How to plan your day and live a healthy and productive life

The twenty-first century greatly simplifies our lives in many ways. But not everything. Even while living standards are always rising, some problems merely seem to become more and more challenging over time. And these problems are problems with how to plan your day. For instance, the lifestyle frequently backfires and makes getting things done much harder, especially if we want to do them effectively. This is true even though there are hundreds of activities we can enjoy doing, hundreds of opportunities to take advantage of, and hundreds of tech gadgets that are supposed to help us.

In essence, it has never been harder to continue to be productive in our daily lives. We do not, however, have to merely accept it. Regardless of how busy we consider ourselves to be, we can still live satisfying lives without sacrificing any of our productivity. Being able to accommodate work-life balance (including things like dieting, relaxing, and working out) is a significant difficulty for me, and presumably for many of you as well. But it’s not impossible… How would you go about doing that? Plan out your day well. The benefits of daily planning include putting an end to procrastination, reducing stress and problems at the last minute, increasing achievement and motivation, and living a more balanced life with set priorities. However, in this article, the answers to the following questions will be discussed:

What is daily planning?
Why is it important to use a daily planner?
When Is The best time To plan your day?
How can you plan your day?
What are some of the best productivity techniques for daily planning?
What are the daily planner apps that can help you plan your day?

Contents

What is daily planning?

The act of arranging one’s daily activities is known as daily planning. Writing down a schedule, creating a to-do list, choosing what meals to eat, determining how much money can be spent, and other daily concerns are all examples of daily planning. The use of a daily planner template is common for daily planning. Daily planning can be a lifesaver if you are the kind of person who typically has hectic days and needs to carefully manage their time, such as a teacher, parent or caretaker, or student.

It is easier for you to become distracted, disorganized, or overwhelmed when your everyday lives are stressful and multifaceted. As a result, productivity may suffer and it may seem like you are constantly “playing catch-up.” One tried-and-true method for helping people better manage their time is to keep and use a daily planner. It is much less likely that these appointments and crucial tasks will be forgotten if you have a place to write down the daily schedule and everything that has to be accomplished.

To avoid getting distracted or overwhelmed, having a daily planner on hand is also helpful. Using a daily planner template, then, is a tried-and-true method for organizing and simplifying your life. It takes some time and effort to become used to utilizing a daily planner template, but if you get into the habit of doing so, it can really help busy people feel more in charge of their own lives.

Why is it important to use a daily planner?

Most people reflect on the previous year at the beginning of the year and create goals for the upcoming one. Daily planners naturally start to fly off the shelves at this time. Many people just do it out of habit or because they want to fit in. However, you shouldn’t just get a daily planner because that’s what everyone else is doing. Planners have some advantages that make them so crucial for becoming organized. Additionally, a lot of people decide to use bullet journals or design their own printable personal planners. The following are reasons why daily planning is important:

Boosts Productivity
Time Management
Keeps Record
Stress Relief
Benefits one’s Health

Boosts Productivity

Despite the fact that most people relate productivity to the workplace, it is crucial for both your professional and personal lives. Productivity at home could include completing tasks like routine cleaning, furniture organizing, or interior design. It can involve working hard on tasks you have been putting off at the office. No matter the challenge or the objective, a daily planner will assist you in staying on top of all you need to do. It efficiently and successfully directs you as you move from one task to the next, making sure nothing is ever forgotten.

Time Management

If you constantly feel as if you have too little time and too much to do, it may be because your time management skills are lacking. Running from one important matter to another without having a clear understanding of the wider picture is one of the obvious indications. The effectiveness of your time management mostly determines how organized you are. A daily planner allows you to precisely schedule each work day, errand, appointment, and event. You will know what needs to be done when and how much time you have for each task, ensuring that nothing gets overlooked. To keep you on track, set deadlines and due dates. You should also schedule time for your family, friends, and yourself.

Keeps Record

Your planning develops a reliable long-term record of your tasks, events, and appointments as you fill it up each day. Your daily planner might be your go-to resource for a record of occurrences whenever you need to look back on the things you did on a specific day. For instance, you might be unable to recall the last time you saw a relative or close friend. You can see when you last saw them by turning back a few months’ worth of planner pages, which will help you decide when a good time would be to see them again.

Stress Relief

The feeling that there is too much work ahead of us causes stress, which manifests itself in a variety of ways. If you have a busy schedule, a lot of demands on your time, or too much on your plate, you will be stressed. Your stress levels are also influenced by external factors. However, consider how different things would be if you had enough time to do every activity on your to-do list while gliding smoothly from one to the next. No stress over omitting a step, being late, or changing your mind at the last second. Even better, you might include time for hobbies and self-care activities in your planner.

Benefits one’s Health

You can keep up a healthy lifestyle in a number of different ways with daily planning. Exercise, food, and doctor’s appointments can all be managed. A daily planner can help you make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D and fresh air by designating particular days and times for enjoying the outdoors. The lower levels of stress and worry are also good for your mental health. Even better, schedule some time specifically for journaling so you can have a great brain dump and get the much-needed mental release.

When Is The best time To plan your day?

One should begin planning as soon as they are refreshed and prepared to continue working. Planning your day should be just as vital as taking a bath or brushing your teeth when you first get up.

Every morning, spend 15 to 20 minutes planning your day—either before, during, or after breakfast. If you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, it’s a good idea to plan your day the night before.

How can you plan your day?

The following are 12 practical steps you can use in planning your day:

Think ahead of time.
Warm up as soon as you get out of bed.
Eat Breakfast
Bring some snacks with you.
Work in Intervals
Do exercise before lunch.
Relax yourself by trying out or doing something entirely different.
Prepare your meals ahead of time.
Start to Plan Your Day
Categorise
Prioritize your tasks.
Try the chunking method.

Think ahead of time.

Spending 10 minutes in the evening organizing your next day is the ideal place to start. To make sure you don’t forget anything crucial, you can schedule your exercises and other activities using a service like Google Calendar. You must be aware of how much time you have available each day and how much of it you’ll need to finish each task. You may concentrate on planning after you are aware of what needs to be done. This includes actions such as preparing your morning routine, setting an alarm, and so forth.

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Warm up as soon as you get out of bed

There are lots of ways to get out of bed in the morning. The most common one is to have a half gallon of coffee and then leave the house right away. Instead, how about a quick warm-up. Jumping jacks, pushups, body weight squats, arm swings, and leg swings are good exercises to do in the morning. A 10-15 minute exercise like this will work better than coffee. It also gives your stiff body a chance to work out any aches and pains, which is arguably an even more obvious advantage.

Eat Breakfast

Your diet becomes important in this situation. There are numerous ways to make a decent breakfast, depending on the rules you’re following. Just be careful not to overdo it with your diet. The most crucial thing is to pick a diet that you can follow through with. A note on diets… Sometimes the word “diet” carries negative connotations. Many people believe that a diet just has one purpose, which is to help you lose weight. In reality, it can serve a variety of purposes. In general, a diet is just a methodical way of choosing foods that are healthy for you to eat.

Bring some snacks with you

The main issue for the majority of dieters is snacking. Even if we are aware that eating chocolate every two hours is not a good habit, many of us continue to overeat. You’ll have different feelings of hunger throughout the day. The best way to handle this is to always carry a healthy snack with you rather than opt for less healthy options. The majority of the time, it’s just your brain alerting you that you need to eat something, and it doesn’t always have to be chocolate. It is simpler if you work from home, but if you have a regular office job, make sure to bring some snacks with you to fend off temptations there.

Work in Intervals

Now is the time to get to work. Although I’m not the first to share this, for me, the most productive way to work is to concentrate on using the following intervals:

Focus on your work for 50 minutes.
Then take a 10-minute break.
Work for another 50 minutes.
And then go for a 30-minute break.
Repeat it again.

Why does this work so well? This is mainly because the human brain is incapable of maintaining focus for longer than 1-2 hours. We are actually increasing our productivity significantly by allowing more regular breaks. (Personally tested.)

Do exercise before lunch

For a variety of reasons, the best time to exercise is before lunch. Firstly, the gym is far less busy. Second, you get more stimulation to concentrate on the rest of your day (similar to the effect of an afternoon coffee). Last but not least, a protein-rich snack or meal after your workout will help you lose weight and build muscle (hint: protein is good for both). The fact that your workouts don’t need to be lengthy is another wonderful advantage of this. It is still far better to exercise for 30 minutes three times a week before lunch than for 1.5 hours once a week in the evening. Keep in mind what I stated about sticking to your goal and abstaining from trying to be extremely ambitious.

Relax yourself by trying out or doing something entirely different

Most people find that going for a jog in the evening helps them rest. I don’t think this is a smart strategy. The first is that you’ll only be thinking about your bed or the TV since you’re fatigued from your workday. Secondly, I don’t get the point of waking up in the evening, only a few hours before you’re supposed to go to sleep, because, as I previously stated, any physical movement activates your body (much like a cup of coffee does). For the majority of individuals, relaxation only works when it involves doing something completely different from what you’ve been doing all day.

For instance, playing with your dog or spending time with your friends, children, spouse, or Playstation 4 are some of the finest ways to relax. It’s unique since it’s helpful. I assure you that you wouldn’t be able to rest if you spent the entire day playing with your dog. The same is true for both intellectual and physical activity. For instance, it will be quite difficult for you to unwind by reading an intelligent book in the evening if your job requires a lot of thinking.

Prepare your meals ahead of time

This concludes the part on dieting advice. If you don’t cook your own meals, some diets can be challenging to stick to. The office cafeteria is generally a poor source of good meals (unless you work at Google). You should, therefore, prepare your food in advance and simply bring it with you. Either in the morning (as yet another method of waking up) or in the evening is the optimum time to do this (as yet another way of relaxing). You can use a variety of diet food delivery services, including Diet to Go, eDiets, Nutrisystem, and BistroMD, if you don’t enjoy cooking for yourself or worrying about choosing healthy foods.

Now that you are aware of every aspect of a productive day, gather them all together and get ready for tomorrow. The most crucial thing to remember is to adjust every piece of advice you receive so that it fits your particular way of life. Find a solution that you can stick to continuously.

Start to Plan Your Day

Planning your day well can significantly lower your stress level. With good planning, you can be sure that you have a strong action plan in place and that your goals are realistic. Once you’ve organized your day, you can spend it according to the routine you’ve established for yourself. It supports the control of your diet, morning exercise routine, sleep schedule, and work hours. The main difference is that you don’t need a conventional daily planner made of paper and ink to accomplish this.

Categorise

Only a small part of a day’s activities requires work. You have a lot of responsibilities, including family, friends, work, housework, and other things. A perfect plan needs to cover each of these areas. The fact that many people place too much focus on deep work and little emphasis on themselves is a long-term serious factor. Don’t forget to schedule some time for yourself in your everyday activities. You need time alone to develop your mental strength, creativity, reflection, and other important healthy habits. When you learn to plan, you can use categories to balance things out. You’ll see that each group requires a certain amount of your time. This makes sure that nothing in your life is forgotten.

Prioritize your tasks

Prioritizing your specific goals comes next once you’ve made a master list of all the things you need to do that day. Once your master list is organized, you may use it as a road map to get from morning to night as quickly and effectively as possible. The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your efforts. The secret to enhancing your efficiency is to prioritize the tasks that produce the majority of your rewards.

Try the chunking method

When you have too much on your plate, it is practically impossible to maintain concentration on anything, let alone how to manage your daily plans. Using the chunking method can help you set sensible goals that you can achieve without wearing yourself out. To practice chunking, break up activities and information into manageable pieces. Chunking is one of the most effective time and energy management techniques; as a result, everything from planning your workday to having fun becomes more natural.

What are some of the best productivity techniques for daily planning?

Productivity techniques are ways to achieve high standards with little effort by entering productive flow states. The majority of productivity techniques are based on behavioral science and are designed to capitalize on how your brain functions. They are typically flexible and adaptive, even if they are structured. The following are some of the best productivity techniques for daily planning:

The Pomodoro Technique
Time Blocking
Eat the Frog
The Healthy Time-Box

The Pomodoro Technique

Get a timer and use the Pomodoro Technique to set it for 25 minutes. Start working and set the timer. For the next 25 minutes, focus only on your task. When the alarm sounds, pause your work and take a 5-minute break. We refer to that as “one pomodoro.”

Time Blocking

A time management strategy called “time blocking” breaks up your day into doable, smaller sections. Setting aside time in advance for specific tasks, such as 20 minutes for email, 30 minutes for meetings, two hours for heavy work, and so on, is called time blocking. Elon Musk and Bill Gates are just two examples of people who prefer to work in shorter bursts of time; the amount of time you set aside is entirely up to you.

Eat the Frog

Start with the trickiest or most important task first to beat procrastination. It’s better to eat a frog first thing in the morning if that’s your profession. And if you have to eat two frogs, it’s preferable to start with the biggest one. The technique was named after Mark Twain’s insightful advice by the famous productivity coach, Brain Tracy: You should always eat a frog first thing in the morning if that’s your job. And if you have to eat two frogs, it’s preferable to start with the biggest one. — Mark Twain.

The Healthy Time-Box

For every 55 minutes you spend at your desk, stretch your muscles for 5 minutes.

What are the daily planner apps that can help you plan your day?

Nowadays, there are a surprising number of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and computer-based time management tools available. No matter what you do or what area you work in, there are digital time management programs that you can access or install on your computer to help you organize every aspect of your life. The following are some of the apps that can help you plan your day:

MindNode
Rescue Time
Trello
Focus Keeper

MindNode

One of the best free mind-mapping tools is Mindnode. Mind mapping is a great way to boost productivity. It helps you become more organized by concentrating your mind so you can easily understand what has to be done.

Rescue Time

If you find it difficult to simultaneously manage several crucial tasks and devices, this program is for you. Your phone, computer, Outlook, Gmail, and other electronic mail are all compatible with Rescue Time. This helps with task management and acts as a reminder no matter where you are.

Trello

Trello is the most commonly used online management tool for modifying, color-coding, and dragging and dropping lists. Trello works by giving you the ability to create cards for the activities you have to do. Cards that are arranged in columns like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed” are moved across the board when your job starts, middles, and ends. Additionally, it connects with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box.

Focus Keeper

This software is designed for those who put off doing things because they feel overwhelmed by them. The fundamentals of the Pomodoro Technique are the foundation of Focus Keeper. It provides a straightforward, efficient user interface that can be easily modified to match your unique needs for a routine schedule.

FAQs

How do you plan your day to be productive?

Find a planning workflow that’s easy to stick to.
Split up your week into different focus areas.
Think of the bigger picture.
Set priorities that are actionable and achievable.
Prioritize your well-being just as much as productivity.
End your week with reviewing.

How do you have a healthy and productive lifestyle?

Eat good food.
Sleep well every night.
Make friends with good people.
Avoid news overdose.
Do regular exercise.
Do meaningful things every day.

How do I start living a productive life?

Breakdown your work.
Draft a vision for your life.
Identify what doesn’t flow.
Use past mistakes as a guide.
De-clutter your workspace.
Take out goals that make you feel uncomfortable.

How do I fit everything into my day?

Do a Time Audit.
Set Standards.
Stay Organized.
Get focused and make a daily routine.
Schedule alone time for Yourself.
Get a Head Start.
End Your Day Early.
Learn to Say ‘No’

What is the best daily schedule?

Wake up at 7 AM.
Eat breakfast at 7:30 AM.
Respond to emails at 8 AM.
Commute at 8:30 AM.
Brainstorm at 9 AM.
Go for a coffee break at 10 AM.
Set a time for an interview at 10:30 AM.

What is a productive daily routine?

Plan out your week or day in advance. Make a list of your most crucial tasks (Eat that frog first) Plan your priorities (stay in control of your own day) Regularly pause. Eat balanced meals.

What three habits will improve your life?

A wonderful method to develop positivity, lower stress, and enhance physical health is to practice gratitude. How can you develop this positive habit? Start a gratitude journal, volunteer, take time to appreciate your loved ones, and remind yourself of at least one thing you’re grateful for every day before going to bed.

How do I reset my brain to focus?

Go for a walk outside.
Stay hydrated.
Breathe in.
Eat something healthy.
Take a quick nap.

How do I start my day with clarity and focus?

Choose something you can do for 10 minutes to help you relax instead of an extended practice. Start your day off correctly by journaling, practicing meditation, yoga, listening to music, drinking tea or coffee, repeating positive affirmations, reading, or engaging in devotions.

That is all for this article, where the answers to the following questions have been discussed:

What is daily planning?
Why is it important to use a daily planner?
When Is The best time To plan your day?
How can you plan your day?
What are some of the best productivity techniques for daily planning?
What are the daily planner apps that can help you plan your day?

I hope you learn a lot from the reading. If so, kindly share it with others. Thanks for reading, see you around!

How to plan your day and live a healthy and more productive life