We all want to have good days. But many of us are completely clueless when it comes to knowing what actually encompasses a good day. What does a good day look like? What do you do? What don’t you do?
For me, having a good day is simple. If I do the five things listed below, I call it a good day. Regardless of how crazy the world around me is, if I find the time to do these five things, I can say I spent my time well and had a good day.
Try these five things out for yourself to have a good day:
Read
I think too many people have negative connotations when it comes to reading. In school they were probably forced to read books on topics they didn’t like or weren’t interested in. This can make reading feel like a chore.
But in reality, reading is only a chore if you are reading something that doesn’t interest you.
Read something that engages you. Read something about a topic that you care about. Read something on a topic you are completely clueless about. It doesn’t really matter what you are reading, as long as you do it.
Not only is the ritual of reading enjoyable, but reading will also make you a much more educated person.
Journal
Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations was never written to be read by anybody other than Marcus. Meditations is simply a collection of Marcus’ journal entries.
Epictetus — another Stoic philosopher — also journaled. “I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by,” Epictetus said about his journaling practice.
There really isn’t a right way to journal. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or how you do it. Find what works for you.
I like to put my day up for review each night. I simply write down a few thoughts about how the day went. I write about what I did right. I write about what I did wrong. I write about what I did do. I write about what I wish I didn’t do.
Enjoy the moment
Too many times we are not actually present in the moment. We are always focused on the next thing. We are thinking about what just happened, or we are anxious about the future. The truth is that the past or the future doesn’t matter. In fact, it doesn’t even exist. The only thing that you have is this moment right now. So why don’t you do your best to enjoy it?
If you make a conscious effort to enjoy every moment, I guarantee that you will have a good day.
Set a schedule
For me, setting a daily schedule has been my biggest productivity hack. I remember I first tried out this strategy during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when we were all in quarantine. I don’t remember my exact schedule, but I do know that I was ultra-productive during this time period.
If you have a set schedule, it will be almost impossible for you to get off track. If you know that you are supposed to be doing __ at __ time, then you are much more likely to actually do it. You don’t have to use your will power to tell yourself to do it. Your schedule tells you to do it.
If your day is too chaotic to schedule, then you could write a checklist of items that you need to get done for the day. I have also found that this is an effective way to be productive.
Limit Distractions
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: You are trying to work on something, but just can’t stay focused. Distractions are constantly beckoning, and it seems like it is impossible to just sit down and work.
I know that this has been a common occurrence whenever I am working.
If we want to be efficient and effective in our work, it is critically important that we say no to the distractions and just focus on the task at hand. When I am particularly distracted, I find it helpful to set aside a certain amount of time for uninterrupted work.
Once you master the skill of limiting distractions, your productivity will go to another level. It is all about ‘Deep Work’ as author Cal Newport would call it.
Every day, find some time for Deep Work. You’ll be shocked at how productive you become.