A FLEXIBLY STRUCTURED DAY
Structure is important. Without it, you can lose direction, purpose, and discipline throughout your day. If you have a goal you want to achieve and habits you're trying to create, then giving your day, week, month, and even year structure will help you to attain these.
However! You’re not a robot, so stop trying to program your mind with this rigid approach that does not consider the uncontrollable eventualities of life. We do not live in a vacuum. And as much as giving yourself a structure to follow each day is important, it can also be detrimental in the event that the inevitabilities of life decide to derail your beautifully programmed day.
Of course, this all depends on the person. And you will know what your brain's default settings are, and how you must plan your life to work most effectively. That means, that for some people more structure in their day is better for them compared to others. Although one thing is common, we are not immune to becoming derailed during our productive days when the smallest mogul unexpectedly appears on our slope.
It is therefore important for us to approach our planning flexibly and have mental techniques prepared in the event that our structure cannot be upheld. This flexible approach will improve your resiliency, drive, and focus ensuring that you achieve the goals and habits that you have set for yourself.
WHERE DOES THE PLANNING STOP?
In an attempt to add structure to their lives, many people will create timestamps throughout the day detailing when they want to start a particular behaviour that is conducive to a goal or habit they wish to achieve. This is great! It provides a framework to guide your life in a direction towards the person you wish to be.
But why do we stop here?
For some people, setting a designated time at which they will complete a certain task works wonders and is the only hack they need to optimise their day! However, for MOST people this trigger on its own is not substantial enough to get the ball rolling. Therefore, we need to focus our planning efforts on initiating the task.
Rather than spending all of your time hashing out the logistics of your day, which, as we know, are susceptible to the last-minute changes life will throw at us; designate time to optimise the processes that will get you to start, continue, and repeat the task at hand.
For example, you may timestamp that you go to the gym at 7 pm. What could you add to that trigger to increase your chances of going? How could you make doing that task simpler? How could you make that task more enjoyable?
This means that in addition to the timestamp framework you plan over 24 hours, the structure of your day should be a series of well-thought-out, individualised plans that help you to carry out the task you wish to achieve. Focusing on the micro details of your day, as opposed to the macro, will result in increased adherence to the goal behaviour as well as enjoyment.
7 HACKS TO OPTIMISE YOUR DAY & IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY
Stop making the excuse that you don’t have enough time in the day. If a goal or habit is important for the person you want to be, then designate time to develop techniques that will help you to engage in that behaviour. Below are 7 hacks to help you to optimise your day and improve your productivity:
Focus on the small wins. This will give you the confidence and momentum to execute the bigger ones. Schedule these smaller tasks for first thing in the morning, or after you have had a break in the day like lunchtime.
Break the target behaviour down into smaller, more manageable chunks. It can be daunting to tackle a new habit, therefore, if you break it down into bitesize chunks you will build confidence and increase motivation.
Reduce resistance between you and the behaviour. This will make the task easier to complete, meaning you have less time and ammunition to convince yourself not to do it. (e.g., meal prep, gym clothes out and ready).
Pair the behaviour with something you like doing. If the task is something you dislike, then pairing it with an enjoyable behaviour can help you complete it. (e.g., listening to a podcast, watching YT, listening to music).
Flexibly structure your days. Manage your day so that the behaviour is executed at an appropriate time in your schedule. Each day is different so it may not be feasible to do it at ‘X O’clock’ each day. Adding reminders to go off semi-regularly after the designated time can help ensure that you don’t forget to do the task later.
Create cue words. Words that represent your purpose, your why, and your reason for executing this behaviour. By pairing this with timestamps, we help reinforce the trigger and give it meaning. These cue words need to be created with intent!!
Accountability. This can be from friends, family, or even your coach. Granted it may be too much for people to check in at each timestamp, but their perceived support, even though it isn’t tangible, will increase your accountability and thus adherence to the goal.
These skills can be applied to many different situations, whether that be your fitness goals, sports goals, revision goals, or even just your life habits. I would love to hear the hacks that you use to keep on track during your day, so please feel free to share them in the comments! If you would like help developing mental skills that will get you to optimise your day and improve your productivity, then please get in contact with me at robin@autonomypsychology.com
Best Wishes
Robin Hughes
Mental Performance Coach and Sports Counsellor located near Chelmsford, Essex, UK supporting athletes, exercisers, and coaches worldwide with Online Sports Psychology Services. Specialising in working within the fitness industry.
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