An almost airtight agenda for accomplishing anything

Habits that add value to my routine

Productivity applies to every living human being, regardless of what she is doing with her life. And nobody will deny that sense of happiness that accomplishment brings, especially when effort has gone into it — by design or by default.

Like most people, I always looking to learn a productivity trick or two and for ways to work smart. I have my routine to keep me on track. But I’ve realized that there are certain basic habits required for that routine to work like a well-oiled machine, and take me closer to my life-goals.

Here are nine habits I practice diligently to strengthen my routine.

Picking options — thinking out of the box

Life is full of options. We don’t always have to force ourselves to choose between only two. It is absolutely fine to look for a third. Dare to dream.

In 2004, when my Mom’s health deteriorated and I wanted to be with her, the only option seemed to be to quit my job and look after her. Another was to get a part-time job with fewer hours. But with mounting medical expenses, neither option seemed feasible. And then, thanks to my kind employer, a third option presented itself. Why not work from home? That was a major turning point in my life. Best decision ever! I had only dared to dream of working from home. With this decision came bigger opportunities. Today, I am living the dream.

Being conscious of the little things that bring joy

There’s truth in the fact that it’s the little things that matter, for tomorrow they add up to the big things. And they improve your daily life.

Ever turned up for a work meeting with your hands smelling like onions and/or garlic? In that air-conditioned room, with people sitting around that table, the smell amplifies itself. I’d know. So when my Mom gave me this tip: to get the smell of onion or garlic off, rub your hands on a stainless steel surface, I wanted to build her a monument. It works! And because I cook in the morning before I start work, what a difference it made! I no longer had to stress over it.

Rising early

Early risers are literally champions of their day. The extra time, the extra accomplished, all set the trend for a great day that goes according to schedule.

There is scientific proof that some exposure to early-morning sun can make you feel better all day. “Natural light calibrates your body’s clock for the rest of the day,” says Michael A. Grandner, PhD, a research associate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania.

This makes complete sense to me. I grew up in a joint family in the sixties and rising at 4.00 a.m. was the norm. So yes, luckily old habits die hard and early mornings find me enjoying a hot mug of coffee in my balcony, watching the pigeons, getting my thoughts together, and letting the sun give me my dose of Vitamin D. Very refreshing. Some days, I even go through my stretch routine and feel even better, and enthusiastic about facing my day!

Making time to indulge in what you love

To make any schedule work, prioritizing tasks is the first step. It has become a tradition in our hectic lives to put off those special things we’d rather be doing, simply because our schedule is filled with must-do non-negotiable stuff.

I love lists. I make too-much-to-do lists that I break into mini lists. Over the years, I’ve learned to be more mindful and have been making to-don’t lists. I also have wish lists. But of course, a chunk of my time is devoted to daily priorities. A couple of years earlier, I determined to set aside an hour each day to indulge in something I enjoyed doing. This can be reading a book (I know!), sketching, some DIY tinkering. I also promised myself that I’d travel more. Thing is, if we don’t grab these intentions by the….er…. grab them, we’ll never get around to even planning to do them. They become regrets, and those are not nice to live with. So, the point is to make it happen. No need to feel overwhelmed looking at that ever-growing wish list. Pick just one thing, work towards it. Make this a habit. Then, feel the joy.

Being prepared

It is great to have lofty plans. But it is preparation that paves the path to success. Ask anyone who goes out shopping but finds they’ve left their wallet at home!

During my corporate career a couple of decades ago, I traveled a lot and most of it was unplanned. After the first trip when I forgot to carry something essential, I made it a point to always have a bag packed and ready to go on a trip. Now that I work from home, and my going-out priorities are different, I carry a different set of essentials in my tote. What if I switch bags? I simply pull out the insert (clever, I know) and lower it into the new bag. Point is, nothing forgotten. If I have a meeting tomorrow, I prepare the night before. Glad to say I’ve managed to transfer this to my son, whose departure for school was/is never a stressful one.

Not putting up with sh*t

Do what makes you happy.

Simple enough, right? Except, it is so hard to say NO. Yet, for our own happiness, it is so important to learn to do it. It includes saying no to toxic people and situations, if only to keep yourself from getting hurt. The truth is, we only have one life. Why not make it count? I have learned to let go of clients that require 80% work and 20% income and come with stress as a big bonus. I have learned to do what makes me happy, because it helps me stay healthy.

Sleep over it

Besides getting enough sleep to lead a healthy life, it is good to sleep over anything you perceive as a problem. Things always look better in the morning.

It is the truth that when you are well-rested, you tend to tackle things more sensibly. When I feel low/overwhelmed about something, I never deal with it right away, unless it is an emergency. No point losing sleep over most things, because when the next day dawns, you’re too tired to think clearly. Prioritize that shut-eye and everything looks brighter when you open the windows to your soul again!

Being the change

Or in other words, stop complaining. If things don’t go as planned, rather than whine about it, take action.

Here, the serenity prayer is very helpful. Good, even, to make it a mantra.

And finally…

Practicing gratitude

It is good to be ambitious, but gratitude for what we have makes it easier to attract more things.

I’d love to know what success habits you practice!

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by 293,189+ people.

Subscribe to receive our top stories here.