Image via madame.furie
Not too long ago I wrote a post about how to have better mornings. I am happy to say that after following my own advice, and that of other lifestyle and productivity bloggers, I have indeed had less stressful mornings.
Of course, life does get in the way sometimes, which is especially true if you really on public transit to get from Point A to Point B. This is also true when you are juggling a regular job with your own side endeavors; however, for the most part I have been able to see some significant changes in my day.
Even if I have to be at work at 8am, I manage to make time for myself in the morning.
Even if I have a hectic teaching schedule, I make sure to accomplish my freelancing and blogging goals for the week.
Even if I find myself sometimes putting in 12 hours of work combined in one day, I still make sure that I have time to unwind and watch Mad Men.
Best of all, I still get to sleep!
1. Make a Daily Goal List
One of the ways I have made my life more efficient is by making a list of main goals every morning. While I am sipping away at my first cup of coffee I pick the 3 most important things I have to get done that day aside from teaching.
Of course, the nature of my goals sometimes depends on how many classes I have to teach on any given day. If I have a busy teaching day, then I write down goals that I know I can get done during my breaks. Usually this involves more administrative tasks like looking through writing job boards, sending emails, transferring money, or making mind maps for articles.
If I know it’s going to be a slow day at work, then my goals become a little more involved. This may include writing proposals or turning my mind maps into rough drafts. When another calmer day comes around these rough drafts then turn into final drafts.
2. Make Yourself a Priority
I don’t mean this in a selfish way. If you have people who depend on you (like kids and family) don’t ignore their needs.
Simply put, what I mean by making yourself a priority is allowing yourself some down time. When I get out of work I’m done for the day. The computer is turned off, my side business is put aside until the next day (unless there is an emergency), and I relax. Usually this means hanging out with my family and having a glass of wine while I catch up on Mad Men.
Bottom line is we’re not machines. We need to unwind and reboot if we are to be at our best.
3. Don’t sacrifice sleep.
Sometimes it is necessary to burn the midnight oil in order to get something done. However, most of the time I can guarantee that nobody is going to die if you decide to sleep.
Don’t work through the night if you don’t absolutely have to. Lack of sleep makes us cranky, makes us strung out, and eventually makes us sick.
Final Note: Don’t Get Discouraged
The most important thing to remember is not to get discouraged. If you don’t get everything done in a day, don’t worry about it. These kinds of habits take practice in order to be fully cultivated, but eventually you will come up with a productive schedule that fits your needs.
What do you do to stay productive?
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2 Responses to How to Have More Productive Days (And Still Get Some Sleep)
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Latest Tweet- 3 hrs of sleep and a completely booked monday. Oi vey -_-
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Amanda Abella, Amanda Abella. Amanda Abella said: How to Have More Productive Days (And Still Get Some Sleep): Image via madame.furie Not too long ago I wrote a p… http://bit.ly/gpenG1 [...]
Don’t get discouraged is the most important for me, for sure! I ALMOST was ready to throw in the towel with my blog until I found 20sb
These are great tips, hope all is well!