all beings I come across
• I will let go of my attachment to the past
• I will not worry about the uncertainty of the future
• I will be more mindful of the present moment
• I will work on achieving my goals
• I will be more loving and gentle towards my family, loved ones, and friends
• I will eat healthy food that nourishes my body
• I will drink enough water to keep myself hydrated
• I will develop a healthier relationship with money

As you can see, intentions can be anything. It highly depends on who you are and what you want to achieve in life. Just make sure that your intentions are positive, genuine and motivates you to become a better person every day.

By getting into the habit of setting daily intentions that truly resonate with you, you will start seeing that it gets easier to be more focused on your life goals and ambitions. Whether it is personal, professional, spiritual, or any other kind of growth you are looking for, setting daily intentions in the morning prepares you to face the day with an unbreakable will and heightened sense of responsibility.

I hope this article has inspired you to start setting daily intentions to help you live your life to the fullest. What intentions are you going to set for yourself today?

How To Stick To Your Commitments

If you’re someone who takes personal growth seriously, chances are you have made a lot of commitments to yourself through the years. Do you ever wonder even after making so many commitments to yourself, it’s just so easy to make excuses and not work on whatever you said you would? If you’re like this (don’t worry, most of us are), keep reading as in this post I share some great tips to keep you accountable and stick to your commitments. 

When it comes to keeping commitments to others, such as our job, partner, and family, most of us do a little better compared to the commitments we’ve made to ourselves. How many new year’s resolutions have come and gone within the first few weeks of January? Remember the time when you told yourself you would stick to exercising, eating healthy, meditating, or even working on your business ideas and just couldn’t keep up when it was time to do it? This is because for most of us, how others see us is more important than how we see ourselves. This is rather sad, as it should be the other way around. But through generations of societal expectations, our brains have been wired to think this way. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you shouldn’t consider what others think at all. It is important to deliver what you have promised regardless of whoever it was promised to. 

Another very important aspect of commitments is engagement or action. No amount of commitments to yourself or others mean anything if you fail to engage in the actual activity that will take you towards this commitment. For example, you cannot just say you’re committed to protecting the environment if you aren’t taking any actions such as cutting down on single-use plastics, planting trees, reducing your power usage, or cutting down on food products that cause a massive impact on the environment to produce. 

Now that we have covered some basics, below are some practical things you can do to make smarter commitments that are more attainable and ultimately stick to your commitments more consistently. 

• Make realistic commitments: It’s easy to get caught up with the annual wave of new year’s resolutions people make on social media. It is a sure-fire way to compare your life with many others who are on an entirely different journey than you and then make commitments that you are unlikely to stick to. For instance, if you have never meditated before or tried it only a few times in your life, don’t commit to meditating an hour every day. Commit to meditating for 5 minutes every day and then work your way up. What I am trying to say is to be true to yourself and make smarter commitments that you can actually achieve.

• Eliminate the option of choice: It’s very common to make commitments with exceptions. For instance, that diet you want to start but with the exception of family dinners or the occasional dessert or chocolate. This is not a great way to make commitments as it sets you up for justifications that will become more often when you don’t feel like sticking to your commitments. Instead, have a mindset of showing up even when you don’t feel like it. 

• Give it your all: This is the most important thing about not just commitments, but everything you do in life. If you’re not going to give your full focus and commitment to something, it’s better if you don’t do it at all. This is not to mistake with perfectionism, this just means that whatever you’re going to do, do it to your best ability. Put your heart and mind into it.

• Remind yourself WHY you are committed: If you made some commitments at the beginning of this year and are currently struggling to keep up with them, you’ve probably forgotten why it is so important to you. It has become just another thing you said you will do this year. Remind yourself why this was and is still so important to you. Maybe you wanted to start a blog and go full-time with it (or maybe that’s me) and then slowly lost your vision of what you wanted to achieve. Taking the time to re-evaluate your commitments and see why it is so important for you can give you that motivation you need to keep going at it every day.

• Hold yourself accountable: Being critical of yourself isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes when you’re too hard on yourself for being a little lazy is a different story. Being a little lazy sometimes won’t really stop you from achieving your goals as long you’re still working on it consistently. Most of us will do whatever it takes to please our partners, bosses, family members, or friends even if they don’t feel like it just because they worry about what the other person will think of them if they don’t deliver on their promise. I am not saying you shouldn’t stick to commitments you make to others. But you should also do the same with the commitments you have made to yourself. Being a little critical can be equal to keeping yourself accountable when it comes to actually doing what you said you would.

All of us essentially want the same things out of life. To be happy, healthy, loved, and successful. While how we define these things may differ from person to person, it is safe to say that most of us have to make lifelong commitments to make sure all these things become a reality. Remembering that your life is your own doing and no one else can help you realize that the only way to achieve your life goals is to make smart commitments and stick to them every day.

How to stop Procrastinating | 8 steps to become more Productive

If you’re a hardworking individual, chances are you have a long to-do list of things that needs to be completed within a certain deadline. We all get stuck in the habit of putting off daunting tasks to do later until the very last minute. The blog article that needs to be finished, work projects, a difficult conversation, etc. You are not alone as this is quite a normal thing that we all go through. However, learning how to stop procrastinating and finally starting to tick off the things on that list is one of the most important things you can do to make continuous progress towards your career and life goals. 

If you’re determined to beat procrastination and start getting things done, keep reading as I share 8 steps that will help you to not only stop procrastinating but unlock new levels of daily productivity.

1. Break down a major task into smaller tasks:

The idea of a big project can be daunting if you think of it as one big task. Take a major project and break it down into smaller more achievable tasks. This way you see a clearer path towards completing your project and remain motivated as you keep on completing the smaller tasks. Procrastinating isn’t really that hard to beat if you’re aware of what is holding you back.

2. Try the Pomodoro Technique:

Pomodoro is a time management method where you break the work down into short, timed intervals called “Pomodoros”. Research shows that focused slots of short periods work best to achieve higher levels of productivity. Turning off all distractions such as email, messages on your phone and, setting a timer for 25 minutes to solely focus on the task can help you achieve a lot more than you usually would within an hour of work with distractions. If you aspire to achieve great levels of productivity, my earlier post on getting things done (GTD) can be really helpful.

3. Allow yourself the distraction your mind needs:

Sometimes, no matter how organized you are and how hard you try you can’t seem to get into your groove of focused work. When this happens, don’t try to fight it. Instead, allow yourself to go through that distraction and check social media or do whatever it is that you wanted to do. The key here is to make sure that this time for procrastinating is scheduled and timed. For instance, you could take 10 minutes after every Pomodoro as a break. This way, you are still getting 50 minutes of focused work done every hour and it doesn’t end up becoming 45 minutes of distraction.

4. Set aside dedicated time for the most important task of the day:

You may have a long list of things to do, but out of them there must be some tasks that are more important than the others. Making sure you set aside dedicated time to work on the most important task every day can ensure that you aren’t giving yourself a false sense of accomplishment by completing minor tasks that aren’t taking you towards your goals. If you can work on the most important task every day along with smaller supportive tasks, nothing is stopping you from reaching your goals. 

5. Organize your workspace:

The space you work in isn’t the most important factor that contributes to your productivity but, having a clean organized, and dedicated space for work can contribute to how productive you are. Let’s say your workspace is full of distractions such as gadgets, media, and other things that you do not need for the work you’re doing, it can distract you once every now and then. These distractions usually end up taking a lot of time that you could have spent finishing important tasks. So, enhancing your workspace can boost your productivity and focus. 

6. Change of scenery:

No matter how well organized your workspace is, sometimes you will may it hard or even get bored of sitting in the same space to do your work. When this happens, listen to what your inner self is trying to tell you and make a small temporary change. Grab your laptop and head out to your favorite café, park, or even a beachside restaurant that will help you get a fresh perspective about your goals. This can help you think about things differently and find smarter ways to work on your projects.

7. Hang out with people who inspire you to do better every day:

It is no secret that the people with who we surround ourselves influences our behavior. Look for the people amongst your friends, co-workers, and colleagues that talk about inspiring things and work regularly to become better people and spend more time with them. It won’t be long before you start picking up some great habits and motivation from them. 

8. Take Action:

No matter how well you plan and organize your tasks, it is not going to do itself. The most important thing out of all these tips is to just do it. Or at least start on it. You’ll be amazed at how things change when you start working on something. Ideas will seem to flow to you more easily and you feel a sense of accomplishment that boosts your motivation. No one has ever accomplished anything great by just planning things out, what drives the results is always action.

Getting a grip of your tasks and ticking off all the things you need to finish is something that you need to work on daily. There is no overnight magic formula to stop procrastinating and be more productive. Daily grind and persistence are what will keep you heading towards your life goals. So, decide for yourself that you are going to keep working on your goals consistently and keep going. The only thing standing in between you and your goals is you. 

How To Plan For A Great Year Ahead | A Beginners Guide

Namaste and Happy New Year my friends. This is a very significant time for most people as they set goals and work towards achieving them while letting go of the things that no longer serve them. It is indeed very important to be clear on what your focus is if you are to achieve your goals. What better way to start the year than with a solid plan? In this post, I hope to help you on how to plan for a great year ahead and help you bring out the best in yourself. 

It is common for people to list out the goals and resolutions at the beginning of the year. However, most of us slowly fall out of the plans to achieve these goals within the first few months. (I have been that person and in some areas of my life still am). We’ve all been there and it is okay. What’s not okay is if we choose to stay there and not make any changes in our lives. This new year is a new opportunity for all of us to have a clear focus, make a solid plan, and implement it daily. Let’s break it down so that you can start waking up and make the dream work every single day.

So what can you do to plan for a great year ahead?

• Review your last year:

  Take the time to review and reflect on the last year, this is a very important first step you should consider in order to have a razor-like focus on what you truly want and do not want this new year that’s’ ahead of you. Contemplate on what went well and what did not, what you want more of and what you want to let go and what new things you wish to accomplish this year.

• Let go:

  It is too easy to feel held back by the past failures and shortcomings of your life and bring it to this new year. While I do understand it’s not easy to just forget about your past, I do believe it is very much possible to look at your past from a different perspective and change how you feel and react towards it. With the right kind of mindfulness practices, you have the opportunity to change what you think about the past and start the new year with a clear conscience.

• Make a solid plan for this year (and the next 5 years):

  This is one of the most important steps to make sure you are redirected whenever you find yourself confused and lost (happens way too often, right?). You’re definitely not alone. Write down the goals you want to achieve during this calendar year and then also write down what your goals are for the next 5 years. While you can try new things every year, every successful person has goals that are just growing year by year (not changing every year). So, take the time to really think about what you want to achieve and mindfully write it down. What I am trying to say is your 1-year goals and 5-year goals need to have some sort of correlation for you to be able to implement them successfully. 

• Daily Action:

  Also, where the magic happens. Listen, the above will be pretty much just a piece of paper without this step. The most important thing you can do to achieve your yearly goals is to make the dream work, task by task every single day. You don’t need to write this down every day, but it would help if you remind yourself every day of what you intend to do that day to move closer to your goals. I personally do this through daily affirmations before and after my morning meditation.

• Review, Revise and Adapt:

  Change is the only constant thing. Sometimes, it is normal for you to feel that some of the goals or actions you are taking are not taking you towards your goals. When this happens, do not feel demotivated. Instead, take the opportunity to take a step back and turn inwards to find solutions. It simply may be that you have overlooked certain aspects of your goals in which case you can make some changes to guide you towards your goal again.

One thing is certain here, the only way this new year is going to be any different from the past years is if you actually make a plan and take the necessary actions every day. And remember, some days will be hard to navigate through and it’s normal to feel stuck sometimes. Just don’t let yourself stay there for too long. If I may give you one piece of advice to take with you as you progress this year, it is to always take matters of your life into your own hands and to know that your life will only get as good as you make it. I wish all of you a great year ahead and hope I can help you grow into a better version of yourselves this year.