Do you feel like time flies but you get nowhere?
The week is over, and you can’t remember what you actually did. Yes, you were busy, but it seems like nothing important got done.
You started a bunch of things this week, but finished few.
That to-do list from Monday? It’s still stuck on your desk, a reminder of today is what you have lost in the busy work.
Feeling as if there’s never enough time to do what you want is normal.
Our world is full of distractions, information overload, and a dozen things pulling us every other day. Focusing and getting things done feels impossible.
This makes you often forget that each day is important.
But you can take control of today and own your day. This guide will show you how to get back on track, take the gift that everyday comes with and more importantly feel good what you’ve done.
We’ll figure out why we often waste time and give you 7 easy actionable tips to take control of your today and make today count.
Today has the power to lift you up from what you were yesterday. So use it.
Let’s do this!
Why we waste precious days?
Have you ever considered where the days go?
We all waste important days sometimes, often for a few reasons.
- Procrastination – putting off work you should do today. This leads to day passing without getting real work done.
- Lack of focus – as you didn’t plan anything for today. Distractions from phones (biggest time stealer) or multitasking leads to wasted time.
- Feeling overwhelmed, or really stressed out – leads to waste days as you don’t know where to start or what to do first. Your day just ends without much done.
- Feeling constantly short on time – feeling like there’s never enough time. When you’re always rushing, it’s hard to focus on what’s matters most. This makes it tough to get things done (hurting your productivity) and leave you feeling unsatisfied (impacting your fulfillment).
If you have a different reason, find it. Knowing why you waste your day will help you be more mindful with your days and end your day without the sense of regret.
The only key is to be intentional with your day.
Be thoughtful about how you are living your days.
I will guide you on using your day intentionally by choosing what you want to focus on today, making real progress and getting things done, instead of just feeling busy.
7 Actionable Tips to get things done today
1. Start by knowing what's important to you
The first tip is about gaining clarity on your “why” or purpose.
And doing this as a first thing in the morning saves your time throughout the day.
I saved a powerful question in my journal from Robin Sharma’s videos. I go through it in the morning.
What is your magnificient obsession that gets you out of bed at 5 in the morning with fire in the belly and sparkle in your eyes.
Knowing why something is important to you and why you are doing this helps you to make better choices and do what needs to be done.
Your purpose gives meaning to your actions and keeps you excited, especially when things get tough.
Also having a real reason for what you have to do today sharpens your focus. It fuels your motivation and helps you see that each day is important.
So take time in the morning or in the day to reflect on what truly matters to you. Knowing this will help you make the most of today.
Actionable Steps:
Reflect on yourself: You have to spend time thinking about your experiences, the path that you want to choose and what makes you feel good. Write down this in your journal.
- Ask yourself: What are my core values? What brings me a sense of fulfillment? At the end of today, how will I wish I had lived this day? What should I do that makes me feel good? What kind of person do I want to be?
Pick your top 3 values: Choose the 3 values that matter most to you, the ones you want to stand for. These values can be adjusted over time.
- Check your life: Write about your daily activities and life you are building. Do they match up with your top values? If yes, congrats. If not, then you have to decide how you can adjust them.
Set Goals: Use your core values to set goals that align with what matters to you.
- Update regularly: Well things change over time, you may find some values to focus on later. So change your list.
Write a statement in your journal that reminds you who you are becoming. Like I am type of person who wakes up at 5 AM to see the sunrise everyday.
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. -Atomic Habits
By gaining clarity in your mind, you’ll know what to focus on today, helping you to make the most of today.
2. Focus on what matters most today
Our brains can only handle so much information at once!
Science shows that focusing on too many things at once actually makes it harder to get anything done.
This tip tackles the monster to-do list that can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
To-do list are made to stay focused on today. (Jake Knapp discusses the idea of avoiding to-do lists in his book Make Time. You can read it here)
The key is prioritization.
Prioritization is like picking out what needs to be done first. It’s really important to figure out which tasks are most important or urgent today.
This helps you focus better because you’re not overwhelmed with too many things at once.
And you can stay on track, get things done without feeling scattered or distracted.
Planning makes your day more organized and less stressful.
Actionable Steps:
- Make Your List: Write down the three most important things you need to do today. Keep it simple and clear.
- Decide What’s First: Figure out which task is the most urgent or most essential. This will be your top priority.
- Break It Down: For each task, break it into smaller steps. This really makes it easier to manage and less overwhelming. Mind works fastest when shown the steps.
- Set Time: Estimate how long each task will take and plan specific times in your day to work on them. Some can exceed more than what you decided but that’s fine atleast you are doing your most important tasks.
- Stay Flexible: Be ready to adjust your list if something unexpected comes up as some days may not go as planned. It’s okay to change your plans as needed.
Or you can use the Eisenhower Matrix for organizing tasks based on their urgency and importance. You can read it here. Simply divide your tasks into four categories.
- Urgent and Important: Tasks that require immediate action and are crucial to your goals or responsibilities.
- Important but Not Urgent: Tasks contribute to your long-term goals and well-being but don’t require immediate attention.
- Urgent but Not Important: Tasks may feel pressing, but they don’t contribute significantly to your goals or priorities.
- Not Urgent and Not Important: Tasks that can be eliminated or delegated (low priority).
- You just have to complete tasks in “Urgent and Important” quadrant first.
You’ll now have a clearer sense of control and ready to make progress on what’s important to you today.
3. Schedule your time like a boss
Feeling constantly busy yet unproductive?
When you fail to schedule your time effectively, you become vulnerable to distractions and end up juggling too many things at once.
Use Time Blocking.
This helps you focus better, avoid procrastination, and get more done.
Time blocking is when you spet specific time slots in your calendar for dedicated tasks. This minimizes distractions and ensures you give your full attention to the task at hand. Here’s why it’s awesome:
- You don’t waste time just deciding what to do next? You know exactly what you should be working on at any given time.
- You avoid distractions and get into a focused “flow state” where you get more done in less time.
- Knowing exactly when you’ll tackle a tough task makes it much less scary to start. Plus, seeing those completed blocks on your schedule is highly motivating!
Actionable Steps:
- Use a Digital Calendar: I am Google Calendar fan and it’s really helping me everyday. You can choose a calendar system that works for you apple calendar or notion calendar. But please use a digital calendar its so easy to manage it.
- Review your tasks: You know your tasks from the previous tip for the day or week. You also have realistically estimated the amount of time each task will require. Just review them.
- Block Your Time: Now just smash them on your calendar. Schedule dedicated time slots for each task, prefer to include buffer periods between tasks for unexpected interruptions.
- Stick to the Schedule: This is the schedule you have decided for today so have no distractions during these focused work sessions.
- You can adjust your schedule throughout the day as needed to find your ideal workflow. (this is your schedule).
When you schedule your day deliberately, you can also make time for breaks, relaxation, and things you enjoy. Now get to the calendar and block your time.
4. Protect your Focus at any cost
Distractions are everywhere and staying focused is a battle to win.
You sit down to focus on a task, and then your phone buzzes, a notification pops up, a new email shows up and later you’re lost in a social media feeds.
This makes it hard to focus on what you have scheduled.
You try to do many things at once.
Studies show that switching between tasks takes time and mental energy, reducing our productivity and performance.
You need to fight this constant distractions of the digital age.
Actionable Steps:
- List Distractions: Write down the websites or apps that distract you the most.
- Pick a Blocker Tool: Choose a website blocker like Pause(free chrome extension). This tool can block distracting sites during your focus time. Use them to restrict access to time-wasting websites.
- Utilize Do Not Disturb Mode – Turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode on your phone during focused work periods.
- Use the Visual Timer: I found this tip in Make Time Book. This really helps as you can see the amount of time you have. I use Free Timer app on pc.(It’s free)
- Use Airplane Mode: Yes you use it in Airplane but you can use it here too. It is in every phone, costs no penny and gives you focused hours. Put your phone in airplane mode for extended periods of focused work. This allows you to truly disconnect from the digital world.
- Have a Workspace: You can’t be focused everywhere. Designate a specific area in your home or office as your “Menlo Park” (Got this from Robin Sharma). This area should be free from clutter and distractions, and located somewhere quiet with little to no interruptions.
- The Pomodoro Technique: This tip is famous for focused work. Simple and short – just get focused and do your work for 25 minutes then take break for 5 minutes and repeat. You can also use the Pomodoro app.
Just like any skill, focus can be improved with practice. Start with short periods of distraction-free work into your day and then gradually increase.
Get focused to get more done in less time.
5. Say No to Things You don’t Need
Know when to say “no” to things that don’t fit with what’s important to you.
It’s a superpower for anyone who wants to make the most of today!
It’s about setting limits to protect your time and energy. Your time and you are valuable.
Say no to things that aren’t essential to you. It can be hard, but it’s important for taking care of yourself and staying focused on what’s truly important in your life.
Would you rather live your life according to the approval of others or aligned with your truth and your dreams. -The Greatness Guide(Learn to say No)
Why its important-
- By saying “no” to things that drain your energy, you free yourself up for the things that truly matter.
- Feeling constantly overloaded with commitments can be stressful. Boundaries help you stay focused on your priorities.
- Sometimes, saying “no” can actually strengthen your relationships. People who respect your boundaries are more likely to value your time.
Saying “no” doesn’t make you mean, it shows that you value your time!
Actionable Steps:
Identify What’s Not Needed: Look at your commitments and pick out the ones that aren’t necessary or you don’t feel to include them in your schedule. Simply say No to them.
Practice Saying “No”: When you’re asked to do something that’s not you want to do, politely decline. Like “Thank you for offering, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to” is really good. You don’t need to provide more explanations.
Set Limits: Let people know your boundaries and what you can and can’t commit to.
Offer Alternatives: If appropriate, suggest an alternative solution or offer to help at a different time. For example, “I’m engaged this week, but I’d be happy to help next week.”
Use this time: Now you got your time back, so use the time you saved from saying “no” to focus on things that are marked for today.
One of the best quote for remembering this tip – Everytime you say YES to something that is un-important, you say NO to something that is important.
You are just saying no to something that you don’t want to do, you are not committing any crime.
So do say NO more than you say YES.
6. Keep Track of what you do and celebrate it
Your progress keeps you motivated.
When you write down what you’ve done today, even small things, it reminds you that you’re moving forward.
Tracking your activities helps you see what’s working well and what you can improve, so you keep getting better over time.
Celebrating these small victories, like finishing a task or learning something new, boosts your confidence and makes you feel good.
Here is why you should do it –
- Seeing a list of completed tasks is a great confidence booster! It reminds you of your capabilities and fuels your drive to keep achieving.
- When the going gets tough, looking back at your progress can give you that extra push to keep going.
- Tracking your activities can help you identify areas where you spend too much time or get easily distracted.
Here is a quick video on small wins and daily progress journal that has helped me really well. You should install these 2 tools showed in the video in your day.
Actionable Steps:
Choose How to Track: Decide how you want to keep track of your daily progress. It could be a journal, a phone app(Habit Now), or a planner. Simply find an easy system that works for you. I use my journal to track my progress.
Track Your Progress: As you go through your day, write down or check off the tasks you complete.
Reward Yourself: Be proud of yourself for what you’ve done, even if it’s something small. Treat yourself to a small reward.
Plan for Tomorrow: Use your progress from today to plan what you want to achieve tomorrow.
Here is a simple quote that keeps me away from the trap of perfection – Done is better than perfect.
Focus on the progress over perfection. Yes progress is messy but don’t let the fear of making mistakes hold you back.
Enjoy the process.
7. Recharge and Refuel yourself
Take care of yourself for being productive and to feel good overall.
Just like a car needs gas to run, we need self-care to function at our best.
If you’re constantly running on fumes, you’re going to get burned out eventually.
Making time for things like getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, and doing things you enjoy will give yourself the fuel you need to make the most of today. And you get more energy, you concentrate better, and you feel less stressed.
In fact, reading is a great way to relax and learn new things. Check out my previous post 5 profound reasons why you are what you read to explore the effects of your reading.
Why you need to recharge-
- Proper rest and nutrition fuel your body and mind, leaving you feeling energized and ready to tackle your tasks.
- Feeling stressed or burnt out makes it hard to concentrate. Self-care helps you stay sharp and focused throughout the day. When you’re well-rested and feeling good, your brain can function at its peak.
- Taking care of yourself improves your mood and sense of well-being, making you feel more positive and motivated.
By making time for activities that calms your mind, body, and soul, you’ll be a happier, healthier, and more productive version of yourself.
Actionable Steps:
List Your Happy Activities: Write down activities that make you feel happy, relaxed, or excited such as reading a book, evening nature walk, or listening to music. Reading books, listening calming music and playing badminton brings me joy.
Schedule Time: Block out dedicated time in your calendar for these activities. Treat them as important appointments.
Protect Your Time: This time is just for yourself so make sure you have uninterrupted time for these activities.
Image Credit – Dlx Mediahu (Pexels) Enjoy the Moment: When it’s time for your activity, focus on it fully. You don’t need to focus on your work now. Put distractions away and live the experience for this period of time.
Adjust as Needed: Notice how you feel after doing these activities. Do they give you more energy? If something isn’t working, feel free to change it.
Self-care is not selfish; it’s essential for living a happy, healthy, and productive life.
As life will throw you problems everyday and now it’s up to you whether you want to solve them with a calming plus smiling face or stressed plus burnt out face.
Summing Up (Now you know the value of one day)
Remember, today is all you truly have.
Today is a one time opportunity to move closer to your goals and live life to the fullest. Don’t let the day pass without making the most of it.
By taking action and prioritizing what matters most, you can transform your days from feeling wasted to feeling fulfilling.
This has been a comprehensive guide for you. I hope you liked the content.
Test these tips today.
As Robin Sharma said – “No idea work until you do the work”
Don’t let these 7 tips gather dust in your bookmarks – implement them, experiment, and find what works best for you.
Choose 2-3 tips from this post and focus on actively implementing them throughout the next week. Track your progress and see how these changes impact your productivity.
Share your best tips in the comments below and share this with others who might benefit.
With that
All Green Lights to you
I’ll talk to you soon
