Forget your to-do lists, diaries and other planning apps on your BlackBerries and Androids. Sure they are nice, but may not always be useful in getting things done during the week. You want to cheat the Lagos traffic, get to work in time and spend more time with your family. But then you are completely disorganized and your crazy work schedule makes it almost impossible to achieve these goals at the end of day. Here is how you can get things done during the week:
1. Plan in Advance
It’s that simple; plan your week in advance. Set out time every night to organize your day before it commences. Get the little stuff out of the way like sorting out what you will wear to work or putting away your lunch for the next day. Write down an action plan of two or three goals you want to achieve during the week, when you intend getting them done and work towards achieving those goals. You will eventually find that a little more planning will save you a lot of irrelevant headaches and give you time to focus on more critical matters.
2. Meditate
With fMRI scan systems, medical examinations show that the brain of a person who meditates begins to slow its beta waves, as soon as the person begins the introspection. In other words, once you begin to meditate, your brain stops racing up to process chunks of information and it calms your mind. If you are religious, take out time to pray and you will find that you have the much-needed boost to take on your day.
3. Exercise
Exercise is good for your mind and body. With a good routine, you can easily fit exercise into your schedule. When you wake up with 100 things in mind, or find yourself with more problems than you can handle, take out 30 minutes of your time to do some cardio. Once you begin to pump some endorphins, your mind will begin to open up for better and fresher ideas. You’ll become more active and in no time, have better frame of mind to tackle arising issues.
4. Read
Reading stimulates your brain, reduces your stress level and in general helps you to become more informed. Reading also improves your memory and concentration, and the reading resources you can find online are endless. If you want to de-clutter your day, engage in some reading to rouse your energy. Remember, when you’re energized, it keeps you in control and enables you to organize your week more effectively.
5. Take Breaks
You must learn to pause sometimes, to keep you serene in the midst of a hefty workload. Let’s face it, you are human and will probably get bored at different stages of completing your tasks. Cut yourself some slack, take the tasks as they come and before you know it, the job is done!
When you plan the night before, you create yourself a roadmap for the next day. If you can get into the habit of following a daily routine, it will help in planning and managing your week more effectively.
