How to Effectivelly Plan Your Day
By Zlatoslava
Chasing deadlines again? Having too much on your plate with studies, extracurricular activities and personal life? Trying to manage a hundred things? Why does it always happen like that?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this blog, I’ve gathered some tips on “perfecting” your day and achieving an organised routine that will keep you disciplined. 😌
Set goals and define a vision
First, start messy! Write down every task and thing that is currently keeping your mind busy. Also, list what you’re striving for and want to achieve. I like to do this the day before, so that my intentions are set and I can start right away with my day the next morning. Then, connect the dots. Try to find the origin or the similarities between those things. Often, they are connected and one can lead to another, affecting your overall plan.
For example: You stay up late, so you wake up tired and late the next morning. You don’t have enough time during the day to finish what you want. You start feeling overwhelmed and under the weather. A “Domino effect” is created, preventing you from doing things that were still possible. So, by fixing your sleeping schedule, you can make more time and focus on what is necessary.
Like this, you can easily manage more duties, creating more free time in your day.
Being realistic and “The One Thing” concept
Let’s be honest – how many times have you been feeling lost and despair, you grab a pen and paper and start making those over-abmitious goals, trying to rewrite and pre-plan your whole life, saying tomorrow it will be better? In those situations, we see everything as imperfect and often aim high, setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We want every single bit to be “fixed”, “better” and “perfect”. However, you need to realise that this is not possible. Humans are not just task-solving machines. Sometimes, less is more and focusing on one thing is better than trying to control everything.
“It is not that we have too little time to do all the things we need to do, it is that we feel the need to do too many things in the time we have.” – Gary Keller
But how to deal with all tasks? Another thing that G. Keller emphasises on is the importance of “The One Thing” concept. As I mentioned earlier, things are usually connected. It can allow you to positively influence many things by making a small change. This whole “connection thing” might turn out not to be so bad, right?
Therefore, find what is the one thing you can do such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier. This might be putting on a timer, minimising phone time or treating yourself. The last suggestion leads us to the next tip:
Flexibility and the right discipline
Why make it harsh when you can make it enjoyable? Now, after we have set realistic goals, it is time to talk about discipline.
Hmmm, but wait! Are those completely realistic goals? What if something goes wrong, if plans are cancelled or extended, you miss your bus, or you forget about your appointment? Probably, only even thinking about this makes you overwhelmed. But what if I told you there’s one simple solution – flexibility. Leaving time gaps between important events is excellent because it prevents the Domino effect. You can never predict what will happen, so having the option of flexibility and altering plans is a useful skill.
After that is set, returning to one of the most important topics of this blog – having the proper mindset. Key is a gentle discipline and an environment that encourages you, not forces you. Put on a favourite song, snuggle in a blanket and turn on the cosy lights, work in a clean space, have a sweet treat or warm aromatic tea/coffee. 🍵 The list is endless, and you know best what you need to make yourself feel amazing. A big part of that is taking time for yourself! Discipline is not only about doing the work but being able to control things in such a way that they are balanced. Reward your body for making it through this day, so it can return the favour for the following. 🤲
Mark it down
For me, the Calendar and Notes app are lifesavers. They act as my (digital) second brain haha. I have found it most effective since you keep track of all your things, while not being bothered with having to remember all the tasks and events happening. From time to time, I also happen to do it the old-fashioned way with a piece of paper and a pen. Buuut I won’t admit how many of those papers I’ve lost amongst my books lying around the desk oops. 🫣
Bonus tips
- Embrace the “mistakes”: Planning ahead and having a structured vision is great, but you need to know where the borderline lies. It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting everything to be perfect. Everyone has bad days. But accepting them is always the better option than letting them overtake your day or worse – the progress you have made. One thing may not have worked out, but that doesn’t mean that the same holds for the rest of the things. 🙂
- Reflect: When you have high standards and goals for yourself, it is easy to forget how far you’ve come. So, let this be your reminder to take a step back from time to time and celebrate the small wins. Even better if you do it at the end of each day, and why not spontaneously throughout it!
- Another important thing is to analyse how your body actually feels. Make the needed changes to your routine, even if that means taking it easy sometimes. It is better to let go of some things now than to be burned out later.
Done and dusted!
I hope this was useful and has inspired you. If you have any other recommendations, definitely drop them below. I would love to hear them! 😊
If you want more motivation, check out this blog about healthy habits that you can implement in your daily routine!
Happy mindful planning,
Zlatoslava
