Five Ingredients for a Happier Day

March 8, 2023

Picture this scene: you wake up with a big day ahead. Between work, volunteering, and obligations at home, your plate is full.

You’re feeling a bit nervous, but ready to take action. You start plugging away and crush it for the first few hours. You convince yourself that you’ve finally got things down.

But by the afternoon, you’re feeling exhausted and anxious. You’re bummed about how you managed your time, and frankly don’t even know where the day went. So you throw in the towel and tell yourself tomorrow will go better.

. . .

As a coach and leadership consultant, healthy habits and time management comes up with 100 percent of the clients I work with. Across the board, people have a strong desire to use their time well and achieve more balance in work and in life. But most people feel stuck and are without a plan of how to get from point A to point B.

When I ask people about how they plan each day or manage their weekly schedule, I usually get blank stares or a witty response along the lines of: “I don’t plan my day, that is why I hired you.”

The reality is, most people haven’t created the systems they need to be successful. While there are countless books and resources available about time management and living with intention, the options are overwhelming to sift through. Not every method works for every person, and not everyone values the same things.

In addition, human nature, technology, and other environmental factors provide countless obstacles that pivot us away from the direction we want to go. It’s no wonder that so many people lack confidence on this topic. 

The good news? By making a conscious choice to raise your awareness and do things differently, you can absolutely change things for the better.

And this doesn’t ultimately require a lot of work - it’s a conscious choice to make small shifts each day that will add up to big wins down the road.

Not sure where to start? Here are five ingredients that will almost guarantee a happier day.

1 - Design a morning routine that you love

Morning routines are one of the most important parts of a successful day. Not having a morning routine is like showing up to play in a sporting event without going to practice ahead of time. You might be able to play well, but you won’t be as confident heading into the game, or primed to navigate setbacks on the field.

The most successful people in the world have morning routines that are sacred to them. That doesn't mean that the routines all look the same, but they are prioritized and practiced with consistency. 

Morning routines bring you clarity, joy, energy, and purpose. How you start your day can have a significant impact on your mood and how the rest of the day unfolds. A morning routine allows you to yourself before you give to others.

There are no rules to a morning routine, but you may want to consider the following three components: mindfulness, movement, and learning. 

My current morning routine includes exercise (I do it before anything else so I don’t talk myself out of it), completing my Five-Minute Journal (which involves gratitude, affirmations, and identifying priorities for the day), and taking my dog for a short walk. And I always try my best to not unlock my phone until my morning routine is complete (more on this topic in number four).

Not sure what morning routine is best for you? Consider listening to this podcast episode with Marie Forleo and Robin Sharma to spark some ideas.

Also, don’t forget about an evening routine. Following a consistent wind down and bed time in the evening ensures that you get up on time the next day to start your morning routine.

2 - Create a weekly schedule with time boundaries

One of the number one complaints I hear from my clients is that they don’t have enough time throughout the week to get their work done. I ask them to walk me through their weekly schedule, and show me what they do to set each day up for success. Crickets.

Then I hear about the Monday morning weekly team meetings (literally the worst possible day and time you could have a weekly team meeting, by the way), and weekly direct report meetings that each last an hour. There are no reserved blocks for week prep, week wrap-up, or project-based work. Then there’s the miscellaneous company meetings that vomited all over employee calendars, that no one has cleaned-up for years (sorry not sorry).

Some of the most successful organizations are the ones that give their employees a healthy amount of schedule autonomy, have clear policies and norms surrounding meetings, and employ a high level monthly meeting strategy across the company.

Since the pandemic, many businesses have instituted a “no meeting day” - where there is one day of the week where people don’t schedule internal meetings. This ensures that everyone has a breather from meetings and each other, and at least one day per week they can get things done. 

The same goes for entrepreneurs. One of the keys to my success as a business owner is my weekly schedule. My first business coach, Pia, provided me with this genius concept and a template straight out of the gate (thank goodness our paths crossed).

With the exception of special client engagements, vacations, or work travel, every week looks the same for me. Monday mornings are blocked off for week prep, coaching sessions are only held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and Wednesdays are my “CEO day” - meaning, that is a day just for me to get administrative work done, or take care of my mental and physical health. 

The result of this system? I am a happier, healthier, and more productive person, and a better coach and consultant for those I serve. I don’t dread Mondays like I used to, or feel frustrated that I’m always accommodating other people’s schedules instead of doing what is best for me. Everyone wins at the end of the day.

3 - Build a task management system that actually works for you

For years, I always struggled trying to get through my to-do lists. I would watch people add tasks to computer programs or write bulleted lists in their journals. Neither of those methods seemed to work for me, and I felt so defeated.

Then one day, I decided to sit down and determine if I could create a system that was just for me. What would actually motivate or excite me to manage my time? What would align with my strengths, personality, and learning style? 

Here’s how my self-auditing process went:

I knew I was a visual learner and worker (i.e. task lists buried in a spreadsheet or deep into a notebook was a recipe for failure). I knew that breaking down big projects into smaller tasks made me feel less anxious. I knew I avoided tasks that I did want to do, and didn’t have a system for ordering my tasks on any given day. Though working with a coach, I also learned that when I gamified tasks or made them fun, I was way more likely to do them.

This creative process led to my favorite task-management system: my post-it action board.

In my office, I have a large white post-it easel pad sheet that is divided into two sections: “taking action” (at the top) and “completed” (at the bottom). On my desk, I have 3x3 post-it notes. Anytime I think of something I need to get done, I grab a note, write the task down, and then add it to the top section. 

As I complete tasks throughout the day, I move the post-its from the top to the bottom section of the board (with an audible and ever-so-gratifying “boom!”). The tactile and visual component of this is not only fun, but reinforces continued action for the rest of the day.

Now here’s the catch: at the beginning of the day, I take inventory of the post-its at the top of the board, and I order them in order of importance (top to bottom, left to right). I try my best to choose the top three or so tasks that are essential to get done on that day, and put them on the top row. Note: this part is much harder to stick to, but when it’s followed, the real magic unfolds.

Ever since creating my post-it action board, I’ve felt more energized, my stress has gone down, and my productivity has soared. This is not because I am talented at getting things done - it’s because I created a system that I enjoy, and one that actually works for me.

My system also ensures that I’m doing less multi-tasking, which research shows does not benefit our human brains (Source). We are better off tackling each task (or in my case, post-it note) one at a time.

Carve out 10 minutes today to brainstorm what task management system would motivate you. Ignore the noise around you at work - remember, we all have different learning styles.

4 - Put your phone away

Whether or not we want to admit it, our phones are designed to be addictive and are a major productivity killer. We reach for them all the time out of habit, without even knowing it, and even as a way to avoid dealing with challenges during the day.

Studies have shown that taking a break from an important task to check your phone makes you less productive (Source). On average, people check their phones 58 times per day, and almost 52 percent of phone checks occur during work hours - often involving social media. And the main reason people use social media apps is due to boredom (Source).

If you want to get things done and do your best work, your phone cannot play the leading role in your life. Place it away from your desk, out of your line of sight, and out of arm's reach. Keep it on silent unless you are expecting an important call.

This week, try setting a timer for a couple hours and see how much work you can get done without touching your phone. You might be amazed by what you can accomplish, as well as the quality of your deliverables.

5 - Put yourself on your to-do list

You may be wondering what the heck that means. That’s because most people don’t even think about prioritizing themselves on a typical day. We receive messages every day that being selfless is a virtue. If you’re a woman or a mom, this tends to be even worse.

If you’re not experiencing fulfilling days as often as you’d like, it may be because you are forgetting to prioritize your own needs.

A few years ago, I realized I had fallen into a pattern. I’d look at my task list at the end of the day, and discover that all of the things I had accomplished were related to work or other people. This wasn’t a surprise to me, but it did not sit well with me.

I shared about my challenge with my friend Liz, who provided a wonderful insight. Liz explained that at the beginning of the day, she creates a to-do list with two columns on the page: one column is for herself, and one is for others and work. She makes sure that she writes down at least three things she’ll do for herself before adding to the “others” column. Having the two lists on the same page (and keeping them somewhere visual) ensures that both categories are front of mind.

What are you doing to make yourself a priority every day? This could be as simple as a short yoga video, reading a book you love, or booking that dentist appointment you’ve been avoiding.

. . .

As you head into the spring season, now is a great time to create daily systems that set you up for success and bring you joy.

How do you want to feel at the end of each day? What would make you feel proud and at peace? What do you need to say “no” to in order to make more room for the “yes”?

You deserve to live a full, rich, and beautiful life that aligns with your values and the person you wish to become.