There always seems to be too little time in the day; especially for entrepreneurs, self-starters, and individuals striving towards success. Balance in our daily lives is becoming increasingly valuable and it may seem impossible to take a chaotic work schedule, priorities, and goals to create streamline progression in a desired direction. Utilizing the first and last fifteen minutes of your day effectively is a way to elevate and organize your daily life.
The Morning Review:
The key to getting a jump start in the morning is already having it planned out the day before. You free yourself from battling brain fog and get right into what’s important.
- Tune in – Be aware of what you consume audibly during this time. Try to listen to music that is calming or makes you feel lifted and hopeful. Alternatively, try to find a quiet space to really focus and reflect.
- Taking a moment – Truly dig deep to list 3 things you’re grateful for and then 3 things you’re excited about. Sharing your blessings and passions with others can create a boost in morale and add depth to your choices. Alternatively, grab a family member, friend, or co-workers to join by asking what they’re grateful for and excited about.
- Reminders – Review scheduled meetings or appointments for the day and set a 10 minute alarm reminder if needed.
- Fill in the gaps – Take a look at your notes where you identified where you left off from work yesterday, your priorities, and the breakdown of tasks to complete priorities. Time block to give a chunk of time to solely drive the completion of a singular priority. Make sure to account for mistakes, interruptions, or unplanned obstacles in your time blocking estimate
The End of the Day Planning & Review:
Before diving into this method, it’s best to start off with taking the time to brain dump all your tasks and priorities, one for work and another for personal life, so you can gain a clear visual on what all you need to accomplish. This creates a full scope and easy visual for selecting what needs to be done first.
- When the working day is done – Take the last 15 minutes of your work day to write down:
Your stopping point in your current task or priority and what else you need to do to complete it.
Document meetings or appointments.
Identify the next day’s 3-5 top priorities and tasks associated with achieving them.
Write down 3 things you’re proud of from the day or what you enjoyed throughout the day and consider them today’s win’s.
Think of how you can improve for tomorrow and formulate one action item. - Your Personal Goals Are Important Too – Before leaving your desk or driving in your car, have a sticky note or note card with 2-3 personal priorities or tasks to complete at night; even relaxing and taking some “you time” is a priority. Keep it in your pocket or stick it to an item clearly visible and out in the open so it will grab your attention if you’ve gotten off track.
- Be discipled – We commonly fall into the habit of continuing actions in the same places. If you want to do something other than watch TV, don’t tempt yourself by sitting in the living room between priorities and tasks if it doesn’t align. Create a space dedicated to a particular activity and stick to doing that activity exclusively.
A Good Night’s Sleep – Set an alarm for bed and get at least 8 hours of sleep to maintain a sound body and mind to take the day on!
