What are your biggest resolutions this new year? Whether it’s to start a new business, eat healthy, or make time for a new hobby, it all boils down to your ability to do more. One good way to achieve your goals is to break down your resolutions into bite-sized, doable chunks. Sticking to resolutions is more of a marathon than a sprint, so you need to maximize your limited hours over a period of time. This is essential no matter your background, financial status, or nature of work as everyone has the same number of hours each day.
Time is the most important commodity anyone can have. The best way to optimize yours is to start with your mornings, which is the most productive time of the day for the average person according to studies. When you have a solid start, you set the tone for the rest of the day and boost your productivity. Make it a habit and you’ll find yourself achieving your resolutions on schedule, perhaps even before the end of the year.
Get your head in the game by practicing these five small habits in the morning that can make a huge difference in your productivity.
1 Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your day unplugged. When you check your phone as soon as you wake up, you dive right into an endless stream of information. Studies show that checking email often is linked to higher levels of anxiety and that people who frequently check their phones feel more distressed during their downtime. When you check your phone first thing in the morning, you are reacting instead of being proactive, which affects your mindset throughout the day. Turn off your data or disconnect from the Wi-Fi the night before to reduce the temptation of checking your notifications when you wake up. Spend the first crucial minutes of the day by mentally preparing yourself—those IG Stories can wait.
2 Listen to a motivational podcast. Instead of turning on the TV for background noise, listen to a podcast that will put you in the right, productive headspace. It can be a podcast like The Purposeful Creative, where entrepreneur Arriane Serafico talks about ways to pursue your passion and stay motivated. Or, you can listen to a podcast by one of your personal idols. In The Dave Chang Show, the chef and Ugly Delicious host talks about his struggles and lessons learned while building his successful group of restaurants. More into YouTube videos than podcasts? If your new year’s resolution is to be more financially stable, check out The Financial Diet for creative tips to save and spend your hard-earned money.
3 Get your heart pumping. Start the day with a dose of endorphins by going for a run, hitting the gym, or shooting some hoops. If you’d rather not go outside, you can exercise in the comfort of your own home. Take out your yoga mat for a few minutes of stretching and deep breathing exercises, or run through several circuits of jumping jacks, push-ups, and squats. The key is to try different workouts to find ones that you enjoy. When you work out in the morning, the feeling of accomplishing something early in the day will motivate you to tick off more items on your to-do list.
4 Enjoy your breakfast outdoors. Take your oatmeal bowl or egg sandwich and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine on your balcony. This will help you savor your breakfast and digest properly, giving you more energy to tackle your goals for the day. Is your breakfast setup too complicated to take outside? Take your coffee or tea instead. As an alternative, set up your dining area in a way that gives you a good view of the outdoors, which sure beats looking at your tiny phone screen as you scarf down your breakfast.
5 Segment your day. Think back to your school days—how did you manage to juggle multiple subjects in a limited amount of time? It’s because your day was structured for you: one hour for English, one hour for Math, and so on. In the same way that each subject had a specific amount of time dedicated to it, you can also divide your day into blocks. For instance: you could allot a few hours in the morning for the heaviest mental load, a few hours after lunch for mid-sized projects, and then a couple of hours for light tasks. This way, you can make progress on all your to-dos and avoid overloading your day. Every morning, review your to-dos so you can stick to your schedule and set yourself up for a productive day ahead.
One step at a time
While these are small changes, it’s best to do them one by one to give yourself enough time to adjust. Before you know it, you’ll be maximizing your mornings, setting up a productive day ahead, and even coming up with your own strategies.
When creating your own productivity hacks, remember to start with the tools that are already at your disposal. For instance, if you live in a residential property like Commonwealth by Century, you can take advantage of the gym and dance studio, basketball court, yoga garden, lap pool, and great lawn for your morning workouts. Each condo for sale has an expansive and uniquely shaped balcony, where you can enjoy your breakfast. Wide, open spaces and an unobstructed 360-degree view of the city also allow for a few minutes of quiet contemplation to prepare for the day ahead.
Aside from being hyper-amenitized, this exciting community is just a five-minute walk from Commonwealth Avenue and the Don Antonio station of the upcoming MRT Line 7. The convenient location of the condo in Manila will surely increase your productivity time. You can make a real estate investment and move in now for a minimum of 2.5% down payment, or experience the Century Properties #condogoals lifestyle through a Siglo Suites staycation at The Gramercy Residences, The Knightsbridge Residences, The Milano Residences, Acqua Private Residences, and Azure Urban Resort Residences.
Supporting images courtesy of Unsplash
