This Is What You Need to Do to Feel Accomplished at the End of Each Day

By Rachel Bartee

In today’s fast-paced world, we’re used to trying to do a little bit of everything. It seems like there’s always something else for us to do, and at the same time we feel the pressure to take on more work and more responsibilities.

Let’s face it, it isn’t easy to get the work/life balance right. But that in itself can leave us feeling dispirited, which is why we need to train our minds to deal with such a rapidly changing and demanding world. If we don’t, we can quickly feel overwhelmed – and we can become so obsessed with our end goals that we forget to celebrate our accomplishments along the way.

Don’t make that mistake. Instead, take a few minutes to learn these ten tips...

• Map out your day
  Things don’t happen just because you want them to. You need to make a plan and then execute, and this applies both at an overall level throughout your life and at a macro level on a day-to-day basis. Planning your day will help you to make sure that you’re working on the right things, and it’ll also give you a better idea of your workload so that you don’t overcommit yourself.
• Start with something you enjoy
  If you want to start the day with a little momentum, it’s a good idea to begin with something that you love. For some people, that means getting up early to go to the gym, while others prefer to spend their first hour in the office on the most creatively fulfilling tasks.
• Center around essential
  We’re all used to having multiple jobs on our to-do list, which is why we need to identify which of the tasks is the most important. Try to have one big job per day which you aim to accomplish at all costs, even if that means bumping some of the lower priority tasks into the following day.
• Rethink your priorities
  Sometimes we end up falling into routines or spending too much time on trivial tasks. That’s why it’s important to constantly evaluate where you’re spending your time to make sure that you’re putting it to use on the tasks that matter. If you’re finding it difficult to tell, just check individual tasks against your overall goal and determine whether they’re actually helping to get you there.
• Know your limits
  Building on from the last point, it’s equally important to realize that positive thinking can only get you so far. If you have no scientific background and you’re badly out of shape then you’re not going to be able to become an astronaut. That’s why it’s important to know your limits and to play to your strengths.
• Hone good habits
  Some experts say that it only takes three weeks to start a new habit, although the actual figure is disputed. Either way, there’s no excuse not to get out there and to start improving yourself. So whether you’ve always wanted to play tennis, to read more books or to learn a new programming language, now’s as good a time as any.
• Ignore negativity
  This applies to both internal and external negativity. After all, while it’s important not to allow other people to drag us down, our own minds can still sabotage us by thinking negative thoughts. Helene Llewellyn, a writer from EssayOnTime, explains, “Self-doubt is the biggest enemy there is. It’s what stops most would-be writers from trying to put words down, and it’s also what scuppers people at job interviews and in other important situations. It can seem hard to put those thoughts to the back of your mind, but if you don’t then you’re doomed.”
• Mix it up
  Establishing a routine is a good thing because it’ll help you to get stuff done while staying consistent. But there’s also a danger that your schedule will become so repetitive that it’ll bore you to death and sap your motivation. That’s why as important as a schedule is, it’s also important to break it every now and then to keep things interesting.
• Schedule some downtime
  If you work too hard without a break, you’ll start to make mistakes – and that’s just the beginning. You’ll also start to get stressed, tense and full of headaches, which is why it’s vital to take a little time out throughout the day to give your brain a rest. Some people choose to meditate, which can be a great way to rejuvenate, but meditation isn’t for everyone. Regardless, even taking five minutes to get a breath of air and rest your eyes will leave you feeling refreshed.
• Take time to reflect
  At the end of the day as you’re winding down from work, take some time to think back over the day and to identify what worked and what didn’t. This is a good time to celebrate your accomplishments and to think ahead to tomorrow’s to-do list, so make sure you don’t leave it until you’re lying in bed and it’s too late to do anything about it.

By now, you should know everything you need to feel accomplished at the end of the day. Remember to celebrate your accomplishments every time you reach a goal, and remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, too: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Good luck.