Create a schedule, Create a routine, Create a new life

One of my favorite TV shows is Suits, which is a show based around fictional corporate lawyers in New York City.  In the majority of the first few seasons, there is always some remark or some little fight to try and have the best secretary in the office, because a secretary can help make or break that high ranking lawyer.  This necessity is spawned from the fact that these busy lawyers desperately need someone to operate their schedule to ensure that they do not miss any important meetings with clients.  Now, this example does not mean that you need to go and get a secretary to operate your life.  On the contrary, you need to be your own secretary and take control of your schedule.

By being your own secretary, you can dictate how each of your days should theoretically turn out, which should be constant successes.  With a schedule, you can ensure that you perform tasks or reward yourself with fun activities at specific moments.  For example, if you set 2pm as the time you will read 10 pages of a personal development book, then you will have no excuse to read.  If you failed, then your schedule probably has or will go into haywire.  When you keep to your schedule, then you will see how more successful you will be, because you can start controlling your days and time. 

There is no excuse for you to not have a schedule.  Complaints—such as not having the right planner, your days are constantly unknown, or you do not have the time to make a schedule—is just your mind telling you that you do not want to change your life for the better and you would rather remain stuck.  Well, tell your mind “NO!” Take control of your life now and make the schedule! 

You have so many physical and electronic resources available to you to make your schedule

To make the schedule, you will need to write it down somewhere, physically or electronically.  If you want to do it electronically, then you can use an app.  There are hundreds of apps on your smartphone that can help you create a schedule.  For example, there is Google Calendar, Calendar (on iPhone), TimeBloc, and so many more apps.  I personally love Google Calendar, because I can access it on any of my devices (laptop, desktop computer, and phone).  However, you should try whatever works best for you.  Regardless, make sure to put EVERYTHING on this schedule, because you want to make sure that you go to that doctor’s appointment or listen to your positive podcast. 

Not only do I use Google Calendar, but I also use a physical planner to help keep my day running.  For me, I use it in case I have to micromanage the next few hours of my day.  Also, for example, when I feel like I have to go to the bathroom for an extended period of time and I want to make sure that I complete several tasks when I exit the bathroom, I make sure to write it all down in my planner.  Furthermore, I like to bring some reading material (a personal development book) to the bathroom to help make sure that I stay on top of my books and accomplish my monthly goal of completing two books a month. 

If you prefer writing your schedule down, then I definitely recommend using a planner.  HOWEVER, if you do choose a planner, then you must CHECK it every day at certain periods throughout the day.  A planner is absolutely useless if you never use it.  Therefore, use it and take control of your life. 

A routine and daily goal gives you a foundation and helps you ensure that your day is a success

Besides having a schedule, you have to create daily goals and a routine to help manage your days.  For a routine, this can as simple as a morning routine when you wake up or a list of tasks you do before you go to bed.  For me, I have a set morning routine that ensures that I accomplish a list of things before I continue on with my day.  My morning routine is that when I wake up, I immediately wash my face, do 40 pushups, read Our Daily Bread (a Christian daily devotional), make my breakfast, and review over emails as well as my schedule while I eat.  By doing these steps for me, I can ensure that my day starts off right.  I would recommend making a routine that works for you.  For example, if you do something similar to mine, you can swap out the reading of Our Daily Bread to a personal development book or you can change doing 40 pushups to doing 10 minutes of stretching.  Whatever your routine is, create it so you can follow it every single day without fault.      

When you create unique routines, your days will constantly be successes, because your repetition will help you accomplish your daily goals.  These goals can be simple tasks such as reading 1 chapter of a book or doing 20 pushups.  By including these goals into your routine, a domino effect will occur.  When you do more pushups, you become stronger.  When you listen to that personal development podcast, you will learn more about how to push yourself.  By having goals and a routine, your life can change and your days will be constant successes. 

Be meticulous when forming your schedule, but be flexible and adaptable

When figuring out your schedule, routines, and goals, you have to keep in mind that things take time.  As in, you have to take account of the time for everything.  If you know you take 30 minutes to eat breakfast, then put on your schedule that you will eat breakfast between specific times such as 8:00 am to 8:30 am.  However, make sure to leave some buffer room between each activity you do.  I always leave between 5-10 minutes between each of my activities, because I know I am going to text back a friend or go to the bathroom.  Even though you are giving yourself some time between each task, this does not mean that you can procrastinate.  Do not let yourself fall into the trap of accidentally watching a YouTube video, then watching another, then another, and then 2 hours have passed which ruined your schedule.  Make sure that you stick with your schedule and routine. 

As I say that you need to stick with your schedule and routine, you must learn when you have to be flexible with it.  You cannot schedule everything: when you have to go to the bathroom, a family emergency happens, a friend calls, traffic is delayed due to an accident on the road, and so many more daily surprises that pop up.  THIS IS ALRIGHT!  You are not a psychic who can predict the future.  Part of running a schedule is understanding when to be flexible.  Now, this is not an excuse so that you can cheat on your schedule and be flexible by binge watching all of the seasons of The Office in one sitting when you scheduled yourself to go for a run.  Be flexible with your schedule, but only for the right reasons.

Determining a right reason to be flexible can be either extremely easy or exceedingly hard.  The only way to figure out when you should be flexible is to decide what you prioritize.  When working with your schedule, you cannot prioritize your schedule, because you have to schedule your priorities.  You cannot be extremely resilient and stubborn to follow your schedule when, for example, someone is hurt and desperately needs you.  Ultimately, you have to follow your schedule, but be flexible when you have to or should.

Creating your own schedule will help you take control of your life

Changing your life comes in the form of baby steps and one of the most critical steps is creating a schedule, a routine, and daily goals.  If you want to be successful or if you want to achieve something, then you absolutely need a schedule.  Also, you do not need someone else like a secretary to help operate your day or schedule.  You can do it yourself.  When you do it yourself, you gain more control over your life as you determine what your day looks like.  Instead of being all over the place, you can take control of your life one step at a time.