Have you ever gotten up to begin your day and have no idea what to do or what things to accomplish? Does this lead you into a spiral and cause you to not do any of it? Well, congratulations you’re just like so many other people in the world. Myself for example, I tend to get very distracted and off track if I am not completely focused and prepared for the task that I must finish. Many people are very busy and must carve out time to accomplish all the tasks they want or need to complete. Some people have a full-time job on top of going to school, some people have children (which adds on about a hundred other tasks), some people volunteer and so many other things. For me I work a full-time job, I go to school full-time, I am an avid and dedicated gym goer, I like to carve out time to write, and I also have two dogs I take care of. There have been many days where I have gotten up knowing I have a list of schoolwork to complete, but also know I need to get to the gym within a certain time and need to be rested and prepared to go to work. I work night shift to free up more of my time during the day to be able to go to the gym, eat, have time to write, get some sleep, get schoolwork done and anything else that gets added to the list. Often, I am sacrificing something for another. Maybe I am sacrificing sleep to get schoolwork done, or sacrificing a meal to get a workout in, or even sacrificing school deadlines to get some sleep. I have learned the importance of planning and organizing at a young age. These skills have helped me to plan out my days the prior night so that I can wake up and already know what things I need to get done and in what order I will complete them. I am here to tell you that your lack of productivity, well, is your fault and no one else’s fault but your own. The nights that I do not plan for the upcoming day, I awake and immediately feel stressed and overwhelmed. I begin to scramble with what things are the most important to get done and how long those tasks will take and if it will fit in with other things I need to complete with my day. When I plan out my days in advice, I am waking up with a plan and knowledge of what I will do and in what order. When I am planned and prepared, I can move about my day in peace and with little to no worries. Being able to do this takes an understanding of yourself and your timeliness. Knowing how long it will take for you to complete the task you plan to do better helps to control the time you spend on something. Setting deadlines to complete things also can help to keep you focused for that amount of time and challenge you to beat the time. Planning, even the smallest tasks can be helpful to keep a productive day. Small changes and small habits to pick up could make your productivity that much better and do more with your time.