Plan your Day
When we wake up, for many of us the first thing that seems to loom over our minds is: what do I have to finish today? We may have a project deadline approaching, bills that may need to be reviewed or paid or household chores that are begging to be finished. When we consider the list of potential tasks and responsibilities that our day demands, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. This is not a great way to start one’s morning and in fact, without a plan for the day we can find ourselves dis-empowered and scattered. We can train our minds to feel a greater sense of agency and control as we develop the discipline of managing our time and prioritizing tasks.
Below are strategies that can be used to help you manage your time in a way that will allow you to feel calmer though out the day as you master your priorities and maximize flow.
With better planning, you will approach each day with greater stillness, focus and clarity.
1. Values Priority List
The reason why so many of us feel overwhelmed is because of the demands around us and our failure to recognize what is a priority. We can only understand this by first understanding what are our priorities.
Here is a list of popular VALUES:
- family
- friends
- wealth
- community
- home
- health
To learn more about Values and why they are important in defining your life to create less resistance watch this video by Project Life Mastery.
Begin your day by listing your 5 top values. Begin each day by listing tasks that will need to be completed in order to support these values.
When you begin the day with your list of values and priorities you make yourself first. You create the discipline of living your life according to your own values. Remarkably, you will find yourself working with less resistance as your actions will correspond with your values. You will begin to recognize which tasks are not congruent with your value system and feel less pressure to do things that do not serve your goals. Prioritizing your time, based on your values, makes your time truly yours; and this will create a calming and flowing day without resistance. It is a secret of many busy and successful people.
2. Plan With Your Body’s Natural Rhythm in Mind
The best way to set up your day for optimal flow and state of calm is to align your tasks and activities with your own rhythms. This is the best way to overcome the resistance that overwhelms us when we don’t choose in accordance with our flow. Recognize when your are most alert and productive and when you have hit our limits is one of the best ways to ensure your day runs smoothly as possible.
Most people experience their mornings to be the most productive and creative time in the day; the mind is fresh and refreshed in the mornings. This may be your best time to complete important tasks requiring concentration such as writing or balancing your finances. For others, a task that requires creativity and flow might be best after dinner, or for night owls in the late evening. Honour your body’s rhythm- if your concentration weans after 3 hours of seated work and you experience neck and hip tension, your body is trying to tell you to honour your limits. You may wish you add a stress-buster activity or even reschedule your activity for another time- perhaps the next day. Read Do Calm’s article: Elevate Your Day with these 20 Minute Stress Busters, to learn more.
When we listen to our bodies, we honour the rhythm of our bodies and in turn avoid unnecessary stress that piles up and creates disharmony. Many women also experience different energies through out the month as their menstrual cycles experience shifts. To learn more about how you can plan your activities for productivity that corresponds with the time of your menstrual cycle click here.
3. Schedule Time For Yourself
Don’t forget about yourself during the day. When we are overdoing for others, we forget about our own needs. This creates stress for our bodies, as we disconnect with the needs and internal messages of our own body. In order to manage stress it is crucial to find time in the day to nurture yourself. Make it a priority to schedule time for yourself in your day. This may include an activity that gives you joy or peace. Treat yourself everyday. Your go-to activity may be a warm bath at the end of each day, time to enjoy your hobby like painting, time with yourself reading after the kids are in bed. Perhaps a mindful movement activity like yoga, dance or martial arts.
Whether you are new to planning, or would like to improve your way, getting started with an online or manual planner will help you make the most of everyday.
Hope these tips have helped you. Remember, you are the creator of your own life and each day you can make it happen!
