The road to success is a long one, but the small, consistent steps you take every day are what lead you to reach your end goals.  It all starts with your daily habits.

Whether you’re trying to get in shape, run a business, get glowing skin, or have more money for things like traveling, the short-term goals you set and reach will help you achieve the long-term success you desire.

So how do you set up your day so you can reach these short-term checkpoints?  First, you create a game plan, then break it down into day-by-day chunks.

This means not only having a plan for your most important tasks but forming daily habits that will make you feel better, give you more confidence and focus to accomplish those tasks.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

 

It seems like there’s always a thousand things to do and not enough time in the day to do them.  If you’re a go-getter, you understand this frustration.

Not planning your day or getting an early start makes the hours blur together and start to feel overwhelming.

You know you got a lot done, but it doesn’t feel like it because you can’t see the next step taking you to where you want to be.

So how exactly should you start your day?

Wake up early every day.  Successful people understand in order to accomplish as much as you can every day, you must wake up early to get the simple tasks out of the way before diving into bigger, important tasks.

Whether this means getting up at 4 am to work out or read a chapter of your business book, then do it!

It’s amazing how much you can accomplish before 9 am if you wake up early.  If you have kids, you can get more done hours before they rise.

Early Morning Tasks

 

• Breakfast and coffee.  If you wake up really early, this may be the best option to kickstart your day (especially if you’re not normally a morning person).  Collect yourself, get some dishes clean while cooking, read a book, whatever you need to do during this time.  If you can multitask while cooking your food then do it!
• Household cleanup.  Take some time to clean your house.  Keeping your house clean means doing little chores every day.  You may need to fold laundry, vacuum, or get that bathroom deep cleaned like you’ve been meaning to do.  You could even set a timer for 20 minutes to see what you can get done within that amount of time.

• Workout.  You can schedule a time in the afternoon to work out, but getting it done in the early hours of the day ensures you actually fit it in (no excuses!) and out of the way so you can focus on other tasks the rest of the day.  Working out early also gives your body the energy and feel-good endorphins it needs to improve your mood.
• Shower and skincare routine.  This is the time to get all your hygiene tasks out of the way so you can start your day.  Shower, complete your skincare routine, brush your teeth, apply your makeup, and get dressed.  Brush your hair and don’t forget your deodorant!

 

End of the Day Checklist

There are a few important end-of-the-day tasks you should be doing every night to stay healthy.  They include:

• Nighttime skincare routine.  It’s vital to your skin health to follow a daily and nightly skincare routine.  Wash your face at night to remove any toxins, dirt, oil, and makeup that have accumulated on your skin throughout the day.
• Brush your teeth.  Floss, and mouthwash.  The whole shebang to keep those pearly whites in tip-top shape.
• Get a good night’s sleep.  For most people, 7-8 hours is recommended each night.

 

Do What’s Important

Start your day with the most important task.  By getting it out of the way first thing in the morning, you can say that even if you didn’t get everything done, you still got the biggest chunk accomplished.  You may find the morning is when you have the most energy and focus, giving you the best opportunity to give it your all.

Nothing’s more relieving than saying you finished exactly what you needed to, and having the rest of the day to work on other things with less stress.

 

Follow a To-Do List or Guide

I like to plan out my month in advance.  It makes my life a lot less stressful and I can dive straight into my daily tasks.

If you don’t have a planner or calendar, then either invest in one or use Google Calendar to figure out what you need to do daily.

To plan out your month in advance, start with meals you would like to make or have prepped for each week.  You could even create a grocery list for each week of the month if you wish to be super organized.

This frees up more time all month for other tasks and projects.

Include your daily workout plan for the month and what days will be your ‘off’ days.  This way you know when you have an extra hour to do something else and you’ll also be able to keep track of your fitness progress.

If you have a job you go to every day, block this time out of your schedule.  Do you have an hour-long lunch break?  Plan out a small task you can get accomplished during that time.

If you work from home, plan out each thing you have to complete each day of the week for the entire month.  Again, Google Calendar is really helpful for doing this.  You can start with a Word or Google Document and figure out what your goals are for the entire month.

Break this down into weekly goals and from there, break it down into day-by-day tasks.

You’ll be so happy at the end of each week to see what you accomplished!  You’ll also thank yourself at the end of each month when you realize you finished everything!

Find Balance

Make sure you block out some time to spend with your kids and family.  It’s important not to become so goal-oriented that you forget to give your loved ones the time they deserve.

 

You must find a balance in your day-to-day life in order to stay sane.  This means putting away electronics while you spend time with your loved ones.

Letting go of your past will allow you to think about the future and clear up your head for creativity and new ideas.  Find ways to de-stress as much as possible so you can stay focused on what’s important.

Realize you don’t have the power to change everything, but you can take charge of what you can control.

Invest in Yourself

This means constantly educating yourself and improving your work and skills.  Meet like-minded people who you can network with and who will help shuttle you in the direction you’re trying to go.

Remove negativity (this may include toxic people) from your life as best you can.

If you have a skill or hobby you’re trying to improve, make time for it.  It’s okay if you can’t practice every day, but try for an hour or 2 each week.

This may be something you’re able to get done on the weekend.  Whatever works for your schedule.

Have you already been taking strides to improve your life?  What daily habits have you formed that help you reach your goals?

Let me know your daily activities in the comments below!

Share this post with a girl boss in your life!