how i plan for a productive day

As most people know, I am a very productive person, and taking days off is something I really don’t like doing. The day I’m writing this I’m recovering after having a very rough day where I was stuck in bed all day, where I just slept and watched Riverdale all day :(( So today, I am motivated to get back to it, but am resting too! These tips are for a perfectly productive day, with minimal distractions! These small tips really help me to enhance my productivity, and I’m hoping they can do the same for you!

•         have a planner and plan the week before

As previously mentioned, I use the Yearly Planner from Ink Outside the Box, and I love this to plan out my weeks! Ideally, every Sunday I write in my blog work for the week, any academic work I want to get done, as well as any shifts I have in my part time job. This helps to give an overview for the week, and helps me see what needs to be done. As well as this, on a Post-It note, I write down my goals for the week, as this helps me to stay focused and motivated!

•         write to-do lists

I have a list to complete pretty much every day of the week, and I’m always striving to get it all done every day. Even if I don’t, tasks get passed over to the next day until I complete them. There is a lot of satisfaction with completing tasks on the list and completing a list for the day, and keeps up motivation. The ways I make to-do lists are:

·        notes app on iphone

·        chrome extension ‘momentum’

·        in my planner

I either use one or two of these forms daily to keep on track. At the minute I have been using my planner and momentum, as my planner’s ‘to-do’s’ section is small, so I write my main tasks on there, and then all of my tasks on momentum.

•         prioritise tasks

It’s all good having a list of tasks, but having no order to them can mean the more important tasks are left until the last minute. Complete the harder tasks first, and then the more fun/less important tasks can be left for later on, which is better personally. I do find that first thing in the morning, I need to complete a smaller task before completing some of the larger tasks, so that my motivation increases.

•         have a cut-off point

Having a cut-off point is good as it stops you working too late into the night, as in this lockdown and even in normal life (not that we can remember it at this point), we need to prioritise ourselves and look after our bodies. A cut-off for me in lockdown is 8pm, before, when I was back in sixth form, it was 9pm, as I let myself rest. I’ve learnt so much recently about mental health and prioritising my own, and really, I need to look after myself, so this cut off point is a good time to unwind. I do write my list for the next day during this time, and add in the morning anything I’ve missed.

I hope these tips help everyone to stay productive and motivated in current times! As always, my messages are always open, and I will link my Instagram and Twitter below :)) Hope everyone is having a good week,

by mills x