1. Plan Your Day the Night Before

Every night before you snuggle up in your bed, whip out your planner/calendar and put in your action plans for the coming day. We’re not talking just a quick to-do list {although those are helpful} but rather planning out every hour of your day. What are you going to accomplish from 7:00-8:00am? Are you meeting up with a friend from 3:00-4:00? Even throw in driving time so you know how much time you have between destinations. Don’t leave any part of your day unplanned! We also recommend scheduling in time to scroll social media, that way you don’t lose yourself in it for two hours. Be intentional about how you’re using your time and you’ll find you’re able to accomplish a lot more every day.  

2. Set Appointments with Yourself

You’d never miss a hair or doctor appointment {not a fan of those cancellation fees}, so make appointments with yourself too! If you’ve been meaning to workout for 30 minutes every day, set that appointment with yourself every night. Want to work on your hobby more often? Schedule it in. Are you writing a book? Set specific times for writing time, and then move on to the next thing when you’re done. Want to watch an episode of your favorite show? Schedule it and no more {unless you have time to plan a binge-watch, then go for it}! Whatever it is you wish you had time for, set the appointment the night before and show up to those appointments.   

3. Plan for Changes

Raise of hands to anyone who had a perfect schedule made, only to be met with interruption after interruption. It happens! And it doesn’t need to be frustrating. Expect that not everything will go as planned. That’s why many people prefer to make schedules on their phones, so they can easily move appointments and tasks around, instead of forgetting about them altogether. Find what works for you! Again, be intentional about your time but be flexible when things come up unexpectedly.  

4. Start with Big Things

You know how you’ve got a plate of food, but there’s one item that you don’t love as much as the rest? You quickly eat that food first so that you can focus on enjoying the rest of the meal, right? Your day should look the same. If you have a big thing you need to accomplish, make that the very first thing you do. This is especially helpful if you have kiddos too. Do those big projects before they wake up! That way, even if the rest of your day is a bust, you can still feel good about being productive first thing.

5. Accept You Can’t Do it All in One Day

You’re not Wonder Woman {or are you…?} so you can’t expect to do everything you want to in one day. Instead of cramming it all into one day, arrange milestones! Don’t let yourself get frustrated when you’re not able to finish everything you’ve planned. That’s the segway to giving up and quitting. Remember, you still have tomorrow. And the day after that. There are 112 waking hours in a week {if you’re sleeping 8 hours every night} so let each day be a clean slate where you try again to do what you want to do. Start every night, make that purposeful action plan, and you’ll be unstoppable.