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If you're busy and struggle to make time for everything in your day, this article is for you! Finding the best way to manage your time to fit your lifestyle can make a big difference in how you feel before going to bed each night. It gives you a great dopamine response, and it only takes a few minor changes every day to feel like you're accomplishing more than you did before!
MENU
DON'T RELY ON MOTIVATION
Motivation comes and goes. Some days you wake up feeling motivated to do things that will make your life better, healthier, and happier, but other days you wake up and let's be honest..you don't want to do ANY of those things. Motivation is inconsistent and should not be your primary source for getting things done.
You should rely on consistency, dedication, and the small decisions you make each day. It helps when you can find something enjoyable in it, even if it's something you typically don't like doing. Find something you can enjoy about it, or at least something you can learn from it.
Carry gratitude with you because gratitude helps soften things, helps you find something to positively connect with, and can make things seem less overwhelming.
FIND YOUR "HIGH POINT"
Instead of having a huge list of things you have to do that day, focus on one main thing. That main thing is the "high point." Respect that high point and do everything in your power to achieve it.
Write down your high point and plan around it. All the other things you want to do that day are less important. Doing them will give you gratification, but the high point is what you should focus on.
Treat those things you don't want to do as a simple checklist and look forward to and work towards doing the things you love and are excited about, no matter how big or small. But the key is to keep the one thing you need to do that day at the center.
WRITE THINGS DOWN
Andrew Huberman, talking about writing, said, "This engages our motor control centers so that the information gets deeply encoded in our memory."
Have an agenda, a journal, a calendar, or just a sheet of paper you can put on your refrigerator, where you can write down the things you need to do that day.
PRO TIP: Take advantage of this to also write down experiences and moments of gratitude that you experience throughout the day. Finding the good in the things you have to do or writing down what you learn from them helps you get a dopamine response and creates a positive connection with the small and mundane things you have to do throughout the day.
5-MINUTE INTERVALS
Most of the time we don't do things because they seem too overwhelming. Or maybe we've had a terrible day and lack energy and motivation.
Break your time into 5 minutes, set a timer, either on your phone or a clock, and tell yourself, "I'm going to take these 5 minutes at a time." This helps make bigger tasks seem more manageable.
And if you still feel overwhelmed by what you have to do during the day, tell yourself the following:
The story I'm telling myself is....
Or maybe your story is:
The story I'm telling myself is that I'm too tired, too sore, too overwhelmed to do this today.
Sit with those feelings and thoughts for a moment, allow yourself to analyze what's true in that statement and what isn't. Find the truth in what you feel and then figure out how you can continue moving forward with what you have to do.
Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and do it, other times you may need to take a moment to rest, reset, or reschedule.
ALLOW YOURSELF MOMENTS OF JOY
You don't have to have the"go, go, go" mentality. What are some things you love doing? Would it help to add them to your day? Choose things and use the 5-minute rule: 5 minutes for a nap, 5 minutes to stretch, to talk to someone, to read or listen to music. Take it 5 minutes at a time and add what you need, according to your needs that day.
If you own a business or have children, or you're studying at the university, choose what you can delegate to someone else during the day to help you accomplish your "high point." If you struggle to ask for help, communicate to your partner or friend, for example, what your high point of the day is and that you would appreciate their support in bathing the kids or organizing the apartment, allowing you to do your high point during that time.
CONCLUSION
Your time is your greatest asset, but it can also be your greatest weakness. Learning to manage your time in a way that suits your needs and lifestyle will have a significant impact on your level of success and happiness each day.