How To Set Up a Productive Routine and Be On Track

04 Sep How To Set Up a Productive Routine and Be On Track

Life is not easy. It mostly sways you into things which you should not do. That swaying looks real, but it is just bringing you away from your goal. If you have set your goal of productive routine loud and clear, you can always bounce back but if you are not sure what your goal is, you can get distracted very often. Distraction can be detrimental to progress. In getting swayed from goals you start feeling powerless. Getting your power back is the next big thing to do when in situations like this. 

But what if you don’t know whether you are swaying from your goal?

State your goals on a plane piece of paper everyday before you start your day. If it is a journal, well and good. Write down 5 things that you need to do for that day on a paper and follow it till the end of the day. This would give you the purpose for the day. Remember, you can only do maximum 5 things in a day. Once you are done with these 5 things. You are done for the day. These five things that you are noting down are essentially small steps towards your goals. If none of it is happening and you are in turn doing something else, that means you are totally swayed and distracted from your goals. It is time to take further action to bring things back on track.

How to bring things back on track?

There is a certain power in routine. By routine, I mean consistency. My grandmother who is around 87 years old has been following a consistent routine throughout her life. She never used any journal per se but her timetable for the day was impeccable. Looking at the clock, I can tell what she would do at a specific time. How many of us have such consistency? I bet only 25% of us probably. Bringing in consistency would help you feel that you are in the control of the day and my grandma knew this secret early on. Taking control of the day, helps to feel assured and hence minimizes impulsive actions.

While the outer world pulls all your senses in all directions, it is you who must pull the whole world in.

That can only be possible if you concentrate on all your senses. Here are some things which would help to get more conscious of yourself.

• Observe Breathing
  • As simple as it is. When I feel I am not aware of myself and too much into something else, I start observing my breathing. Just observe and be.
• Be aware
  • Be aware of your body. Your palms, fingers, feet, toes, back and all other internal organs which are at work at an instance. Flex your fingers, stretch the palm to feel good about the constant work the body puts in to make you feel better.
• Workout
  • The best way to get in touch with yourself is to workout. It can be anything. I have personally found that Running is more like meditation and it is very effective to calm the senses. Working out 5 days a week is NON NEGOTIABLE.

Bring back the focus

Setting a timetable and cutting down your earlier activity at a correct point helps to bring back the focus. When you don’t have a day planned, you can spend huge time doing something which is not required at that point.

Setting up a 5-activity routine for a day is the key to get your power back.

Journaling your way to a productive day

Today, my 7 years old niece took me to a surprise when she promptly ticked on her bullet point in her to-do list for the day after her cycle ride. As they say,, the children are the best imitators. They copy, or most of the time they ape the elders. We, my sister and me, have this habit of writing down a journal since we were kids. I have been a fan of a routine which is followed religiously even during my leisure days. I remember of keeping a timetable for my vacation too. No one forced me for this diligence. But I think I am wired to have a tab on time spent.
That was childhood. Time of course flew in no time(sounds filmy) isn’t it! But when I look back, I realize that this prudent habit has made my job much easier now.

Once a pattern is persuaded regularly becomes a way of life.

Journalling for me meant writing down how am I going to spend the whole day given so many activities and my varied interests. And mainly it helped me gauge myself when Mumma was not around during my vacations. Wise allocation of time, putting the same on the wall, decorating it and sticking to the timetable was all an easy task for me. It used to give me a sense of achievement when I had ticked 90 percent of my day’s task. It involved reading books(academics/shlokas/or story), cleaning my mess, helping mom in her chores, watching TV watering the plants, drawing/ painting, playing indoor/outdoor games, eating and chit chatting around.

The habit continued for my good, and now it has become a part of my life. The daily life today isn’t easy, but when priorities are jotted down in the form of a journal or to-do list, then it is just a cake walk.

Many successful people have emphasised a lot on the process of Journalling for million reasons. Journalling is a process of writing a diary. It is a simple activity where you note down what has to be achieved by you for the day/month/year. It is often said that when you write or record, you give clarity to your thoughts. Journalling helps in prioritising the tasks. Important and urgent tasks can be written on the top followed by the rest.

A continuous tab on what has been done and what has to be done gives an idea of how much we have achieved of what we had set for at the beginning of the day. With multiple tasks at hand, now, at this stage of my life, I always resort to my journals. They are the mirror which tells me what to do and what has been left out.
This is a time saving simple method for people who have a lot of tasks and can’t keep a check mentally.

Let it be office work, household chores, payment of bills, meal prep for a week, a vacation planned or diet and fitness related regime, Journalling is the solution to ease your life.

Today, I go by the ‘done list’ which is to write down what has been done throughout the day instead of what is to be done which we l talk about in the next blog along with the various methods of Journalling.

Colors play an important part when It comes to writing a diary. It is in fashion now to also be expressive at Journalling than the monotonous tick and cross method.

I play multiple roles and have many hats to wear. With two hands full and a mobile in my hand which is the most essential gadget of my life, I feel the popular applications of Journalling are booming up.

I prefer my old school of writing a to-do list early morning than the various apps. And why not a pen and paper have a magical impact.

When you sit, think and write, you visualize the day further adding to the power of its manifestation. Achievements are seen to multiply when you exercise this one activity religiously.

With this blog, I am 10/10 for the day and heading off to sleep. Are you a fan of Journalling too! If yes, then share your secrets and experiences about the benefits. Else why not try once this awesome art to success.

Summery:

• If you have set your goal loud and clear, you can always bounce back but if you are not sure what your goal is, you can get distracted very often.
• Write down 5 things that you need to do for that day on a paper and follow it till the end of the day.
• Remember, you can only do maximum 5 things in a day
• Taking control of the day, helps to feel assured and hence minimizes impulsive actions.
• Just observe and be.
• Flex your fingers, stretch the palm to feel good about the constant work the body puts in to make you feel better.
• Working out 5 days a week is NON-NEGOTIABLE 
• Setting up a 5-activity routine for a day is the key to get your power back.
• Jotting down your to-do or done list in the journal is very satisfying.