Here’s how to utilize just 20 minutes of your day to change your life

Time is the most valuable asset we have. Rather than spending it on things and matters that are of little or no relevance, if we utilize it in ways that pay back, we would be on the top of our game. Most of us complain of how we need more than 24 hours to finish off everything on our To-do list. Only if we learn to manage our time better, shall we realize that just 24 are quite enough. And better time management comes from better planning.

Here is a planning exercise to be pursued every single day, preferably in the morning. These points will not take more than 20 minutes even on your lazy days, but will ensure that your whole day doesn’t go down the drain.

1. Jot down 8 little things you wish to achieve on a day. If by the end of an 8-hour work day, we haven’t achieved all 8, then there’s something massively wrong.

2. As this habit becomes a pattern, split these 8 pointers into 6 professional and 2 personal. This will do help you attain a better work-life balance. The personal goals could be like picking kids from the crèche, or stocking up the groceries at home.

3. For the weekends, flip the ratio. Target to accomplish 6 personal and 2 professional tasks (the latter only if you must). If you’re lucky and have both Saturday and Sunday off work, put your list to rest on Sundays beside you.

4. Every next morning, check how many goals from the previous day have been accomplished. Analyze the points where you almost faltered, and make a new list for the current day.

Setting one’s goals right in the morning is a great way to start structuring your time well. To bring in some sort of freshness every few days, you’re free to go creative. Invest in a good-looking notepad that you can carry alongside to work. Record your list in your own voice in your phone and play it once every 2-3 hours. Or maybe set reminders in your phone if you’ve got even the time-slots sorted in your mind.

It’s crucial to realize that time is costlier than money. So if an over-extended meeting with a client ended up getting business, it’s still a loss. Being particular about our time demands that we choose one time-saving person over another who takes a longer time from us.

We must also learn that saying ‘No’ doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings and must be done without guilt. There may be times we feel we’re letting go of some interesting opportunities today in our quest to save time for tomorrow, but that’s wise too.

While mornings can be a great time to jot down the list, some of us may want to keep the mindful activity for the night-time. After all, right before bed is when we’re the most sure of how far we have come all day, and how far we can go the next day as well.

All one needs is the will to continue every next morning will all honesty, and the realization that planning your day in the first place is even more important than achieving all 8 goals.