These 4 Rules Helped Me Become More Productive And Motivated

Simple changes can lead to great success.

One of my biggest struggles was time management. I used to be annoyed about how my time was never enough.

I mentally planned my days, but they never happened how I wanted. Time was too short, and most of my plans never started.

Most of these struggles came because I was procrastinating instead of following my daily plans.

That’s why I started tracking my time to identify where I was spending it. And after analyzing it, I made a list of rules to be more productive.

So to begin, a habit is a well-learned behavior or automatic sequence of relatively situation-specific behaviors and, over time, have become motorically reflexive and independent of motivational or cognitive influence. That is, it is performed with little or no conscious intent.

To reach these automatic behaviors and develop a habit, a person needs an average of sixty-six days. For this reason, we need to have a strong mindset and a clear plan.

These are my four rules to help me be consistent and more productive towards each of my goals.

1.Identify your goals.

The first thing is to identify your “why?” Having a clear idea of what you want to achieve will give you direction.

And will help you be clear on the steps you need to reach that destination. This step can be one of the most manageable because we are used to identifying our problems.

The complicated step is to find and apply solutions. That’s why we need to be aware of where we are. We can’t start planning a route without knowing where is our starting point.

This starting point is different for each goal and each person. For example, if you want to be a translator, you need to identify your level of expertise in the language you want to translate.

To be able to know which steps are needed in your particular case to achieve that goal.

This is relevant to anything you want to achieve, and it is imperative to take the time to be aware of the goals and where we are towards achieving them.

2. Plan your week.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Making a weekly plan and sticking to it is one of the most complicated tasks to do at the beginning. Procrastination and habits tend to get in the way, and it is hard to come out of our comfort zone.

Following a weekly plan implies discipline and a strong mindset. These two things seem to be intimidating when we start walking out of our comfort zones.

But what can we do to overcome our habits and implement the plan we made?

Start with small achievable goals instead of worrying about your week. Planing one day at a time can give you more focus and a less overwhelming sensation.

I started my weekly planning by tracking and identifying where I was spending my time. To begin prioritizing my tasks.

Sleeping must be on the top of our priority list. Since a lack of sleep and too much of it can affect our cognitive functions.

Schedule seven to nine hours of sleep every day and start building the daily plan around those hours.

You can start by planing your day by the hour, starting at your wake time and finishing with your go-to be time. Structuring your day like this can help you have a clear view of how you have to perform all your tasks.

Eating along with sleeping is one of our non-negotiable tasks of the day. They are essential to our survival, and it is imperative to have them in our top priorities.

Even tho sleeping and eating are the most important task on our schedule is interesting how these are the same things we often sacrifice to achieve other tasks.

Making a meal prep once or twice a week can help us save time without sacrificing our nutrition.

I like to make a tree day meal plan. For example, I cook on Sundays and Wednesdays. This way, I don’t have to focus on cooking every day, and I can use my time more productive.

3. Avoid distractions.

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”

― Winston S. Churchill

One of our worst enemies is our lack of self-control, which leads us to procrastinate.

How many times do we catch ourselves scrolling through social media for hours without even realizing it?

Easy access to the internet can be an excellent tool for success but can be equally destructive for our productivity if we don’t manage time effectively.

But we don’t need to disconnect from social media or entertainment because these are an essential aspect of our lives.

We need to limit and control the time we spend on it concerning the task that leads us to our goals.

For me, a best practice was to turn off all social media notifications and schedule different times a day to check them. Instead of grabbing my phone every time a notification came in.

4.Take care of yourself.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

–Buddha

As much productive we want our lives to be, there are times we need to stop, take a break, and enjoy living.

Taking breaks from our tasks is as important as the tasks. Our happiness is the most important goal we could have.

Every plan we make should focus on making us happy and complete.

Invest time working out and living a healthier lifestyle that allows you to live longer.

Spending quality time with family and friends should be one of our priorities or one reason to make the most of our time.

Learn something new every day. Pay attention to your day because every event can be a new lesson.

I like to start my day with a self-growth audiobook while I make my coffee and workout. This helps me start my day with a positive mindset.

Having a clear mindset when we think about our goals and what we need to do to achieve them is the key to success.

These five rules were my first steps to achieve a more productive way of life and make the most of my days. Allowing me more time for the things that matter.

I’m sure applying them to your goals will help you have a clearer view of them and a more feasible way to reach them.

Remember, if you want to change the world, you have to start by changing yours.