The Secret to Planning Your Day for Productivity Beyond Belief

A good successful life happens one day at a time. It requires a vision and a plan. Planning your day is a tool that can motivate you and help you achieve your goals. Here are some tips to create a plan for a successful day.

Keep a list of everything you need to do and buy. When something new comes up, add it to the master list. Having a master list helps me keep my head clear since I’m not constantly thinking about the various things to accomplish. The list gets out of my head and onto the paper.

Planning your meals will save you money and time and keep you healthier. You'll save money by not making extra trips to store or having to eat out because there's nothing to prepare at home. You'll save time knowing you have the necessary ingredients for the day's meals. Meal planning will also keep you healthy since there’s no temptation to stop at the drive through if you know what you're going to eat at home.

Once you have everything listed; you can evaluate to batch tasks and errands saving time and becoming more efficient. Group your errands by location and your tasks by type. For example, I frequency pick up supermarket staples during my lunch break at work since I can walk to Target. I get some exercise and at the same time get a needed task accomplished.

Schedule all your creative tasks at the same time so you can focus on that and don’t have to get back in the groove after an interruption. Set specific times to check and respond to emails to prevent getting distracted by reacting to incoming information. Consider turning off your notifications and only proactively check and respond to email at a scheduled time. Distractions and interruptions are a big time drain; the more you can eliminate them the more your productivity will increase.

Even though you have a master list, create a top three list of things you want to accomplish today. The top three list will keep you focused by causing you to prioritize what is essential. These three things should be things that will move your life in the direction of your goals.

Having a top three will also prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by a long list of to dos. There’s no temptation to procrastinate due to a list that is too long and seems impossible to complete. Once you get the top three accomplished, you can celebrate a successful day, or you can select another item from the master list. Either way, you should feel a great sense of achievement.

You should have your plan created before the day begins. Take time each night to review your plan for the next day. Your plan should include time for your spiritual growth, your family, your health, and your finances, in addition to your work.

Start your day with thanksgiving and decide to have a great day. Much of how we feel during the day has to do with our thoughts and our self-talk. Make a concentrated effort on keeping your thoughts positive.

If there was anything that didn’t go as you hoped, evaluate whether or not there is something you can do to improve or prevent it from happening tomorrow. Then celebrate and give thanks for all the accomplishments and wonderful experiences of the day.

What time of day are you most productive? Please share in the comments below.