It’s hard to get productive and stay in that mindset but here are some tips that have helped me get a good start to the day and left me feeling so much better. A productive day is just the start to accomplishing goals and feeling like a BADDIE. In order to have a productive day we need to…

1. Get Up Early

Rise and shine. You can’t have a productive day until you actually start your day. You need to have time in the day to get tasks done. For me personally, I try to get up at around 7-7:30 but I know this is not doable for everyone so find the time that works best for you. When you do get up however simply waking up is not the key. Waking up and watching tik tok for 2-3 hours will not lead to the outcome you’re looking for so… get that body moving. For people that just can’t seem to leave their bed, set your phone across the room at night so that when your alarm goes off you have no choice but to GET UP and turn it off. Another great thing to do right when you wake up is chug a glass of water. I always keep my water bottle next to my bed so that I can immediately drink it when I wake up. This keeps you hydrated as well as helps wake you up. My favorite ways to start a productive morning includes stretching, a quick workout, journaling, and/or reading all of these allow you to focus on one thing which will set you up for success later on. Being productive starts with how you approach the day.

2. Make a To Do List

Next we have to make a To Do List. This is a pretty straight forward concept but if you don’t know what you need to get done and how to organize it in the most optimal way you’re going to end up either frantically trying to do everything or losing motivation very quickly. You can make your to do list on your phone or a piece of paper. I prefer paper because the satisfaction of crossing something off my list just does something for me. I understand that having your list on your phone allows you to take it on the go and edit it more freely than paper does. Start your list by, in your head, figuring our the tasks that are most important to get done. For example if you have and essay due at 11:59 that day, it should probably out rank vacuuming the carpet. Once you have done this order your list by what you want to get done first. Using the same example I would put the essay assignment at the top of my list and then vacuuming the carpet/cleaning, then follow it with maybe running errands; going to the bank, getting groceries, etc. This allows you to simply follow the list top to bottom. Of course there is nothing saying you can’t go out of order, I just find it easier to focus when my day is already planned out for me and all I need to do is look at the next task on my list.

3. Keep Yourself in Check

If you’re reading this it’s probably because you want to be more productive with your time. Obviously right. You’ve already accomplished the first step. Motivation. You are motivated to do better and keeping hustling. However reading this post will only get you so far. I can give you some tips but it is ultimately up to you to implement them and get it done. Grab that To Do list, which is probably pretty lengthy and just start. You’ve already made it this far why not just keep going. Be aware that mindset is everything! Just because you woke up later than you wanted or realize that your To Do list is way longer then you initially realized, should not discourage you from still having a productive day. You are stronger than you think and if you want something it can happen. Set yourself up for success. Once you accomplish all your tasks you set out for, you’re going to feel so much better and hopefully proud because you just did that. Boom! This will allow you to keep going and continue to hustle. However take this with a grain of salt. Not everyday should be productive and intensely filled with things you need to get done. It is equally beneficial to take time off, to do absolutely nothing for the day. It is really easy to get stressed out and feel overwhelmed so make sure you’re taking time to relax and take care of yourself. In order to have productive days there has to be calm unproductive days.

Therein lies the 3 keys to having a successful day. I hope this helped you in some shape or form to get productive and keep hustling. I could spend all day writing about productive days but I think I’d rather let you get to it.

-Nikki Smith