Articles all over the Web talk about goal-setting and monotasking, but such vague concepts rarely help busy workers form a schedule that benefits their jobs, their families, and themselves.
You can have both productivity and happiness — if you plan out your days just right. Here is a foolproof schedule to help you reach the balance you’ve always needed.
The most successful people in the world have always been morning people. Virgin’s Richard Branson, Disney’s Bob Iger, Starbucks’s Howard Schultz, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour are among the many successes who attest to getting up with the sun.
However, the reason early birds have an advantage is not necessarily what most people expect: Early risers don’t usually jump immediately into work.
Instead, they use their extra time preparing physically, mentally, and emotionally for the workday ahead. By devoting the morning time to leisure activities, early birds can more easily find balance in their lives. Here is your ideal morning schedule:
If you strive to get ahead in your career, your day should be packed with action. Hard workers tend to be the only ones who make it to the top, and hard work requires more than the standard eight-hour workday.
Both Benjamin Franklin and Donald Trump attest to devoting at least 9 hours every day to active work — but these represent the schedules of successful people at their peak. In order to get to their position, you may need to extend your workday to 10 or even 12 hours some days.
Still, it’s important not to regularly overdo your active time; overwork has been linked with a number of health problems, including lowered immunity, frequent body pain, constant fatigue, and premature heart disease.
Here is a healthy schedule you should follow most days:
After work is done, you should reward yourself with an evening devoted to recuperation and leisure. As soon as you clock out, you can enjoy a cocktail at your favorite happy hour spot or head home for a light dinner.
You don’t need to have a rigorous schedule for this period as long as you know that you should not be working strenuously after you clock out.
Because your body and mind need a full eight hours of rest to function at peak performance, you shouldn’t be in bed any later than 10:00 p.m. For the most restful sleep possible, you should avoid screens, bright lights, and food for at least an hour or two before you rest your head.
Then, after a sound slumber, you can get up at 6:00 a.m. and start the next workday.