Is a daily schedule really imperative to my success, happiness, and health? Many people want to just go with the flow in their day. I like to think of myself as a free spirit. But, whether I want to admit it or not, I’ve always been run by a schedule.
When I was little, my mom had me on a schedule of her choosing. At school, I had a schedule. At work, I had a schedule. So, when I started working online, and I didn’t have a schedule, the question of whether or not to have one became a big concern of mine.
- Would I be more productive on a schedule?
- Would I get more done?
- Would I be better off to go with the flow of my day?
I’ve found that there is one big answer when it comes to productivity. A schedule is necessary!
Planning your day and then following that plan may seem like a bore, but it helps you get everything done that you want to get done. Without it, you have to rely on willpower to do what you need to do and memory to remember what you need to do, and those two things are not always present as you get caught up in your day.
I spent years – yes YEARS, trying not to live by a schedule. I didn’t get a lot done. As Tony Robbins always mentions, we are driven by pleasure, and things like taking a nap, watching YouTube videos, and reading articles on BuzzFeed always seemed much more pleasurable than doing something that would actually benefit me but required some hard work and dedication.
4 Big Benefits Of A Daily Schedule
Following are the main benefits I found from sucking it up, letting my free spirit know it’s OK to be organized, and getting on a daily schedule.
1. Helps Build Positive Habits
When you write out a schedule, you write out things that will help you accomplish what you want in your career, relationships, and health. And, the only way to really maintain the level of excellence you want in any of those areas is through habits. That’s one thing a daily schedule is great at helping you build!
If you do the same thing day in and day out, soon it becomes a habit. It becomes something as necessary as brushing your teeth or having your coffee. You feel like it is a part of your day.
According to Thomas Corley, habits make the brain work better. When your brain works better, you can be focused and more productive.
2. You Wake Up With A Mission
I love having a mission for the day. It feels good. It feels as if I’m doing something worthwhile. And my daily schedule is definitely a mission.
I know what times I should be getting up, working on certain sites, writing, exercising, eating, and getting ready for bed. I know these things as soon as I wake up, and I’m excited to do what I need to do for the day so that I can feel accomplished by the end of it.
To me, a daily schedule is kind of like New Year’s Eve goals but on a higher level. You know when you wake up on New Year’s Day and feel ready to tackle all your new habits and goals you want to achieve? That’s what it feels like every morning when you are on a daily schedule that is line with moving you towards more success, more happiness, and better health.
3. You Use Your Time Better
You only have so many hours in your day. Let’s say you have 8 hours to work – how do you want to use those hours?
Without a daily schedule, you can use them however you want. But, for me, I found that about 5 of those hours were completely wasted. I didn’t know where to put my focus, so my focus went everywhere! And one thing I learned from Simpleology is that the more focused you are, the more you get done.
A daily schedule makes you think about how you want to spend your time! It literally helps you map out what you are going to do with the precious time you have. Knowing what you should be doing right now is a huge motivator to do it!
4. You Move Towards Your Goals Easier
When you set a goal, you can break that goal down into months, weeks, and even days. In other words, every day you can do something to help you move towards your goals. And when you have a schedule, you can write that ‘something’ on it and do it.
In short, keeping a daily schedule helps you achieve your goals.
But I Won’t Be A Free Spirit On A Daily Schedule!
Even if I were given the opportunity to live by the ocean in a beautiful cabin and do nothing all day, I wouldn’t. Well, I would live there, but I would be productive with my day and work towards my career, relationship, happiness, and health goals. And, to do that, I would need a daily schedule.
I’ve wasted too many days aimlessly wondering what I should do and then doing nothing. I feel much better about myself at the end of the day when I can say I got some things done that mattered to my life.
If you have dreams and goals in mind, then I highly suggest avoiding the free spirit route and creating a daily schedule to help you reach your dreams and accomplish your goals. It will move you towards more of what you want, and there is no better feeling than feeling purposeful in your day.
