How To Get More Done In A Day
When most people discover the self-help/personal development genre they feel enlightened and fired up. You see opportunity to be MORE, do MORE, accomplish MORE, live to your fullest potential. When I first discovered the genre, I was dealing with a break up. I watched self improvement videos daily, started teaching myself about mindfulness, healthy eating, exercise…you name it. Determined to be SUPER Sade, I realized I could improve anything I didn’t feel confident about. While this sounds magical and inspirational, in due time I lost focus and clarity.
The problem evolved when I started to burn myself out. If you aspire for your day to look like this:
1. Wake up early
2. Mediate for an hour
3. Go to the gym for two hours
4. Go to work
5. Take dance lessons after work
6. Cook and prep for the next day
7. Work on my multiple side businesses until you knock out #teamnosleep
This is an extreme dream case scenario. You won’t be able to fully commit and effectively accomplish all of these tasks over a long time period. Willpower is like a battery, it will get drained. Just like you have to charge your phone, you also need down time to “recharge.”
What’s stopping you from pursuing another stream of income? Or developing yourself into an expert in something?
MANIACAL FOCUS!!!!
It’s fine to pursue multiple interests. You just need to focus on one thing at a time if you want to be exemplary and not only average. You can’t expect little of yourself and believe you deserve great rewards.
Many people perceive me to be superhuman. I work a full time job in advertising, make time to clean, cook healthy meals, maintain a couple of side hustles, go to the gym, and make time for fun and connecting with my loved ones. It is EXHAUSTING. However, my aspirations are aligned with this lifestyle. What keeps me motivated is my focus and clarity. I have to constantly remind myself of my set goals and priorities. Yes I can accomplish all the things I listed but not in one day.
If one of your goals is to “do what you love so you’ll never work a day in your life.” You’ll need to become very self aware, clear and precise on what fuels the fire within you. I’m by no means an expert at focusing but I’ve been actively working on being clear on who and what I want in the next two years to accomplish my 10+ year goals and I’ve realized that I needed to make some life alterations to get there.
If you find that you’re two tired or unmotivated to do all the things you set out to do—I have some tips on how to find your energy again that don’t involve coffee:
1. Prioritize time to “recharge”
Set aside time every day to do something that makes you feel relaxed and allows your mind to be at peace. In these moments, are when the best ideas pop into my head because my mind is clear.
2. Use your time as effectively as possible
For me, this involves making the most of my time at work. If you work in an industry like mine where you have to multitask way more than a person should, try focusing as best you can and limiting your distractions. For me that looks like sitting in a meeting room alone or listening to music and silencing my emails until I’ve completed a set task. I set time restrictions for all my tasks and adjust when needed.
3. Instead of focusing on balancing everything, focus on making progress on one thing a day that truly matters to you
According to a Harvard Business Review study, people that feel happy, successful and fulfilled by their lives and work, all have one thing in common—they feel as though they are making progress on one thing that matters.
With precise planning, you can certainly get more done daily. Focus on small progression, not massive changes. PSA for people who hate planning: IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PLAN, YOU’RE PLANNING TO FAIL. You’ll be fighting for balance and feel unfilled way more than you should. Trust me, I’ve been there. Lost and living life aimlessly.
4. Declutter
A clean environment makes for a clearer mind. I’m starting a declutter challenge this week and I can’t wait to see how I feel at the end of it.
5. Take energy & immune support vitamins
My mom has always been an advocate for vitamins and natural remedies. When I don’t take my vitamins, I don’t even feel like myself. Of course you can eat foods that will provide you with the nutrients you need. Although, the reality is that most people are not eating all the nutrients their body needs on a daily basis, vitamins help with this.
6. Eat better and get active
Changing your diet will greatly improve your effectiveness. Limit your junk food intake. Eat more vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Also, make time to do some form of exercise at least 3 times a week. Exercising makes you feel energized and happier.