Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Angela Vaz
Are there days when you feel life has become monotonous?
Or days when you feel like you’re functioning on autopilot? and you can’t differentiate between today or yesterday?
You can’t recall if it’s the first or second week of the month and the mornings bleed into the nights, and you have no idea how time passes by so fast?
You’re not alone. I’ve been there.
It’s confusing at first.
Making every day count is what will actually help you come out of this rut and make your life more meaningful.
Too often, we are content with just surviving, and we’re not really living.
But in the past few years, I’ve tried to live more intentionally, and I’ve noticed an overall boost in my mood.
I love my life, and I wouldn’t change anything at this point.
I genuinely believe that each day we have is a gift and all we have to do is enjoy it.
If you’re looking for a way to start enjoying life and live each day intentionally, this post will help you with that.
But before that really quick, get my free guide on how to really reset your life.
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Making every day count – 13 easy ways to do that
1. Wake up early
You’re probably rolling your eyes at this one.
But I believe that if you start your day well, your entire day will be pretty smooth-sailing.
And the main benefit of waking up early is that you can finish your most important tasks in the morning before everyone else has woken up.
This will give you a huge surge of motivation and energy, and you will feel so accomplished and happy, which will help you move through the rest of the day with ease.
I used to wake up at 7:00 am every day, but I kept moving it back a bit because I feel more energized when I wake up before dawn.
I currently wake up at 4:30 am, and it serves me well.
Choose a timing that works for you.
Waking up before your entire family will give you more time to work on your own personal projects or personal goals.
Additionally, moving your body and exercising in the morning helps release endorphins and gives you that much-needed energy and mood boost that will serve you well throughout the day.
2. Create a list and prioritize
When I wake up, the first thing I drink is a glass of hot water with lemon and apple cider vinegar to help awaken my metabolism and give me that kickstart I need to move.
I then draft a list of to-dos in my Notes app. I start with the essentials, and I keep separate lists for:
- Physical tasks
- Hobbies
- Work related tasks
- Personal tasks
I tackle the most important tasks in the morning, like feeding my pups and taking them for a walk before I sit down to work.
I do the same with my work.
I finish the most important tasks in the morning to be more flexible with the remainder of the day.
Identify what is important for you and try to tackle those tasks at the beginning of the day.
This will boost your productivity!
3. Eat healthy meals on time
Your body likes routine.
It’s okay to shift a few meals or around or skip meals when you’re just not feeling like it.
But as much as possible, stick to a routine for consuming your meals.
This will help your body get accustomed to your timings, and your body will function like clockwork.
Make sure you get a good breakfast. This will determine your energy throughout the day, so don’t skip breakfast.
Have a big, healthy breakfast and drink a few glasses of hot water in the morning before you do.
It will help your body digest your food better, and you’ll feel so good.
Make sure you consume all your meals within a 12 hour period.
If you have your breakfast at 7 in the morning, make sure you have your dinner at 7:00 pm. This will help your body digest its food better, and it’s good for your gut as well!
4. Do something you love each day
All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl.
Dedicate some time each day to something you love.
It is the ultimate form of self-care and self-love.
It can be just 10-15 minutes. It needn’t be big.
Do something that makes your heart sing. It will boost your mood and just give you this feeling of wonder and happiness.
Ask yourself if there is something you’ve always wanted to do.
Have you been putting it off because you felt the timing is not right?
If so, then take this as a sign to stop delaying your dreams. Put it to action now.
For years, I’d wanted to learn the piano but never bothered to pick it up.
Now at the age of 28, I finally got myself a keyboard, and I’m frankly enjoying it so much!
5. Learn something new every day
Be curious.
Be filled with wonder.
And constantly learn new things.
Ask questions.
Look up things you’re wondering about.
Learn a new word.
Learn a new language.
Become a keen observer of your surroundings.
Learning new things keeps your mind open and flexible.
You also become the most interesting person in the room because you can literally start a conversation about anything.
6. Move your body
Move your body.
Your body will feel so much lighter and healthier if you get some daily exercise.
It needn’t be stressful if you make it a habit and slowly build it up. You don’t need to hit the gym or go for super long walks right away.
If you don’t like walking, try to incorporate it slowly.
Start walking in your house for 5 minutes. Or park your car a little further away so that you can walk a bit to your grocery store.
Stop at a park on your way home and take a 15-minute walk in the park.
Because I’ve been working from home for over 6 years, I don’t get that much physical activity.
For this reason, I am super grateful to have been blessed with dogs. My dogs keep me active.
I stay in a gated society with a lot of families and pets. So, whenever I go out, I see kids rollerblading or people walking their dogs.
This environment motivates me to walk more, and I feel really active and happy when I get back.
If you don’t like walking when people are around, get up early and walk before the sun rises.
It is honestly one of the most therapeutic experiences you’ll have. You’ll feel one with nature, and your walk will pump you to have a great day!
Once you start walking and feel comfortable exercising, start doing more physical activities like dancing, swimming, running, or training.
You will become stronger, fitter, and more healthy!
7. Stop spending time with people who don’t make you happy
The people that came to your mind when you read this sentence are the people that might be doing more harm than good.
If you don’t want to spend time over the weekend at an event, don’t go.
Learn to say no to people or events that don’t bring you joy.
If a friend is draining you most of the time and not making you feel like yourself, it may be time to let that friend go.
You will naturally move toward a more peaceful and intentional life by cutting out all the toxic people from your life.
8. Spend more time with people you love
Do not isolate yourself from the world.
It can be tempting to do this, especially for introverts or people going through a hard time.
But don’t.
We, humans, are social creatures.
And it is a good idea to spend some time in a week around people or with people.
Go out.
Participate in local events from time to time.
Volunteer to make a difference in the world.
Set up coffee dates with friends and family every week or every other week.
Make a list of friends you love and are close to and keep in touch with them monthly.
Even a “Hey, it’s been a long time! How are you doing?” may make a world of difference to that person.
Spend more time nurturing relationships that mean the world to you.
9. Start working on your bucket list
Have you always wanted to do something but cast it aside because life just got in the way?
Or do you constantly put your loved ones’ needs ahead of yours?
Life is too short to spend it all in the backseat.
Focus on making your dreams come true.
If you’ve always wanted to take a trip to Paris, start saving money so you can do that.
If you’ve always wanted to knit, get some knitting needles and buy a few craft courses to make that happen.
If you’re working a dead-end job that does not make you happy, start working toward your dream job so that you can do work that fulfills you.
10. Slow down
Slow down to appreciate what you have going for you.
Slow down to take in everything that is happening for you.
Your life is beautiful.
Yes, we all have bad days/weeks.
Sometimes, we go through ordeals that require a lot of strength and courage to move past them and move forward.
And that is what life is mostly about – taking the good with the bad.
But if you are continuously hustling, you’ll never be able to appreciate what’s happening in your life right now.
That’s why it’s important to take at least 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted time each day just to slow down and focus on the present moment.
The best way to do this is to meditate.
Meditation seriously changed my life.
I only meditate for 10-15 minutes a day, but those few minutes have helped me become more self-aware and emotionally strong.
Additionally, I picked up Haemin Sunim’s books and both of these books helped me become calmer and less anxious.
11. Be kind
Kindness goes a long way, and it genuinely helps you make a difference in the world.
This, in turn, helps you become more content and peaceful in life.
One of the best ways to make kindness a daily habit is to listen more.
Just be there for people when they need you.
Listen to what they have to say without judgment and bias.
It will mean so much to them – especially to the people in your lives.
Keep aside a part of your monthly earnings to donate to your favorite charities or non-profit organizations.
Dedicate some time every week or every month to doing some volunteer work in your locality.
12. Become more self aware
Self-awareness will change your life and how you look at it.
There are several ways to do this, but some of the best include journaling every day, reading, meditating and praying.
The more you listen to your thoughts and observe how you react to situations, the more focused and calmer you become as a person.
When you are self-aware and emotionally strong, you automatically become fine-tuned to your being.
You’ll always react from a place of intuition and peace rather than act impulsively.
You will find it easy to stick to decisions, and people will be drawn to your peaceful demeanor.
13. Wind down before sleeping
Take some time to wind down before you hit the sack.
Sometimes, you might be super tired and just want to crash – this is okay.
But on most days, an evening routine really helps set the mood and prepares your body and mind for sleep.
Read a book, spend time with your loved ones, do a nice activity that helps you slow down.
You’ll feel more peaceful and get a good night’s sleep when you disconnect from technology and do a few mindful activities before going to bed.
Takeaway
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to making every day count.
Life can sometimes be very challenging, but if you take some time to slow down and pay attention to what’s really happening, you will become more self-aware.
And when you become more self-aware and really know what areas of your life you want to work on, you can focus more time on creating a routine that works for you makes you happier and fulfilled.
What is one thing you do every single day that brings you joy?
Let me know in the comments below!
