5 productivity tips to make the most of your day.

Every day that we are alive, we are presented with twenty-four hours. What we do with those hours is entirely up to us. We can either choose to spend them idly or invest them wisely. The next time you feel as though you aren't meeting your daily targets. Ask yourself, how am I using every twenty-four hours that I'm given? Below I'll share five useful tips to make the most of your day.

1. Make preparations from the night before.

Try not to clutter your mornings. It will make you exhausted the minute you reach the office. Clean your shoes the night before, prepare the outfit that you plan to wear, and put your wallet, purse, and keys where you can easily find them. Ensure that your work ID is in your bag. If you plan on taking lunch to work. Try to prepare the ingredients overnight. You could also prepare your sandwiches, fruits, or salads and refrigerate them in an air-tight container to retain freshness. This will save you a great deal of time in the morning. Especially times when you're running late.

If you're working from home try to get a few chores done from the night before. Make your mornings as light as possible. It can be challenging at times to operate from a home office. When I'm working from home. I would start up my computer before getting a shower or making breakfast. This prevents me from clocking in late and having to wait a long time for my applications to get started.

2. Try to get out of bed at least an hour before your final alarm.

Avoid being in a rush every day. Don't make it a habit to jump out of bed each day and sprint around the house because you're running late. You're only adding more stress to your day that has barely started. You could injure yourself and others, or you might end up forgetting something important. Slow down! Give yourself enough time to move about.

Take time to pray, meditate, and read a short inspiration when you wake up. Go outside and inhale some fresh air. Prepare something healthy to eat. Enjoy a nice warm shower. Get dressed, properly. Try to stay ahead of the rush hour traffic. Too often we miss out on these things because we're always in a hurry to exit the house. Make it easier on yourself, try to get out of bed at least an hour before the final alarm. You'll see the difference that it makes in your daily life. You'll be calmer, happier, and more productive.

3. Keep a reminder of the things that you must get done today.

It's so easy to forget the most important things that we need to get done each day. Sometimes we forget that we have a doctor's appointment, board meeting, report day at school, anniversary, birthday celebration, etc. Always keep a reminder of the most important things that you must do today. Put it in an area where you can see it or set a reminder on your phone. This might save a friend or family member from getting upset with you because you forgot their birthday. Or your boss getting mad at you because you forgot a report for an important meeting.

4. Spend less time on your phone.

Our smartphones can be one of our biggest distractions at work. Escape the noise of social media and focus your attention on what needs to get done. Spend less time on your smartphone. Unless of course, you use it for work. Don't try to keep up with all your notifications, they can be time-consuming. Turn off all notifications other than those you consider relevant.

Check your emails and social media accounts at a time most convenient for you, not when your phone alerts you to. When you're working, try to keep your phone on silent mode, you can also ask your family and friends to call you at work only if it's an emergency. You wouldn't want to waste your production time having random conversations. Time is money!

5. Evaluate your day.

Set attainable goals at the start of each day and evaluate them when the day is through. You can start with the three most important things you need to get done today. Every day at work, my primary focus is to meet and exceed the standard call goal of fifty customers per day. Make it a habit to prioritize the things that you need to accomplish each day. At day's end, ask yourself, did I do all that I needed to do today? If not, what could I have done differently? When you start to demand these answers from yourself. It becomes easier to keep your priorities in order. It will also help you to understand areas of opportunities and strengths.

I hope that after reading these five productive tips you'll see a difference in your daily life. Every day you're either spending or investing those twenty-four hours that you have. Manage your time wisely, you'll never get it back. Have a productive rest of your life!