For those who scroll through social media for hours after waking up in the morning, you are not alone. Over the course of the pandemic, it's not a surprise that many of us became more addicted towards our phones. As there wasn’t much to do, the only way to connect with our friends was through the internet. I was no exception to the outburst of web usage as I found myself spending a lot more time alternating between browsing Tiktok, Instagram and Reddit. I thought that once the restrictions were reduced and our lifestyle reverted back to some level of normalcy, I would naturally spend more time away from the web. Unfortunately, this was quickly proven false. On average, I spent less time on schoolwork this semester, while also losing precious time commuting to class and back. I was much more susceptible to procrastination, more so than I had during Zoom classes.
I was curious to figure out why, and so I decided to take a mental note of the days I was able to focus well, and the days where I struggled. I looked specifically over my daily routines and I quickly found my answer. I realized that my mornings are single handily the most important part of my day. From the moment I wake up, the next couple activities I do has the power to dictate the outcome of my day.
I finally understood that I was much more productive during the Summer semester because I had total control over my mornings. I could always plan out my days perfectly, as there wasn’t much interruption to my workflow. Due to this, I found a lot of success in my studies and I barely procrastinated as my days always started off well. In contrast, moving back to in-person classes presented a challenge to my daily routine. If I woke up later than usual, I get this feeling of guilt that I haven't done anything yet which would negatively affect my mood. I would be facing a difficult uphill battle from the moment I woke up to shift my mindset.
A way that helped me shift into work mode was to create a plan the night before. The two simple yet effective activities that would take less than 5 mins to do were:
- Create a to-do list including the key highlight(s) of my day.
- Time block the highlighted tasks.
A key highlight is one or two tasks that would make me feel satisfied with my day even if those were the only tasks I completed. These are the key priorities that must be done. I would then schedule it into my calendar and block off the time I expected to complete it. Thinking that I only have to complete one or two task is a great way to reduce the friction that is associated with starting work. 9/10 times after I completed my daily highlight(s), I was in the workflow and was motivated to continue.
In combination with the nightly plan, I also created a strict daily morning routine. Consistency and sticking to a schedule is like my bread and butter. I realized that without planning, rarely anything happens. For example my current mornings look something like:
- 6:00 to 7:00 am - Wake up and have breakfast
- 8:00 to 9:30 am - Gym
- 10:30 am - Leave for school or start work
The key lesson I learned is that taking control of my mornings has a positive effect on the outcome of my day. Starting the day without a plan results in unpredictable levels of effort which is the enemy of productivity.
Try creating a daily morning routine or plan out your mornings the night before. I would love to know if you experience any changes!
