If you want to be successful, you need to make a conscious effort every single day to work closer towards your goals. That means staying productive and removing as many distractions as possible. The best way to accomplish this is to develop and stick to a schedule each and every day.
Here are four ways you can schedule your day for success.
Finish Your Most Important Work First
When you schedule your day it’s common to put the easiest tasks first. Getting all the trivial things out of the way first seems the most efficient right? In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
When you start work your mind is fresh and you’re focused. That said, you should always tackle your most important tasks at the beginning of the workday. If you’re worn out by the time you finish these tasks it doesn’t matter because the rest of your work should be a piece of cake.
Don’t Let Yourself Burnout
Successful people understand and embrace the grind. That said, they also understand that nobody is expected to work a jam-packed schedule every day. When you schedule your day you need to make sure you aren’t overextending yourself.
If you have multiple back to back meetings and have to run around town for different tasks and appointments, it can seriously hurt your productivity. You need to be realistic about what you can accomplish during the day.
Luckily for us, technology can improve just about every aspect of our lives. That said, you should definitely consider using a calendar application to help schedule your day. These platforms help you organize your meetings based on time, location, and your overall day. If you have back to back meetings on opposite ends of town, the app will give you smarter suggestions alternatives to keep you productive (and sane).
Stick to Your Morning Routine
Routines are crucial. Morning routines are imperative. The hours you have in the morning are invaluable. If you start your day on the wrong foot, there’s a good chance you won’t get much accomplished in the hours to come.
Whether you exercise, read, cook, or simply meditate you should try your best to stay consistent. I always recommend waking up as early as possible. If you’re up at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning you’ll guarantee yourself at least an hour completely to yourself. Typically, emails and communications from the work world don’t come in until about 8:00 am.
Take the Time to Reflect
At the end of every single day you should spend at least 15-minutes reflecting on what you’ve accomplished. First and foremost, this is a good practice for the sake of pride. Getting work done simply feels good. By reflecting at the end of each day you will continue to motivate yourself.
On a more analytical note, reflecting can also help you optimize how you spend your time. Take a look at your calendar and evaluate each task accomplished. How long did it take you? How important was that task? What were the outcomes and do you need to follow up?
The more knowledgeable you are about what you can produce in a certain amount of time, the better you’ll be at scheduling your day for success.
Renzo Costarella
Renzo Costarella is an entrepreneur, avid learner, and startup enthusiast currently living in Silicon Valley. He consults for several startups in the Bay Area and is pursuing a few ideas of his own.