Do you struggle to manage your time and get all of your important tasks done? Even when you have a full day to devote to checking things off your to-do list?

I used to get WAY carried away with my to-do list expectations.

Do you know the term “eyes bigger than the stomach”? For me, it was a to-do list bigger than the day.

I would write out WAY much more than what could OR needed to be completed… and then, of course, when I wouldn’t get to it, I perceived it as a failure and then overlapped that negative self-talk into the rest of the week.

Sound familiar?

Here’s how you can break that cycle:

Think of your energy like the ocean, it comes in waves, but also in tides…. ENERGY TIDES.

When do you typically feel the most productive?

If it’s only 2-4 hours a day (you are not alone).

So own that, and work around it.

Breakdown your routine by morning, afternoon, and evening zones.

Schedule YOUR non-negotiables in FIRST, for example:

• mindfulness
• self-care
• nutrition
• movement

Do your best to keep these non-negotiables scheduled in a consistent window, preferably first thing in the morning when you have the most energy.

A self-care routine is ENERGY GIVING, so for me, filling my cup first allows me to pour abundant energy into the rest of my to-dos.

With that, I keep my daily to-dos at no more than 3 concrete tasks per day.

A concrete task for me could be: paying a bill, going to the grocery store, or doing a coaching call.

I keep it super simple now and it’s insane how much more I get done- WITHOUT stress.

I challenge you to prioritize only YOUR self-care routine and no more than 3 daily to-dos this week (even if it feels “unproductive” at first).

Study your energy tides this week, and see if you can learn the best times to “ride the waves”.

When do you feel the most productive during the day?

For more on this topic, here’s a book I love, Divine Time Management.