Hey friends,
When it comes to productivity, I think a lot of us feel as though we are failing. We have questions like “where do I even start?” or “how can I possibly fit all my to-do list in one day?” Well, I came up with some tips that I am sure will help all of us become productive in some way or another!
Let’s get into those tips!
Five simple tips for developing a daily routine
1. Accept that there are only 24-hours in a day
There may be 24-hours in a day, but we all would most likely only use twelve of those hours doing something productive, I mean if we want to sleep! Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to realize and accept that there is only so much you can do in a day. Once you accept this, you will start to form more realistic goals for your daily routine. Having unrealistic goals will tend to make you feel overwhelmed, which then leads you to believe you are not getting anything done. This isn’t good, because before you know it, you would have given up on your productivity quest, and then actually nothing would get done.
So be sure to be realistic and understanding when it comes to setting a daily routine!
2. Start with the most important tasks
Starting with the most important tasks is a great way to establish a daily routine. Write down everything you would like to accomplish in a day. Then list them from most important to least important. Least important are the tasks that won’t matter as much if you get them done tomorrow. Once you know what your most important goals are, you will want to give yourself enough time to get those goals done. You do not want to tell yourself you can get your Bible study done in fifteen minutes, but you actually take thirty minutes to read a whole chapter. Again be honest and realistic with yourself and what you can accomplish. I suggest leaving 1-hour openings for all of your activities until you get better at finishing them faster.
Finishing your most important tasks first will motivate you to complete the rest of the tasks on your list. You will feel like you are making progress and most likely feel eager to continue down your to-do list!
3. Leave room for unexpected tasks
A lot of the times we tend to have so many things we want to accomplish in a day, we forget about the unexpected pop-ups. We may want to plan to get the kids and husband sorted out before 10: A.M., so that we can have the rest of the day to get our routine going. However, what happens when the kids wake up sick or there’s an errand we have to run that will eat up some of our time? We should try to make room for unexpected errands and situations so that we can still get our routine done without having to compromise something.
4. Use a calendar or planner to track your daily routine
I love using Google calendar to log my daily routine. Usually, I have multiple sections to my daily routine, which Google calendar accommodates for. This means I can see each calendar with a click of a bottom, and I love that! Of course, you can use a printed calendar, which I also use from time to time. I tend to go in spells when it comes to digital calendars and book planners. Whatever your pick, try tracking your daily routine. Come up with the desired schedule for all of the tasks you want to complete daily. For example:
Breakfast at 8: A.M
Bible study at 9: A.M
Exercise at 10: A.M
Lunch at 12 P.M
Cook dinner at 5: P.M
By tracking your daily routine, you can refer back to it to keep you on track. If you use a digital calendar to do this, it can send you reminders when the next task starts, which I find very helpful!
Note: Notice that I have given myself an hour to complete each task and left some breaks in between so I can get those unexpected tasks done.
5. Be easy on yourself
After you have created a daily routine and figured out all the goals you want to accomplish, it’s up to you to put those goals into actions. However, I encourage you to be easy on yourself. We are not perfect; we will all fall at some point or another in our daily routines. When life gets the better of you, please don’t get overwhelmed and give up, but instead, accept that it wasn’t such a productive day and realize that you have tomorrow to try again.
Final thoughts
I hope that these tips will help you and motivate you to start a daily routine. If you have any other tips that will help us to stay productive, please leave them in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out some of my other resources on productivity:
Until next time,
yasmin rose xoxo
