Start The Year As You Mean To Start Any Day

The start of any year is always filled with hope, but really any day of the year should be filled with that same hope that'll get you working productively towards your own end goals.

So, I am starting the year properly with this blog post about starting the year off right, but tips that you can apply any day of the year.

I for one, have not been the most productive in recent years and I've seen a decline in my online work and income as a result. So this post will hopefully keep me on the right track and guide me to my own goals as well as you.

1. Make a plan, a diary of your day to activities. It might me a good idea to step away from the distractions of your computer to do this or at least turn the internet off until you've completed this task. I find that a comprehensive plan can help break up boring work routines. Always make sure you check your email at the end of the day after you have done all of the tasks you have planned or written down.

2. Do something new, it can get quite repetitious to do the same type of work over and over again. For example, I am going to tackle some sculpture work this year and document it all on this very blog, which just sounds exciting to me to take a slight break from drawing to create with other mediums.

3. When your are stuck doing utterly boring chores, like washing the dishes, walking the dog etc, have a good think about your work or how to improve the way you work. Write small notes in a tiny notebook to remind you when you get to your desk. It's always great ideas that pop into your head at these times, so it's best to take advantage of the ideas you suddenly think of.

4. Exercising first thing in the morning can be hard to do, but even if you do just 15 minutes, it can help you start every day the right way, with a glass of orange juice or fruit smoothie and a healthy breakfast too. This is something that I always said I'd do, but never implemented in my daily plan in previous years. This year is different, make a start yourself. Just try and be active and not tied to the desk all day when you work from home.

5. Be positive and don't let negative thoughts take over your mood, this is easier said than done. As someone who has suffered depression for years, I can relate to how down you can feel when you are that low in motivation and that healthy positive spirit has all but vanished. That's why the above point about exercise and eating healthy is important as it can lift your mood and set you up for the day.

Negative people can have that knack of bringing you down, maybe because they are unhappy with themselves and the way things are going for them, don't listen to them or take anything to heart. I have found that the people who try to discourage you are the ones that don't want you to succeed and they want you to be grounded at their level wallowing in their own filth (Bit extreme lol)

Negativity is just that little voice in the back of your mind that speaks some truth, but not the total truth. Try and ignore the voice that says "I can't do this!" or "It won't work!". Instead replace that voice with phrases like "It will work" and "I CAN do this!!"

If you start the year off and any day of the year remembering these 5 basic points, then you will be on your way to do great things this year or any year.