7 habits to help you get the best out of your day

We have all heard the saying “Don’t let something that happens in 24 seconds ruin 24 hours of your day. But are you doing things to help you get the most out of your day? At one point I can honestly say that I wasn’t. I wasn’t being intentional with my time or energy, which made my days long, tiring, and at some points wasteful. Have you felt this way before? It took some time to get fed up with my own lack of consistency and I knew I needed to change my habits. There were things I wasn’t putting in the effort to make better. Then I began to think of God and his greatness! See every day I wake up, God is giving me a chance to do better. To exercise the freedoms that his son died for on the cross. Who was I to be wasting the time that he so graciously gives me every day?  This hit me hard! From that point of realization, I made some changes to my habits that have helped me to be better physically, mentally, and spiritually daily.

I hope that you can take something from these 7 habits and adapt them to your lifestyle. A better day is not about everything going perfect, it’s about making good with the time that has already been allotted to you.  This is why we naturally say we’ve had a good day when things get done effectively. So here we go!!!!

1. wake up peacefully

What are you doing when you first wake up in the morning? Are you grabbing your phone, to scroll down Instagram? Are you running out of the bed because you’re constantly running late? These are all bad habits I have formed. What you do when you wake up can make a drastic difference in how your day goes because it can set the tone. For me, I wake up and pray. This helps my mind to focus on the things I’m already grateful for before I even have the time to form things in my brain about the stuff that isn’t going right. I also wake up 30-45 minutes earlier so that I can read my bible and take some time for myself before having to get my baby ready. This has made a huge difference in how my day goes because it helps to shift my mindset to view from a place of abundance and not lack.

2. work out at least 30 minutes a day

Working out is one of my least favorite things to do. But I have had to find time for it in my schedule for the sake of my health. 6 days out of the week, I walk in the morning at a nearby park. I set my watch to walk 2 miles at least and if I feel that I have any additional time, I may walk more.  For you, this may be working out at home, or at your favorite gym after work, whatever it is make time to move your body. I notice on days where I skip my walk, I have less energy to get through the day, which usually means fewer things are completed. For this reason, my rest day is usually on a weekend when I’m not needing to get as many tasks done.

3. make your plans concrete

The days where I don’t plan out what I need to do are the same days where I lack getting things done. This is because when I write it down, I feel an obligation to myself to see it through. This increases my productivity and forces me to get rid of bad habits that dont help me get things done. For some a handy dandy pen and paper works, but maybe for you your cell phone is better. I prefer pen and paper because I can physically cross out the task when I’m done which always gives me satisfaction. Whatever it may be, plan out what needs to be done for the day and also schedule in time to take lunch. There is always going to be work to do, so take your lunch break to eat, and relax so that when you go back into your work you have the energy and focus you need to reassess the work you have done with a fresh set of eyes. I will notice that after lunch, I generally can catch some mistakes in my work because I have taken time away from the task itself. 

4. check your self-doubt

  If you don’t believe in you, how can you expect anyone else to? Self-doubt is one of the biggest killers of confidence because you are already expecting to fail. You are more likely to get things done if you are expecting to have a great day.  Instead of saying, “there is so much to do today and there is no way I can get it all done”, you can say “even though I will be busy today I have all the necessary tools to be successful.” And if you don’t believe it, fake it til you make it. The change in your language over time will create a mindset change that will help to reinforce positive individual habits.

5. be present in the moment

You are probably thinking well I am here, aren’t I? Just because you are in a specific location, doesn’t mean that you are mentally and emotionally there as well. For example, we can be at work and literally be thinking in the back of our head about all the things we have to get done when we get home.  This also can steal the joy of what you are doing presently. We also tend to make more mistakes when we’re not focusing. Allow yourself to put your best foot forward when you are working, without the outside noise of everything else.  Once that task is completed, then you can move on to the next task and be happy that you’ve completely finished one thing in its entirety! Being present allows you to celebrate the wins no matter how small they are.

6. avoid people pleasing

  I feel that it is human nature to want to please the people around you, but this often comes at the cost of your sanity, which is too much to pay. Your day can easily be filled with tasks that you yourself didn’t want to do, but you felt forced to because you didn’t want conflict. But you are also not giving yourself the common decency of being honest about how you truly feel. Have you ever asked yourself how you truly feel? There have been times where I literally couldn’t even express how I was feeling because I was so caught up in what others thought.  I was living based off of a false identity that I let others create of me.  So much so that I lost my own ability to truly think, feel, and express for myself. People-pleasing will also drain your energy fast and you will be running on empty before you know it. And when you get to empty, filling the gas tank can take a whole lot longer. Let’s not get there! Protect yourself and kindly decline additional tasks that you do not want to do.

7. make time for your dreams everyday

This one will require dedication on your part! With juggling work, kids, and self-care, finding the time to work on your goals and dreams can be daunting. But how will you ever be able to live your dream life, if you’re not actively working towards it? It’s like saying that you want to lose weight but not making any changes to your food choices. Block off 30,45, or 60 mins each day to work on something that will push you closer to your goals. Whether that is planning content for your blog, brainstorming, or writing out a business plan . Be active in making your dreams come true! This helps you build the grit to work on your goals even when you are don’t feel your best.

Although these habits sound super simple and easy, it will be up to you to make long-lasting changes.   To get the most out of your day can mean so many things to different people. But, for me it is just being intentional with my time. In addition to being able to execute a plan where I am fulfilled in my work and personal life without being burnt out. Over time, you will find the things that work best for your and your lifestyle. And don’t be afraid to try new things as you embark on this journey of finding your groove. You will be suprised how much better you feel with the small changes you make. What are habits you’ve formed that have helped you to get the best out of your day? Meet me in the comments with your answers!

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Xoxo,

The Imperfect Woman