7 daily routines that can boost your productivity
Reading time – 10 minutes
Many of the things you do each day to reach your goals can be achieved by creating small routines or daily habits that you perform primarily without thinking about it each day. By making your actions routine and, more importantly, a habit, you’ll get more done and not feel like you’re always working.
- Get Hydrated – Start each day with a couple of cups of water. Some people prefer lemon water. You can enjoy it cold or warm depending on the time of the year. Starting off your day hydrated will boost your energy and make it more likely you get to your to-do list.
- Review Your Schedule – As you go through life, you should use a to-do list each day. Before you start your day, glance at your to-do list to get an overview of what you need to do during your day. I plan my schedule the day before. Then, prioritize the items according to my needs in the morning. Sometimes overnight things change.
- Create a Morning Routine – Set up a morning routine for your self-care, which may include taking a shower, making your bed, getting dressed, eating breakfast, etc. You may also want to add meditation, do some yoga, or journal in the morning routine. My morning routine starts with a walk, then shower and dressing for the day depending on the type of work I will be doing. Next is breakfast and making my lunch. I am off to my office to look at emails and do some social media marketing. Then my day starts and the To-Do list is important.
- Invest in Your Nutrition – One way to become more productive is to eat right. Your diet is as important as exercising. Eat according to your dietary needs. By prepping your food in advance makes it easier to stick to a plan each day. This is why I pack my lunch at breakfast. If I take my lunch to work with me I am less likely to grab fast food. Some people like to pack their lunch after supper. I also plan 1 week of suppers before I go grocery shopping. I enjoy not having to think about what to make for supper each night.
Plan a menu then build your grocery shopping list.
- Develop a Positive Mindset – Find ways to look at the positive aspects of your life. When you have a positive mindset or outlook, it tends to strengthen your motivation. The motivation usually comes after you take action and focus on the feelings you experience after you take a specific action. That successful experience encourages you to be more positive because you feel more productive and helpful.
- Celebrate Your Victories – When you are successful and accomplish something, find a way to celebrate, no matter how small. You can draw on the experience to motivate you to take more action. Treat yourself to a walk, a trip to the gym, tea or coffee, a warm bath, a hot relaxing shower, a movie or a dance party.
- Segment Your Workday – Don’t work all the time. This is especially important if you work for yourself. The work never ends. Set boundaries. Set specific hours for your workday. Stick to these hours at least 80 percent of the time. Keep in mind that remaining flexible is important. Sometimes working hard is going to be required, but it’s not required every single day.
Each time you add a routine to your day that can be repeated regularly and easily, you are beginning to create a habit. Habits are difficult to stop. This is because they incorporate a trigger and have a rewarding response. This is called conditioning. Set up your triggers to be rewarding so you can trigger yourself to succeed in all areas of life. If you need help developing routines contact julie@mindoverclutter.ca
What routines help you to be productive?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
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Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Julie! I’ve learned to do most of these things over the years, but there’s always room for improvement.
I have learned that setting routines helps me to accomplish everything I need to each day. I have a morning routine, social media routine and lunch preparation routine and it gets my day off to a good start.
These are excellent strategies, Julie. It’s funny, but while I’m sure these concepts will help boost productivity, as you said, they also create more calm, flow, and balance in your life. When you take care of your basic needs (hydration, nutrition, exercise, general well-being), you have more energy and clarity to pursue projects, tasks, and what’s most important to you.
I don’t like to rush, so I wake up early to have enough time before my first commitment. I meditate, journal, read, shower, dress, and eat breakfast. Then, I’m ready to engage, help others, and work on projects and tasks.
Yes having a good start to the day lets me be calm when I start working with client or whatever the day presents to me. Routines get you off to a good start so you can handle whatever happens in the day.
I love that you started with get hydrated. Many years ago, I made a New Year’s Resolution to start my day with a tall glass of water. I have to say it was so simple, and it has been a wonderful habit for me. You don’t realize how dried out you are when you wake up, and if you go straight to the coffee, you aren’t giving your body what it needs. The beauty is, it is pretty much free and so easy!
I drink a lot of fluids at the start of the day. If I have not had enough during the day when I arrive home I rehydrate. My husband was having a lot of problems with dry skin and other things. Once he started drinking more water he was surprised how it helped him feel better and perform better when he was exercising.
Excellent points. I have to admit that it’s a constant struggle for me to remember to drink water once the heat of the summer abates. I drink water when I come in from outside, especially if I’ve been walking, but otherwise, I can completely forget to drink at mealtimes. I definitely need to incorporate more water in my day, and I like the idea of starting the day by having an icy cold glass of water before doing anything else!
As for the rest, I work these routines; they keep me grounded and focused.
I agree routines keep me grounded and focused. They make my life simple. I am going to try to keep a bottle of water in my vehicle this year and see if that helps. Usually easy access to whatever you need helps to solve the problem.
This is a great reminder that I can do much better with my organization. I’ve had some downtime waiting for the cabinet refacersto finish and I’ve been trying to make the most of it by making a list of what I need done. I was so good at this in college, I scheduled out my assignments and stuff, even breaks, and I never felt more productive. I haven’t done that for a long time, so this post is a good reminder and is super helpful! Thank you!
I agree. When you schedule and have a plan you have a direction. Knowing where you are going lets you start quickly on tasks and complete them or start to solve them. My most productive days a completely scheduled and I move from one task to the next not wasting any time.
I know all these things. Do I do them? Yes. Always? No. It never hurts to be reminded. Thank you, Julie!