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Statistics show that to adopt a daily habit, you must continue to complete the task every day for about a month. Then, rather than it being a chore, it is a part of your daily routine, or in other words, one of your habits.
A goal of mine for 2018 is to really focus on myself and to become more efficient and productive in my creative work considering that I have a 9-5 job and not much time for my side projects. So, for some who also wish to learn more about tricks they can incorporate into their daily routine, I compiled (another) list of simple tasks that can make a world of difference in your productivity as well as your mood:
Make your bed first thing in the morning.
Keeping your living quarters clean is one of the best things you can do to keep your conscience clear and your productivity at its highest level. And yes, this includes making your bed. So if your parents used to yell at you constantly to make your bed growing up, you should actually thank them... The reason being is because when you complete the task of making your bed first thing in the morning, it motivates you to move onto another task and complete that one, then move on to another one. Eventually, you will complete all of these tasks before you hit lunchtime! This is actually a commonly known rule in the military. It keeps everyone organized, keeps them disciplined and sets the tone for the day. Check out this clip of a speech given by a navy seal at the University of Texas Commencement in 2014.
Pick the outfit you plan to wear the next day and lay it out the night before.
Picking out an outfit can two seconds, or it can take what feels like two hours. There have been so many times where I wake up late, am in a hurry to run out the door but cannot decide on what to wear. So, I have been getting into the habit of taking whatever amount of time I need the night before to check the weather and choose what I will wear and lay everything out. That way, when I wake up I can quickly grab that outfit and change in no time to catch the next train.
Make and pack your lunch the night before.
This is another simple thing you can do ahead of time to set yourself up for a productive day. Meal planning will give you more time in the morning, and you will not be starving because you do not have a lunch or spending money by going out to eat rather than saving that for other future expenses.
Before you sign out for the day, spend 10 minutes tidying up your space.
I strongly believe that having a clean and tidy space helps promote a productive and relaxing environment, whether it is at the office, at home, or in your bedroom. Before you either sign out at the end of the day or go to bed, spend the last 10-15 minutes tidying up your space so you can return or wake up to a clean environment and not start your day all flustered because it looks like a tornado ripped through it.
Keep your backpack/purse organized.
I am someone who stashes receipts and other papers in their backpack and purse even if I know that I will not be returning what I just bought. Months later, I open up my bag to look for something and I end up finding 27 receipts for coffee that I have bought over the past six months... It is also a little embarrassing when you are in a meeting rummaging through your bag to look for your notes from the week before and your colleagues see how unorganized you are. This is a habit that I have recently picked up on, and one way that has helped me keep my bags organized is to take two minutes a day to clear out any papers or receipts I accumulated throughout the day and determine if they are necessary to hold on to. If they are, chances are that they should not be floating freely in my bag. So, I spend the extra minute or two tidying up my backpack. I also bought myself this little pouch to store all of my chargers and headphones in one place: http://amzn.to/2F7UxR5
Make checklists/a schedule of what your day will look like.
I am so guilty of writing down a task that I have already completed, just for the satisfaction of crossing it off the list. That is one reason why I believe that lists help you be more productive. Because they are satisfying. They are also very beneficial because they help you visually see how many tasks you need to complete as well as prioritize the tasks from what is the most important to the least important. They help you know where to start in the clutter of tasks that is stressing you out.
Go through and clear up junk/clutter emails at least once a week.
Something that has always bothered my older sister is the small red notifications that pop up next to the apps on her phone. Every time a notification comes up on her screen, she opens it gets rid of it. And when she looks at my phone, she always comments on how stressed out she would be if her phone looked like mine. I thought that this would be a good habit to get into as well, however, it is still not something that I would say makes me unproductive (that is if I don't miss any important emails 😉)
When you are done doing laundry, put your clothes away immediately.
This is a must for me. I usually finish up all of my laundry on Sunday night, and by this time the last thing I want to do is more chores. There have been so many times where I have just let my mountain of clean laundry sit on my bed for the entire week rather than putting it away. This not only sets the tone for the week, but it also slows your morning routine down because you are searching through the pile for matching socks. Even if you decide not to set out an outfit the night before, this will still help you be more organized in the morning.
Clean up at put your dishes away right after you finish eating a meal.
Nobody likes to clean up after a meal, but I guarantee you that you will definitely not feel like cleaning it up when you are ready to go to bed... or the next morning when you are running out the door to get to work... or when you get home from work after a long hectic day... Basically, there is no better time to clean up than after you are done eating because it is so satisfying to sit down to watch tv once it is all done.
Plan to arrive at your next destination 15 minutes early.
"If you are on time, you are 15 minutes late." For any job interview, work meeting, doctor's appointment, and so on, I feel as though there is no problem being 15 or 20 minutes early. It shows that you are prompt and respectful of not wasting anyone's time. It will also give you a few minutes to prepare yourself and you won't be flustered when you are going to an important meeting.