Organize goals and tasks: your mental health will thank you.

We’ve heard all our lives that when Carnival ends, the real year begins. So, it’s time to start a new year on the right foot — happy 2024!

To do this, there’s nothing better than establishing a solid routine that keeps us productive and balanced. Without toxic positivity or “The Miracle Morning,” we’ve brought you practical tips that anyone can apply in their daily lives (regardless of whether they follow a schedule or not).

The main question is: are you willing to embrace this change? If the answer is yes — or maybe — check out our five tips for (at least trying) to have an organized life:

1. Set Realistic Goals

The first step to a successful routine is to set achievable goals. Don’t want to climb Everest without even starting a physical activity, or want to write a book without even opening one in years. By setting realistic goals, you create a sense of direction and motivation to move forward. Remember that goals should be specific, measurable, and relevant to your long-term goals.

Still on goals, try to break your goals down into small steps. For example: “Having financial stability” depends on controlling your budget, separating all your money into percentages for each type of use, paying attention to details, making investments. Each step towards achieving this goal becomes an objective, and whenever you complete a goal, complete it and celebrate. This way, the goal seems smaller and your subconscious understands that it is possible to achieve it. Yes, it is not easy — but it can be less difficult.

2. Organize your Agenda

— or at least have one

Keeping an organized schedule is essential to effectively managing your time. Set aside some time at the beginning of each week to plan your activities and priorities.

Remember every commitment, even the most trivial ones like drinking water, taking your dog for a walk or going to the post office. Plan! Listing everything — and marking it as done — is the best way to keep your routine free from anxiety.

With everything organized, it’s time to introduce new habits into your daily routine. Would you like to go to the gym more often this year? Fit it into your schedule! Want to read more or study something? Click here too. That way, you avoid getting overwhelmed and can maintain a balance between your personal and professional life.

3. Practice Self-Care

Don’t forget to include moments of self-care in your daily routine. Set aside time to exercise, meditate, read a book or simply relax. Taking care of yourself is essential to stay motivated throughout the year. Not everything is work, sometimes we need to do nothing to stay productive. ​​

Extra tip: try to keep free time in your schedule to include something that makes you feel good, like listening to your favorite playlist for the thousandth time, taking a long bath, trying out makeup that you would never use, laughing at anything. Life can be easier, don’t put so much pressure on yourself.

4. Maintain a Morning Routine

(starting at 5am, 7am, or 9am — it doesn’t matter)

A well-structured morning routine can set the tone for your day. Take a few minutes in the morning to set intentions, stretch, interact with your pet, eat a nutritious breakfast, and review your schedule. These small habits can make a big difference in your productivity and overall well-being.

Of course, there are busy routines. Children, remote work, and an uncertain work schedule can make your mornings less peaceful than you would like. Even so, if you prioritize quality time over unfinished business, these moments can fit better into your day.

Having a good day depends largely on our reactions to adversity. Therefore, this tip directly depends on the previous one. When your mental health is in good shape, your routine also ends up becoming less dense. When we start the day well, there is a good chance it will continue that way.

5. Learn to Say No

Saying no can be challenging, but it brings about significant changes. Refusing activities that no longer add up is like deleting annoying contacts from your cell phone or cleaning out your email inbox – it may hurt a little, but it’s good for your mental health. Saying no to that Friday night bar, your kids’ whims, a request from your partner, an abusive favor or even your boss’s extra work is liberating.

In this process, we may even lose friendships that no longer align with our values ​​or leave someone feeling negative about our choices. However, this decision also allows us to prioritize genuine relationships, understand what truly makes us happy and make room for new opportunities that are more aligned with our personal growth. It’s a way to value yourself and ensure that we’re investing in meaningful connections, even if it means leaving behind what no longer makes sense. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks or decline invitations that aren’t aligned with your values ​​and priorities. Remember the tip about including new habits in your schedule? It’s impossible to organize them and keep everything running smoothly if there’s no space for them. Leaving some habits behind is inevitable when we want to change something in our routine. Otherwise, you end up generating more anxiety because you don’t have time for everything. Prioritize your choices by learning to deny what doesn’t add value to you.

If your problem is FOMO (fear of missing out), try taking a break from updating your social media. Watching clips of what we “missed” can make us regret having declined an invitation or a request, and no one deserves to live with that feeling. As difficult as it may be, try to be firm in your decisions, and use your “no’s” as a way to reach your goals more quickly. This will make the process easier and less painful.

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By implementing these small changes in your daily routine, you will be on the right track to start (and continue) the year in the best way. Remember: consistency is the key to long-term success. You are in control of your time.

Say goodbye to old habits, smile at new ones. Rethinking your priorities before starting the “new year” is always a good path. Take a deep breath, drink water, stay focused whenever possible and enjoy each day as if it were your last, because life is a bullet train, partner because not everything depends on you. Embrace yourself in every part of this process, and don’t blame yourself if it goes wrong. Not giving up is also an act of courage.

#happynewyear #pas