Sticking to a schedule can have a lot of benefits for you and your family. It can be very beneficial for children to have a schedule that they stick by. It also can boost your productivity and motivation. Having a schedule and sticking to it helps anyone, even beginners, be able to set helpful and meaningful intentions for their day. The best part is there is no wrong way to do this, and we’ll help guide you!
Gives You Structure
It takes a while to form new habits, and this is a struggle for many people wanting to begin a more productive life. However, if you can force yourself to at least plan out the month with a calendar once every 30 days, you’ll be more motivated to do the things you normally wouldn’t. These calendars don’t have to cost you money either, there are plenty of free, printable calendars online, such as this online calendar. With these calendars, you can plan around your holidays, country, and other variables that make this so unique. You don’t have to feel guilty if you miss a few events you had planned, because it’s a process. If it helps you do one thing you normally wouldn’t have done, you’re making progress!
Make Steps You Can Follow
Another important step is to keep any calendar, planner, or anything else you use to schedule your day is to keep them in one place. This can be in the kitchen, on your desk, or even by your bed. It’s important to keep them in plain sight so that you see them and know your goals for that day. This is where staying organized may come in handy, because if you have a lot of clutter in this area you might feel too overwhelmed to do any of these tasks you had originally planned.
There are always tasks that are more important than others. This is why it’s important to specifically block out times for tasks that are non-negotiable. Whether it’s your daughter’s dance recital or your self-care time, do not allow yourself to use that time slot for anything else. This will help you later, because who hasn’t accidentally scheduled two important events for the same time before? It causes a lot of unnecessary stress for everyone, and you might not even realize it until the last minute. Make sure you focus on one thing at a time, and it’ll help boost productivity by not overworking yourself.
Give Yourself Small and Effective Breaks
One thing that you need to consider before scheduling a whole day is you need breaks. Don’t feel lazy for blocking in some breaks here and there for yourself. It actually really increases productivity by having some time for yourself to breathe. Even if it’s five minutes, you need to have some time for yourself to regroup and relax on a busy day. During this time you can go on a small walk, do some stretches, or get something to eat or drink. In order to be productive, you need to have some time for yourself or your mind will wander and you’ll get burnt out really quick.
Be Realistic
One of the most important parts of scheduling your day is to be realistic. You can’t go from completely disorganized to a scheduling master overnight. It’s a skill that takes months of practice, believe it or not. For example, if your goal is to start meditating every day for an hour, it’s best to start with about five minutes. If you want to start going to the gym daily, then you should probably start once or twice a week. It’s not set in stone that you won’t meditate for an hour or you won’t go to the gym four days that week, but it gives you some real-time to get used to the schedule. You’ll feel more productive by doing those short amount of times, instead of feeling bad about the times you didn’t do.
To conclude, a schedule will help organize your life and help you create and stick to goals that you’ve wanted to do for months. But, like all things in life, this is a process and you shouldn’t overwhelm yourself by expecting too much of yourself. However, if you need to increase productivity and make your days count, you should try a schedule.
