Chapter 4: Getting the Best out of your Daily Routines
A day lost is a gift you can never regain. Therefore, it is imperative that you enjoy every day of your life as though it might be your last. Remember that what determines the quality of your day is the way you go about your activity. So, you need to change the way you go about the day to get the best out of it. Below are some hacks that can make a difference in your daily routines.
Focus on the Meaning or Benefits
One of the reasons we aren’t motivated when carrying out some tasks is that we forget the benefits of that activity somewhere along the line. Indeed, some tasks could be physically demanding, such as doing laundry, mopping, or mowing the yard. Nevertheless, they are not meaningless activities. We carry them out because they are important to our health and the appearance of our home. No one wants to be in a home with overgrown grasses, dusty floors, and stinking clothes. Besides, you don’t want your visitors to perceive you as a dirty person.
So, you should use the purpose of the activities as the motivation to complete them without grumbling. One of the reasons you procrastinate is that you have taken your eyes off the essence of the task. Remember how neat and tidy you will look while ironing your clothes. In the same way, think about the personal feeling of satisfaction and good remarks you will get from guests when you clean your home. It’s true that you’ll feel tired when carrying out the activity, but you will forget all the stress you have gone through when you have completed it.
Think of innovative ways you can carry out your daily routines to motivate you to do them. For example, you can make using the TV remote, brushing your teeth, and lifting an object more challenging by using your non- preferred hand. Checking your new email can also become a boring routine task despite its importance if you don’t seek more effective ways to go about it. You can consider leveraging filters on your Gmail account, which enables you to prioritize some emails. Also, you can consider taking a new route when going to work or returning.
Your mind loves it when you do something in a different way. You can consider turning a routine into a game. For example, you can start checking how long it takes you to make your bed. Then set a challenge to beat that time the next time. You can do this for other activities too. We all love challenges and competitions because they have a way of making us work harder and more efficiently. Even if there is no one to compete with you, you can set up personal challenges that will get you up to speed.
An activity takes a new look when you pay more attention to details. For example, you can enjoy eating your meal more when you eat slowly and pay attention to the taste of every bite and chunk. If you made the meal, think about the process involved and how your cooking skills have produced that magic. If it is a restaurant, appreciate the technique of the cooks and imagine the energy they put into making the meal. You’ll realize that it feels different, unlike when you are just eating for the sake of it.
You can also make the best of your routines when you are present at the moment. Don’t read a newspaper when watching a movie. Choose one task at a time and focus on it until you’re through. When speaking to people, don’t use your phone without seeking their permission. The human mind is not designed to focus on more than one task at a time. When you try to do more than one thing at the same time, you find yourself stressed out. You’ll end up not making the best out of any of those activities.
You cannot enjoy your life to the fullest when you haven’t discovered yourself. You should know your strengths and weaknesses. When you identify the things you are good at, you will find them enjoyable. Delegate the things you are not fantastic at doing to others, especially when you can afford to pay for extra hands. If mowing the yard ruins your week or day, and you can afford to pay someone else to do it, why not? It doesn’t make you lazy. You are only smart enough to concentrate your energy on more productive things.
If you haven’t discovered the things you do effortlessly, you will struggle with efficiency. Note that the fact that you’re struggling with a task doesn’t mean that you’re not cut out for it. You might need more training and guidance to do it better. So, ensure you do your research to improve your efficiency. When you are better at doing something, you will find it more fun to do it. You’ll stop procrastinating and do more within the time limit you have. Otherwise, you’ll keep giving yourself ten reasons you shouldn’t do what you need to do at the right time.
Daydreaming can be good when carrying out a task that seems to be stressful to you. For example, while washing the car, especially during the weekend, you can brighten up your mood by thinking about a date you have the next weekend. Think about the things you will say and how you’ll dress. Before you realize it, you are through with the task! This approach can be counterproductive if what you’re doing requires you to think about it. For example, it isn’t advisable when reading your email. However, it’s a fantastic way to go through activities that requires your energy and physical strength more than your cognitive ability.
Also, it is vital that you don’t let the beautiful thoughts make you stop what you’re doing. If you are becoming distracted by the thoughts such that you find yourself resting to focus on the imaginations, you need to find a different method. You can consider listening to music while carrying out the activity. This works well when working out. Create a playlist of your favorite songs and play them while sweating it out.
Leverage your Peak Energy Period
It’s not every activity you should do in the morning or in the evening as the case may be. Don’t copy the schedule of others because it isn’t everything that works for others that will work for you. You need to understand your body to know your peak energy period. Your peak energy period is that part of the day when you’re the most energized and alert. For some people, it is in the morning, while it is in the evening for some people. Once you discover your own, you need to reschedule your activities.
Put those activities that demand more energy and a higher level of alertness in your peak energy period. Move the less demanding ones to the other period of the day. This approach ensures that you’ll have enough in the tank for both the demanding and less stressful tasks. You’ll no longer end the day feeling that there is more you could have done. You will also stop postponing things you can do today to the next day.