John Maxwell once said, ‘You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily- The secret of your success is found in your daily routine’.
He wasn’t wrong, your routine matters- In fact, your daily habits can help with wellbeing and can contribute to more success (whatever that means to you of course).
Something that many start-up founders have found to be crucial is the necessity to be great at time management- when there are numerous things to get done, a solid daily routine is a key proponent to success and effective time management.
Many successful entrepreneurs have championed morning rituals as a key factor to daily success. Leading author Laura Vanderkam studied the schedules of several high achievers, and found one common trend: many of them were early risers and incorporated a morning routine in their daily lives. Many of these rituals included but were not limited to; a form of exercise, journaling, and either a meditative or gratitude practice before beginning their day. These individuals claimed that this process helped them to reduce stress and start their day off positively.
Although these rituals can be subjective, incorporating a wellbeing ritual in your daily schedule has been shown to boost productivity and overall mood (Bueno et all).
Here are some ideas you can try out for yourself.
Have a morning routine
Whether your ritual includes; a morning meditation, prayer, a workout, or even time to enjoy a personal hobby- Find a ritual and be consistent as this can allow you to feel more in control and confident, and more equipped to deal with the challenges presented in your day.
Schedule rest
Although seemingly counterintuitive to schedule in time to do ‘nothing’, periods of rest are vital when you have a full day of pressing tasks. Resting or enjoying a personal hobby can also allow for moments of creativity and help to reduce stress, all of which are key ingredients to helping you work better.
Use a daily planner
A daily planner can be a useful tool to assign time slots to daily tasks, whether you use a journal or an app, making a note of upcoming tasks and projects can help in organising the way you work and improve efficiency.
Time management is an essential skill and tracking tasks can drastically help you manage your time better.
Tackle big tasks first
Although it can seem more productive to solve several small tasks first, energy levels are highest at earlier intervals in the day (Health today), utilise this time to plan more important tasks and schedule specific tasks for email checking and administration after.
Try any of these out to see if you work better or come up with your own! working does not have to be dull and draining!
