Want to learn how to get your life back on track in one day? Life can get messy real fast, and it’s easy to feel stuck or overwhelmed with everything going on around you.
But did you know that getting your life back on track can happen in one day?
One day is enough time to start thinking about what you want out of life and what you need to change to improve your overall well-being.
How to Get Your Life Back on Track in One Day: 7 Ways
1. Take Inventory of Where You Are Now
Before you start making any changes to your life, you should first know what area feels out of control. Carving out an entire day to sit with yourself and take inventory of what needs work can help you focus on how you feel about each area of your life.
Grab a journal and spend 5-10 minutes writing down how you feel about your career, relationships, fitness, finances, and hobbies. Be sure to create columns so you can mark what you’re proud of accomplishing, what’s stressing you out, and what you want to improve.
You can also take this quiz that allows you to visualize where you excel and where you need to improve. As you go through the quiz, highlight any segments that stand out to you. You can use these as talking points when deciding how you’ll spend your 24 hours to create a well-balanced life.
Related: How to Build a Strong and Loving Friendship with Yourself (6 ways)
2. Set Your Goals for the Day
When you know your end goal, you will be more likely to get things done and feel accomplished by the end of the day. Use the SMART goal method when creating your goal to ensure it can be completed in 24 hours.
The SMART method allows you to create a goal that is:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-based
First, you’ll want to be as specific as possible. Don’t say your goal is to be more productive today, say what you want to be productive about. I will finish writing the report on this quarter’s budget.
Next, you’ll want to make sure you can measure your progress. How will you know you’re being productive today? By giving yourself a word count or a number of calls to make, you’ll be able to track your progress as you go.
Another important aspect of your goal is to make sure it’s achievable. You don’t want to crush yourself with grand ideas that you won’t have time to accomplish. Try to focus on small tasks that you can complete in a day.
For example, you can say I will meet with one new prospective client instead of I will meet all local industry leaders. Last, make sure your goal set today aligns with your bigger picture goals.
If you want to be the best sales manager you can be, maybe your goal can be to finish reading one chapter of an online course.
Related: 5 Daily Habits That Completely Transformed My Life
3. Declutter Your Surroundings
Decluttering your space will allow you to clear your mind and focus on the important things. Spending a day cleaning out your junk and organizing everything will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.
Pick a day where you can spend 24 hours cleaning out your space. It may seem like a lot, but you will feel so much better once you get everything done.
Pick one space you want to focus on; maybe your home office or kitchen. Try breaking up your cleaning into 4-6 hour segments where you can clean specific areas. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all at once.
Once you’re finished decluttering, take the time to organize what you have left. Buy bins, shelves, and labels to store things accordingly, so you don’t have to worry about decluttering the same space for a while.
Related: Want a Tidy Home? Here Are 10 Smart Decluttering Tips
4. Create Your Schedule for the Day
Creating a schedule is another great way you can get your life back on track in one day. By creating a schedule for the day, you can set aside time to focus on things that are important to you and your goals.
Grab a piece of paper and jot down what you want to accomplish in the next 24 hours. This will be your guideline when creating your schedule.
After you have your goals listed, break them down into small tasks. Not only will this help you visualize what you need to do, but it will also help you stay focused throughout the day.
One helpful trick when creating your to-do list is time-blocking. Take your 24 hours and begin to block out time for each task you have listed.
5. Take Care of Yourself
One of the best ways you can improve your life in one day is by taking care of your body. How you fuel your body will affect your energy, mood, and productivity.
By eating healthy meals, drinking plenty of water, and taking 5 minutes to move your body, you can drastically improve your health in 24 hours.
Start your day by eating a healthy breakfast filled with protein and fiber. Try cooking up some oatmeal and top it off with your favorite fruits, or make a healthy smoothie packed with greens and protein-packed yogurt.
For lunch and dinner, try to fill your plate with as many vegetables as you can. Eat complex carbs like brown rice or quinoa and add in some lean protein.
Cooking meals ahead of time can help you save time when eating meals throughout the day.
Next, you want to drink at least 8 glasses of water today. Staying hydrated will not only keep you going, but will increase your energy tenfold.
Try drinking unsweetened herbal teas or fill a water bottle with fruits and herbs like strawberries and basil. Staying hydrated will not only increase your energy, but will also help you stay focused.
Last, take 15-30 minutes out of your day to move your body. Even going for a quick walk can change your mindset.
Try doing some bodyweight exercises or stretching if you can’t get out of the house.
6. Spend Time With Positive People
One of the easiest ways to turn your mood around is to be around positive people. The people you surround yourself with throughout the day can influence how you think and feel.
Surrounding yourself with friends and family that support you will make you feel heard and appreciated.
Think about the people in your life that always seem to have a positive outlook on life or give you good advice. Spend some time reaching out to those friends or family members. You can send them a simple text or call them.
Let them know you would love to catch up and spend some time with them. By having meaningful conversations with people that make you feel good, you can change your mindset in 24 hours.
You can also find positivity by doing things you love. If you enjoy playing tennis, try going to a local tennis club. You can meet new people who have the same hobbies as you and are more likely to spread good vibes.
Check out social media to see if there are any local communities you can join online. Often times, these communities are full of positivity and encouragement.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness means living in the moment and truly experiencing what you’re thinking and feeling. By practicing mindfulness, you can improve your life by feeling more at peace and connected to your goals.
You can start practicing mindfulness today by taking deep breaths and meditating. Another way you can be mindful today is by taking a mindful walk.
Mindful walking is when you walk and pay attention to your surroundings, how your body feels, and what you’re feeling.
Take a walk outside and practice being mindful today.
Final Thought
It’s important to remember that everything you do today doesn’t have to be completed in one day. You can start your journey to improving your life tomorrow and every day after that.
Try to focus on small goals that you know you can accomplish in a day and build off of that tomorrow.
Always remember to keep a positive mindset as you go through this journey. Life is a learning experience and every day you won’t be perfect. Don’t get discouraged if you mess up, instead use that as a learning experience to do better tomorrow.
I hope you learned something from the tips above and can use them to your advantage. When you practice the tips above, your one day will bleed into tomorrow and you’ll start to notice long term benefits.
Save the pin for later
