Discipline is undoubtedly and indisputably one of the most difficult things to acquire in the modern world. Regrettably, the current culture of social media usage and constant entertainment gradually but confidently destroys the presented value. In this light, taking control of one’s day is becoming more and more difficult. Procrastination is one of the greatest trends of the current era. Some of our readers who follow the toxic culture of self-acceptance in regards to procrastination may say something along these lines: What is wrong with postponing tasks as long as you perform them in time? Well, the problem lies in the sphere of your health, for example: as the Journal of Behavioral Medicine reports, procrastination, the inability to take control of your day, results in a larger risk of cardiovascular disease and, more importantly, hypertension. In this regard, it is crucial to face the cruel reality of our world: if you procrastinate, you are simply more likely to sacrifice your health. Thus, the lack of discipline kills people who are incapable of adhering to it. In this article, we will offer you ten ways to take control of your day and, potentially, prolong your life.
Way 1. Plan your day carefully
One of the key problems regarding humans in the current era lies in their lack of planning. People prefer to live spontaneously and, as a result, prove to be inefficient. As Seneca once said, “It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it.” Many of us plan finances; then why do we not plan our greatest and most invaluable asset, time? If you want to truly take control of your day, you must have a clear understanding of the manner in which it will transpire.
Way 2. Live as if you have the only day left
Another important approach to consider is a Stoic thought experiment: imagine that this day is your last one. Would you postpone some tasks if you understood that your life was coming to an end? Would you want to be remembered as a lazy and inefficient individual? Most certainly, no. Thus, imagine that every action you perform during a certain day will echo through eternity.
Way 3. Think of the future generations
Another important way to discipline yourself and take control of your day is to consider your impact on future generations. As ancient Stoics have once said, one should remember death (memento mori). Think of your legacy in the future. Will it benefit from procrastination and postponing? Will other people approve of your bad habits? Will you bring something positive for humanity? Most certainly, it is easier to discipline yourself when you consider everything on a global scale.
Way 4. Create a pre-work ritual
From the more extreme and global approaches, let us transition to practical solutions. In this regard, you should create a clear set of rituals that can help start proper work. Meditation is a perfect answer to many problems, for example. Can’t get into the proper workflow? Try to insert a short meditation before the beginning of your workday and you will be able to prepare yourself for proper labor.
Way 5. Separate tasks properly
Another important element to consider is the proper separation of tasks. Procrastination often attacks people when they face a large number of job-related issues. As a result, sometimes even thorough planning can fail to make a difference. You will be simply too paralyzed to perform any important action. In this light, we recommend you to group tasks by their importance. Once you understand your priorities, many things won’t seem as overwhelming as before.
Way 6. Set clear time limits for unexpected interruptions
Unexpected interruptions are unavoidable in any type of work. Nonetheless, they are not a reason to disrupt your careful planning. If you want to take control of your day, you must set clear time limits for interruptions. Let’s imagine that you get an email. Instead of deciding to simply check it, you should do something along these lines: “I will allocate no more than two minutes to this email and will reconsider my plans only if it is urgent.”
Way 7. Group similar tasks together
One of the most difficult things in any type of work is the process of switching attention. In this regard, a potent way of taking control over your day is to make sure that you perform similar tasks together. For instance, if you have to write two texts about 9/11 and two texts about Donald Trump, it would be rational to write all the stuff about the primary topic first. In this way, you will get used to the task and perform it faster.
Way 8. Don’t forget to rest
One of the best ways to undermine your control over any day is to be tired. Tired people cannot concentrate and, thus, easily fall into bouts of procrastination. In this light, you should carefully think about rest both during your day and before it. Plan your rest similarly to work. Your discipline will thank you for this choice later.
Way 9. Remove distractions (social media and the Internet)
Try to remove all distractions that can somehow prevent you from performing the relevant work. Concerning this factor, we recommend to thoroughly think about social media and the Internet. Find blocking extensions for various websites, for example. In this way, you will be able to close some of the most important paths to distractions. Based on the Pavlovian reflexes, social media is the main enemy of productivity.
Way 10. Review your days
Lastly, a strong approach to taking control of your day is the use of daily reviews. When you see the results of your work during a day, you immediately become accountable to yourself. Your internal critic will then do the rest of the important work. Once you see your weaknesses, you will have a path towards attacking them. After all, it is impossible to attack an enemy that you do not even know.
All in all, the path to freedom regarding the control of your day is far from being simple. If you truly want to take control of your life, you must work hard. There is no silver bullet. The pieces of advice offered in this post work. They stem from years of human experience. What is necessary, however, is the willingness to utilize them on your part.
