Things You Should Do...
As an entitled young person, I'm of course telling you what you should do with your precious time! ❤️
Happy Fun Friday! 🥳 This week, I’m going to share with you some tried-and-true things that have drastically improved my well-being and productivity. While I’m in no way an expert on life (I mean, who is?), I’ve found these activities to be instrumental in making my day-to-day better, and I hope they can improve yours as well! For your convenience, I’ve separated them into sections according to how frequently you should try them out (annually, monthly, weekly, or daily).
Annually: Things you should do at least once per year
Goal setting: You don’t have to wait until New Years Day to set your yearly goals. You can do this today! Writing down your goals helps you identify what you’re trying to accomplish and how much time you have to get things done. Refer back to your list of goals throughout the year to keep yourself on track! While this list can always be modified if needed, aim to set realistic goals from the start. Don’t define work, family, or health goals that are unattainable and/or unsustainable for you. Your goals should be things that you can reasonably accomplish in the time frame that you have available.
Reset break: This should be a real break from work, meaning you commit to at least one dedicated week to reset, define your goals, and rest. Your reset break helps you evaluate where you’re at and where you want to be by your next break. It’s also instrumental in preventing burnout.
Mid-year reflection: About six months in from your initial goal setting, it’s a good idea to reflect on how much you’ve accomplished so far. Celebrate your wins and consider your losses. What needs to change moving forward so that your next six months are even more productive and conducive to your well-being?
Email purge: I’m a big fan of a yearly email purge. For 7-10 days, pay attention to all those emails that you habitually delete. UNSUBSCRIBE from email lists that send you a million ads, you aren’t interested in, or you don’t need anymore. Manage your subscriptions to save yourself a headache throughout the year.
Evaluate eating habits: Reflect on your current eating (and drinking) habits. Are you fueling your body in a way that makes it easy for your brain to operate at its greatest potential? Do you feel energized each day? Are you either too hungry or overstuffed on the daily? How can you optimize your intake to help you reach your goals?
Monthly: Things you should do at least once per month
Monthly goal setting: Goal setting shouldn’t just be an annual thing. Setting one or two monthly goals is a great way to focus in on the smaller steps that you can take within a few weeks to propel your career forward.
Playlist creation: Consider cultivating a playlist at the beginning of each month with the anthems that you want to jam out to when working, exercising, doing chores - you name it! What songs or podcasts will energize and excite you this month?
Hang up a quote or verse of the month: What’s a good mantra or quote for your month? Choose a quote or verse, write it out decoratively, and hang it somewhere that you’ll see it often! At the end of the year, you’ll have a 12-part collection.
Goal celebration: At the end of each month, celebrate reaching your monthly goals! This can be as simple as a dinner out, taking a few hours off work, or buying those pants you’ve been eyeing for weeks. Self-reward and celebrate your accomplishments! Be your biggest fan, and others will follow.
Fun/reflective activity: At least once per month, do something fun besides what you do for work - this could be a hobby such as playing sports, going to concerts, painting, crafting, or photography. Whatever works for you is perfect!
Weekly: Things you should do at least once per week
Weekly goal setting: Write down 4-6 things you plan to accomplish each week, and get them done.
Day off: Take one day off each week to spend with family, relax & reset, define your weekly goals, and accomplish those pesky chores like dishes and laundry that you’ve been ignoring all week. Give your brain a rest!
Journaling: I could go on and on about the benefits of journaling, but I understand that people are busy and trying to journal every day can be overwhelming. Start out simple by journaling once per week instead! Journaling helps you relieve stress, reflect on your relationships and goals, and immortalize important moments in your life.
Meal prepping: Your week will be so much easier and your body grateful if you meal prep healthy, filling foods.
Daily: Things you should do at least once per day
To-do list: Yep, just like the goal-setting all over again - make a to-do list of everything you are realistically able to accomplish each day. Cross off your to-dos as you complete them!
Exercise: Whether you’re able to do a full-on workout or just take a short walk, do something to get your body moving every day. It’s easier to focus when you exercise regularly - your mental health will benefit from your physical health. Try mixing up what you do for exercise as well to keep yourself from getting bored and to work different muscle groups.
Consistent eating: Try to eat similar portion sizes on a consistent schedule each day. You were designed for routine, so lean into the advantages of your natural cycle and eat/sleep at the same times each day.
Sufficient sleep: I know you’ve heard this a million times, but that’s because it’s so important - you are way more productive if you get good sleep. Treat yourself to the amount of shut-eye that’s just right for you.
Read at least 20 minutes: This is important for everyone, but especially if you’re a writer. It’s impossible to be a good writer if you never read. Consume other writers’ material to learn, improve your craft, or just enjoy yourself. 20 minutes of reading per day gets your mental juices flowing, and that time quickly adds up throughout the week!
Thanks for reading or listening to my post today. What are some things that have improved your day-to-day productivity and well-being? Let me know in the comments. Now get out there and do something great! 😄