Have you ever had a list of things to do and when you look at the clock it’s the end of the day and everything that was supposed to get done didn’t?

This used to happen to me…a lot!

I would write down my to-do list the night before (for the next day) and I wouldn’t get past the first task.

Looking at my list at the end of the day left me feeling completely defeated.

My goals were now pushed back another day.

Even smaller (every day life) tasks were delayed.

I had no spare time for myself, my workouts were suffering and I felt drained.

My days were running me…

Until one day after read ‘The Perfect Day Formula’ by Craig Ballantyne & ‘Inner Strength’ by Tony Robbins, I decided to take full action of the things I can control in my life.

This is what I revised in my life:

1. I changed my wake up time. Rather than waking up at 7:00am I now wake up at 6:30am. 15 or 30 minutes more in your day can make a huge difference and it has for me.

2.  I made a list of what really matters – my ‘Must Do’ and I do that first thing in the morning. For example; my business depends on writing and communication so I write for the first hour of my day. This is when my mind is the most clear and creative.  I don’t go on social media and I don’t answer emails.

3.    I implemented structure, rules, rituals and I planned out my set daily schedule.

For example, here is my daily routine.

• 6:30am – Writing session
• 7:30am – Spend time with Jackson, read to him and feed him breakfast
• 9:00am – Strategy meeting with my business partner
• 11:00am – Exercise – 4-5 days per week (shoot workout videos)
• 12:00pm – Reading and lunch
• 1:30 pm – Emails and phone calls
• 5:00 pm – Make dinner for my family
• 5:30pm – Dinner, family/social time (walk to the park after dinner if weather is nice)
• 7:00pm – Give Jackson a bath, read him a story and put him to bed
• 8:00pm – A few more emails, schedule social posts, write my to-dos for the next day.
• 9:00pm – Unplug from work, phone and most electronics. Read, unwind and communicate with my husband. Write in my journal
• 10:30pm or 11:00pm – Bedtime

Of course, there are some exceptions to these rules like the weekends when we do things with our son and family but for the most part I stick to this schedule pretty rigidly, not letting things get in the way of my day.

Some people may think that having such a rigid schedule doesn’t allow for liberation but I counter that.

Creating a set plan and rules for myself has led me to have more freedom and time with the ones I love and much needed downtime I rarely had before.

It has been life changing.

EITHER RUN YOUR DAY OR YOUR DAY WILL RUN YOU 🙂