I am sure that you are in a similar place to everyone else, where you feel like you are trapped on a daily treadmill, which does not seem to really go anywhere. All that seems to happen is that the treadmill speeds up and occasionally slows down, every day. You feel like you are really working hard, but you never seem to have enough time to make those crucial changes you want in your life or to spend with your family. You arrive home exhausted every day, not feeling fulfilled or you feel like you have not really managed to achieve anything meaningful each day.

How would you feel about finding a system or rather a daily routine, which would help you to make significant improvements in your productivity, efficiency and effectiveness? Not only will you get more of those meaningful life changing things done each day, which have eluded you until now, but you will also increase your sense of calm and get to feel like you have far more control over everything in your life.

After observing the massive amount of time I consumed every day, where I was constantly feeling overwhelmed, by the volume of work I needed to complete every day. I decided there must be a better way of doing things and so I started searching for ways to get more done in less time and yet at the same time reduce the amount of stress and overwhelm I felt.

I have scoured every possible source of information I could find on productivity, met with experts in the field and after careful thought I have come up with a plan, which I believe works and will make a massive difference to your life and business. There are a number of really effective ways to improve your productivity, but the one I want to share with you today, will help you to create a daily routine, which will gradually improve your effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. As you learn the new daily routines and they become an integral part of your success habit set, productivity won’t be something you are pursuing; it will just become who you are.

Action Idea: When you wake up in the morning, don’t push the snooze button to get another nine minutes of sleep every day. Try to wake up immediately and get straight out of bed. I call waking up and getting straight out of bed, my daily “activation energy charge”. It sets the tone for my day and programs my brain to be energized and able to tackle any difficult or challenging tasks, throughout the day. The drive it takes to get straight out of bed in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, you feel energized and able to tackle any task, no matter how daunting, when you allow yourself to get that boost of daily activation energy first thing in the morning.

Once you have got yourself out of bed and you have energized yourself with your daily activation energy and you inspirational juices start flowing, don’t rush straight into your day. Get yourself centered, by exploring your plan for the day, which you completed during your evening planning session, the night before.

The act of planning your day the night before allows you to apply a crucial principal in your life, namely the concept of “Done for the day” After you have invested a few minutes at the end of your day, to plan exactly how you will operate the next day. You have a structure in your head, for how you will solve any challenges the next day and so you can give yourself permission to switch off from work completely and allow your batteries to start re-charging for the next day. When you wake up in the morning, read through your plan for the day and allow yourself to get centered and grounded about everything you plan to do that day. During sleep, our minds are still very active and when you look at your plan for the morning, you may see a few tweaks, which would make your day flow even better.

This success ritual or new daily success routine, where you plan your day the night before, wake up, get straight out of bed, allowing your energy activation juices to start flowing and then you invest a few minutes to re-examine your plan for the day, sets the tone for a really successful and productive day. I have included a few of my own daily sessions and new success habits as a guideline for you to create a daily productivity routine, which will suite your unique circumstances.

Wake up Early

I have found that there is no better technique for improving productivity, like waking up as early as possible and getting your day started with a bang. As soon as I wake up and I have centered myself and I am absolutely clear about how my day will progress. I drink a huge glass of water to help my body deal with the dehydration, due to the long period since my last drink of water. This water helps me to cleanse my system, re-hydrate and energize my body. Dehydration is one of the greatest causes of loss of energy.

Some people suggest that you engage in some sort of physical activity before you start your day, to get your blood flowing. Try both options, one where you exercise to get your day going and the other where you start your day without exercise. Your unique circumstances will dictate which one will work best for you. I have found that the early morning, is free from distractions and as such I get so much more done during the early hours of the day. I do not use any of this time for exercise.

I find I get the most value out of the early morning hours, if I tackle my toughest challenge for the day and get it done and dusted. There are no distractions in the early morning, so I can focus my entire energy on getting the tough stuff done first. The feeling of accomplishment, which flows from getting the tough stuff out of the way early in the day also helps, set the tone for a fantastic day. It was Abraham Lincoln that first coined the phrase "early to bed, early to rise keeps a man healthy, wealthy and wise." No wiser words have ever been spoken about creating a life of success and meaning.

After getting the tough stuff out of the way, I then invest 20 minutes to meditate. This allows me to really settle my mind for the day and start the day with a clear mind, which is not cluttered by distraction. Meditation is unique to each individual, so how you do this every day is up to you. I lie in a comfortable position, listen to various relaxing mediation CD,s, breathe deeply and relax and clear my mind. After completing this daily ritual I explore my goals and see how I am progressing. This daily focus and clarity around what I want to achieve, helps me to stay on track and ensures that I am taking appropriate action every day to realize my goals.

Meet your Future

This is time you set aside every day to work on your life or on your business. Make a meeting with your future every day. This is time, which is inflexible and nothing should ever get in the way of you conducting this meeting. Make sure that you have enough time during each meeting with your future, to complete at least five priorities, which are aligned with achieving your goals. This practice ensures that you actually get to make progress towards achieving your goals.

Remember to get your day started with a really nutritious breakfast; this will also help you to stay energized and productive. This combined with your daily success ritual will help you to not only start your day powerfully, but will ensure that you have a really productive day every day. Your circumstances are unique to you, so it is crucial that you design a daily success routine that suites your individual circumstances.

http://www.andrewhorton.co.za

Author's Bio: 

Andrew is an expert and master teacher that speaks and teaches self-leadership, expanded awareness, effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. He guides individuals and business professionals, to identify, prioritise and carry out the right activities, consistently, so that they can maximise their personal effectiveness and deliver their best; on time, every time. All the tools and techniques Andrew teaches; have been tested in the laboratory of his own life and the many successful businesses he has owned and led, over the past 20 years. These strategies have seen Andrew achieve financial independence and reach a point of harmonious balance in all areas of his life. His purpose is to help as many people as possible, achieve similar or better results and to show them how they can realize their full potential, both personal and professionally and to help them live a meaningful life, where they are fulfilled in all areas. http://www.andrewhorton.co.za