Mornings are great, and nothing beats seeing that beautiful sunrise make its way over the sky to greet everyone a wonderful morning to start their day right. Plus, there’s just certain magic to facing the day head-on before the world starts getting busy, being sunkissed to make all your following responsibilities feel like a breeze, and getting things done before the sun reaches its golden hour.
However, no matter how idyllic morning routines and waking up at precisely 5:00 AM have become by modern standards, there’s no denying that living that early morning riser character is not a lifestyle that works with everyone. So, before you force yourself onto something that is clearly not cut out for you, it’s about time we debunk the real productivity that one attains from switching up routines and focusing on their time management instead.
If It’s Time Management You Need, Productive Habits are Better
Once you break down morning routines to their most basic components, it’s not the time itself that helps to be more productive, but rather the essence of time management and making the most out of your active hours to meet deadlines, complete responsibilities, and reach your targets. So, instead of trying to embody the lifestyle of a morning person that just doesn’t fit you, here’s what we recommend you should explore to instill productive habits into your mantra:
- Work With Your Body Clock, Not Against It: Firstly, it’s no use going against your body clock because many of those internal processes are inherently decided by genes and learned behavior from when you were younger. So, we recommend that you make use of your advantages and play at home court instead of scurrying over onto someone else’s ballpark. For example, if you’re a night owl that gets bursts of energy right before midnight, plan your most heavy-hitting deadlines to match up.
- Stand By a Strict Daily Schedule of Activities: Nowadays, distractions are everywhere, and it can be pretty annoying to have your attention taken away from work just because of an Instagram notification. So, if you’re serious about fixing up your backlogs and tendency to be bad with punctuality, standing by a strict daily schedule can do you wonders. And once you get into the habit of making coffee with your Hario cold brew 600mlat the same time every day, everything else will just fall into place piece by piece.
- Manage Your Progress With A To-Do List: Of course, if you’re more of a flexible person that works with different kinds of responsibilities each day, then morning routines won’t do you any good because a to-do list is more appropriate. For example, anyone who operates in the gig economy will work projects for people from various time zones, and since mornings alone won’t cut it, a list will help keep track of your progress. Plus, checking things off feels just as good, if not better, as seeing a beautiful sunrise.
- Take Regular Breaks To Maintain Motivation: Last but not least, if there is one thing that morning people and the rest of the world can agree on, then it’s the fact that everybody deserves to take regular breaks to keep their sanity. So, regardless of what schedule you’re running or whichever internal body clock works for you best, please don’t forget to spare some time to relax. And whether that’s sitting down to watch a few games or maybe even going international in the kitchen, regular breaks help keep motivation high.
You Could Also Try Squashing Deep-Seated Issues
Likewise, besides making the most out of your day with productive habits instead of forcing the morning person act, another excellent method of freeing up more time would be squashing any deep-seated issues that are holding you back. Namely, you could be dealing with (1) an uphill battle with perfectionist tendencies and (2) going through some general dissatisfaction with your career choice and current projects.
- An Uphill Battle With Perfectionism: Whether you’re an early bird or night owl, anyone who struggles with perfectionism will have trouble with time management because they can’t move from one step to the next without doubting their work first. And if you see yourself facing the same issues, we recommend consulting with a life coach that can work through some notches causing these poor habits.
- General Dissatisfaction And Unhappiness: Apart from your battles with perfectionism, some people are just going through general dissatisfaction with their current circumstances and situation. And since no matter what change you introduce to time management will do you no good, we suggest clearing up some time to reflect and go over your personal battles first.
Becoming more productive in the morning doesn’t only mean turning into a morning person. Instead of falling for the idea that long morning routines are the key, try out the time management tips and tricks above to better understand how early risers make the most of their day. These strategies will help you learn how to get ready quickly in the morning, boosting your productivity.
