For goal-oriented people like me, it always feels like there are a million things to get done at any given time, but nowhere near enough time to get it all done. It’s a big source of frustration, especially when it seems like some people are accomplishing all their goals and still being able to make time for family and relaxation. If you can relate to this, then it might just be time to make some adjustments in your day-to-day and find some tools to help you get more done. You’d be surprised what a big difference small shifts in your lifestyle can make in your productivity.

Exercise Early

I used to save my exercise time until the evening after all my work was done, and although it seemed a little more convenient schedule-wise, I was feeling sluggish by mid-day. I decided to shift my exercises to the mornings, either before starting work or a couple hours into the day, and I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in my energy level. Working out in the morning can give you more energy throughout the day, and it’s also a great way to clear your head and start the day in a positive and uplifted mood. You don’t have to do your entire workout routine in the morning; if you can just squeeze in at least 10 minutes of exercise you’ll notice a huge difference. My favorite morning exercises are dance cardio workouts (free on YouTube) from Madfit and The Studio by Jamie Kinkeade. They’re so much fun, and a short but very effective cardio workout.

Start Your Day With the Right Foods

The foods you eat in the morning and throughout your day can make a big difference in how you’re feeling energy-wise. The best foods to eat to give you energy and focus are fruits, vegetables, protein, and nuts, and there are plenty of ways to combine them into tasty and healthy meals and snacks. If you’re looking for foods that will improve your brain function throughout the day, berries and nuts are a great go-to for extra brain power.

Wake Up Earlier

I personally struggle with this, and have had a life-long habit of hitting snooze several times in the morning, but pushing yourself to wake up earlier than usual can be a really effective way to get more done in the morning. Mornings can be one of the best times to get things done that take more concentration or creativity, especially after a little bit of morning exercise to jump-start the day. If part of your struggle is waking up to an irritating alarm in a pitch black room, I highly recommend trying a sunrise alarm clock. Sunrise alarm clocks simulate the sunrise, going from complete darkness to full brightness within a half hour before your wake-up time, making it easier and less painful to wake up in the morning.

Work in a Clean and Organized Space

Whether you’re at an office or working on project at home, working in a clean and clutter-free work space can make it much easier to focus on the task at hand. Not only will you not be feeling frustrated by the mess around you, but you can find things much more easily in a space that’s thoughtfully organized. Desk organizers are awesome tools for setting yourself up for success and having a logical place to store papers, folders, and office supplies.

Have Some Structure in Your Day

You don’t have to have every day planned out from start to finish, but it helps a lot to have a little structure in each day. For example, you could designate a portion of each day to certain tasks, or just have a to-do list of things you want to accomplish in your day, week, or month. I will always swear by planners, many of which are designed to make daily, weekly, and monthly planning a breeze. Having structure in your day not only keeps you on track to get the most important things done, but it keeps you from jumping to less important tasks, and helps you work smarter and harder.

I recently watched a video my best friend Jessica created about embracing imperfection and bringing your ideas and dreams to life sooner, and it really resonated with me. If you’re anything like me, then you might be the kind of person that constantly daydreams about ideas you have for things you want to create, whether they’re works of art, business ideas, home decor ideas, you name it. Shortly after I finished college, I got engaged, and it sparked a business idea where I’d be creating really unique wedding stationery for women like me who love designs that are offbeat and vibrant. For about two years, I kept researching and brainstorming ideas for my business, and kept telling myself that I wasn’t ready to start my business yet because I hadn’t perfected all of my ideas or sorted out all the details. I was finding that all this waiting I did to launch my business was hindering some of my motivation and creativity, so I finally took the leap. From all that waiting and planning, I came to a big realization: waiting to bring your ideas to life is complete BS.

When it comes to starting a business, I know there’s a lot of research and planning involved, and that can take a lot of time, especially if you’re already working at another job. However, the idea that we have to perfect everything before we bring our ideas into the world is a huge lie. For creatives, this can be a really difficult concept to grasp because we often have such a clear vision in our minds about what we want to create. The thing is, a lot of times if we ever want to actually get our idea out there, we just need to take the leap and say it’s GOOD ENOUGH. Who says you can’t revisit something and make it even better later? I’ve put together a list of some of the most common excuses for delaying ideas, and my top ideas for getting past the rut and getting sh** done:

I don’t have enough time

This is one that I really struggle with. On top of running a business, I’m working as a web designer, trying to make plenty of time for my hubbie and dog, getting things done around the house, exercising, getting outside, and taking time for fun and self care. You may have a busy schedule too, and find it’s really hard to squeeze in extra time for projects. The thing is, you don’t have to beat yourself up for not having lots of extra time. All you need to do is find a little extra time each day or each week to work on something if even just a little bit. Can you wake up a half hour earlier to work on your project? Maybe you can squeeze in a little time on the weekends when you’re not working. Regardless of when it is, the goal is to set aside a little time and just DO IT. Working on it a little is much better than not at all. I find that having a weekly planner with my to-do’s helps keep me on track for making time for my projects and ideas.

I don’t know enough about X

A big misconception a lot of people have about themselves is that they can’t do something if they aren’t a professional at it. The thing is, the internet nowadays is packed with ENDLESS information about everything you could possibly think of, a lot of which is free information, so if you don’t know exactly how to do something, go online and learn about it! YouTube is a great source of information for learning just about anything, and same with Skillshare (you can sign up for a free 2 month trial), but websites like Udemy and Linkedin Learning are great for learning more professional skills like business management and graphic design. There’s nothing wrong with starting your project now and learning as you go, and what better way to put your new knowledge to work?

My idea isn’t perfect yet

It’s easy to get hung up on all the little details of a project, but when it comes down to what’s important, it’s really about the bigger picture. If you’re working on a business idea or project and feel like it still needs work but it’s already pretty well developed, why not share your work anyways and just get it out there? At the very least, you can share your work with close friends and family and get feedback from them so you can continue to improve your idea. There’s nothing wrong with going back and improving something more, but trust me, sharing your work with the world is going to feel good, and it’s going to motivate you to continue working on it even more.

I’m overwhelmed

If you’ve ever had an idea that required a lot of time, planning, and work, then I’m sure you’ve felt that feeling of overwhelm about all the things you need to get done in order to bring your idea to life. I’ve had plenty of instances where I’ve felt so overwhelmed by a project that I didn’t even want to start it. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the entirety of a project, the best thing you can do for yourself is to start by breaking your project down into manageable steps. By breaking your project down into small steps, you can reduce your stress about it by taking just one small step at a time. Plus, each time you accomplish one of those steps, you can cross it off your to-do list and feel a bigger sense of accomplishment as you move closer to your end goal.

I’m not motivated enough

Trust me, this has been a life-long struggle of mine. I’m a girl with big dreams, but an even bigger desire to go have fun instead of working on my stuff. Getting over a lack of motivation is definitely not an overnight transformation. It’s something you have to work at every day until it becomes a part of your routine. Becoming more motivated is all about starting in small steps. If you typically spend your downtime just having fun or relaxing, start by working a short amount of work time into each day, even just 20 minutes. Once you feel pretty comfortable making that time for work time, you can start increasing it in small increments. You may not want to do too much too soon because you might just end up feeling overwhelmed and giving up, so instead try my approach of working in small steps and forming long-term habits that become part of your daily routine.

I hope these tips will help you bring more of your great ideas to life sooner, and if you’re looking for more inspiration, you should check out my bestie Jessica’s video below about bringing your dreams to life and getting past perfectionism. She’s a very wise, down to earth, and relatable lady, and has a YouTube channel with tons of great advice and inspiration. If you’re working on any projects right now, drop a comment below and tell us about them!

Right now, we’re living in a crazy time of our lives that’s left a lot of us more confused, worried, and frankly bored than ever. Even though times are scary and uncertain, it’s such a crucial time to keep our spirits up for the sake of our mental and physical well-being. You don’t have to let lockdown be a prison sentence, in fact right now may be a better time than ever for personal discovery, getting things done, and having some fun at home (outside of catching up on Netflix shows). Here’s a list of ideas to get you started on keeping yourself busy and happy while stuck at home, and if you have more great ideas to add, share your ideas in the comments below!

1. Exercise (Even If You Don’t Have a Home Gym)

Getting exercise is one of the best ways to stay healthy and boost your mood, but you don’t have to have a home gym, or really any exercise equipment at all, to stay active at home. YouTube is a great resource for free at-home exercise classes that I’ve been making lots of use of lately. POPSUGAR Fitness is just one of hundreds of fitness channels available, but I love that they have a huge variety of classes like kickboxing, yoga, and my personal favorite, dance fitness. If you do want to stock your home with some basic exercise equipment, jump ropes, dumbbells, and resistance bands are inexpensive options that you can pick up online.

2. Clean, Organize, and Decorate Your Space

I know cleaning may not sound like the most fun way to spend your time, but getting your house extra clean and organized can be really good for mental clarity and mood boosting, so why not give it a try? At Home With Nikki is a highly rated YouTube channel for home organization tips, but there are tons of other options to check out, like the famous Marie Kondo, who has a popular Netflix show and a collection of books on the subject. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to start with cleaning and organizing, I’d recommend starting with one room at a time, going through your belongings, and creating a pile of items that you want to get rid of (donate if you can). Once you’ve gone through each room, you can start in on organizing, and finally finishing the job by detail cleaning (dusting, scrubbing, vacuuming, etc.). Finally, if you’re feeling ambitious about decorating but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, check out Mr. Kate’s YouTube playlist that’s all about decorating rooms for under $300.

3. Create Some Artwork

Arts and crafts is one of the most stress-relieving and fun activities I can think of while stuck at home, and you definitely don’t have to be Picasso to enjoy creating. You may have heard of Paint and Sip classes, which are painting classes led by an instructor that guides you through creating a specific painting step by step (all while drinking), but it turns out there are a ton of free Paint and Sip classes on YouTube ranging from beginner to expert level. You may also remember Paint by Number from childhood, but there are actually tons of adult-level Paint by Number canvases that you can create, like Van Gogh’s famous Starry Night. Pinterest is another great source of inspiration for finding fun art projects to try. There are a lot of options when it comes to arts and crafts, so do some exploring and find something that you really enjoy.

The ideas listed above are some of my personal favorites for staying busy at home, but here are some more ideas that might spark your interest:

4. Take singing lessons online (Skillshare has a free trial)
5. Take other online courses (Skillshare and Linkedin Learning have tons of options, and both have free trials)
6. Read some books (ebooks are perfect for the times)
7. Try cooking some new recipes (Cookie and Kate and Pinch of Yum are great food blogs)
8. Have a pampering/spa day (mani/pedi, face mask, bubble bath with your favorite wine/beer/whatever, maybe even convince your roomie to give you a massage?)
9. Learn to play the ukulele
10. Organize/create playlists on Spotify (you could create the perfect playlist for that huge party you’re throwing when lockdown is over)
11. Listen to podcasts (Spotify has those too)
12. Have a “night out” (make a fancy dinner, have some drinks, turn on some music and dance like you’re having a night on the town)
13. Have a game night (Loaded Questions, Exploding Kittens, Cards Against Humanity, and Taboo are some of my favorites)
14. Try some hair and makeup tutorials (check out YouTube and Pinterest for ideas and inspiration)
15. Learn a new language (Duolingo has free lessons on a number of languages)
16. Get outside (I know there may be some limitations right now, but getting some fresh air on a walk or bike ride can do wonders)
17. Have a movie marathon with some of your favorites
18. Do some writing, blogging, or journaling
19. Try out your green thumb
20. Have a Zoom hangout with friends and family

I hope you find some enjoyment out of these ideas, and if you have more ideas to share, drop a comment below and let us know about them!

Rachel Hollis is a lifestyle and business blogger and the author of a wildly popular book you may have heard of, Girl, Wash Your Face. At the end of every year, she encourages her readers to take on the #Last90Days challenge, a 3-month challenge that’s all about finishing the end of the year off happy, healthy, and motivated. Rachel’s daily goals for the challenge include getting up an hour earlier, working out at least 30 minutes, hydrating more, giving up an unhealthy food category, and writing down 10 things you’re grateful for each day. I was really intrigued by this challenge and the idea of finishing the end of the year off strong, so I decided to create my own version of the challenge, a more business and productivity focused version. Here’s what I took on:

• eat a healthy, low carb diet and drink lots of water daily
• exercise for 45 minutes, 3 times a week
• work on my business at least 1 hour daily
• read 15 minutes or more daily
• work on a creative project for 30 minutes, at least 2 times a week
• clean my house once a week
• try something new or outside my comfort zone once a week
• work on training Oakley (my dog) for 15 minutes, 5 times a week
• wake up a half hour earlier each day for self-care

My version of the #Last90Days challenge proved to be very demanding, but I accomplished a lot in those last 3 months of the year. The greatest experience I got out of it is that I learned a lot about goal setting and creating a more productive lifestyle that can be carried on into the future. Here are the greatest lessons I learned from the experience:

It’s Okay to Revise Your Goals

After starting the challenge, I quickly found out that I had put a little too much on my plate. I was finding that I had to prioritize the things that were most important to me about the challenge, like putting in a lot of time for my business and training with my dog. I was struggling to get everything on my list done each week because I just couldn’t find the time to do it all, but rather than beating up on myself for not getting everything done, I decided I needed to revise the terms of the challenge so my weekly goals would be more realistic to achieve. There’s nothing wrong with making changes to your goals and allowing yourself more free time, especially if trying to achieve those goals in the timeline you’ve given yourself is cutting into your time for self-care (and maybe testing your sanity too).

A Well-Rounded Schedule Makes For a More Successful Lady

If your weekly schedule consists of nothing but things you need to get done (cleaning, putting in business hours, etc.) you might find yourself getting a little burnt out after a while. I think self-care, good health, and taking time to have fun and try new things are just as important as getting things done, and can actually make it easier to stay focused. If you’re feeling good and taking time to enjoy yourself on a regular basis, you’re going to find that when it comes time to get into work mode, you’re going to have a much easier time, and might just enjoy the work even more. If you’re looking for new things to try, you could try out a new sport like mountain biking, could look for a fun local class to take, or could go to some Meetups or networking events to meet new people (and promote your business if you’re a business owner).

New Habits Can Be Formed When You Challenge Yourself

When I first started the challenge, I had a little bit of a hard time staying disciplined and getting things done, especially after getting home from work when all I really wanted to do was veg out on the couch and watch Netflix. But after a couple weeks of staying at it, it was getting easier and easier to check things off my to-do list. There’s this widely accepted belief that it takes 21 days of persistence to form a new habit, and I really believe that to be true. If there’s any kind of habit you’d like to form, I strongly recommend you try doing that thing every day for at least 3 weeks, even if it’s just for a brief period of time each day, and I bet you’ll find yourself doing it with ease by the end.

Taking Time to Learn and Get Creative Are Worth Your While

I’ve found that when I’m working on a creative project or learning something new, those have been some of the most uplifting experiences I’ve ever had. Creating and learning new things can give you an incredible sense of accomplishment unlike anything else, and creative projects especially can be a great way to blow off steam and get into a meditative-like state of calm. The ways in which you can learn new things are endless, but some of my favorite sources for learning are books, YouTube videos, blogs, and online courses (Udemy, Lynda, and Skillshare are all great places to look for courses).

The #Last90Days challenge was an incredible experience that kicked my butt into gear and got me into a productive mindset, and as the new year continues on, I’m planning to continue the challenge into the future. I encourage you to try creating a 90 day challenge of your own starting now or whenever you’re ready to take the plunge, you’ll be amazed at what you accomplish and learn about yourself along the way.