How can you get more satisfaction out of your day?

We people typically to try to get as much done as possible in any given day. However, often our to-do list remains unfinished, which gives us a sense of dissatisfaction. What can we do to get more satisfaction out of our day?

High expectations

The time we live in now demands a lot from us. Or rather, we demand a lot of ourselves. Do you still need to exercise after work, do your shopping and cook a healthy meal? That’s very normal. How about cleaning your house at the weekend, meeting up with friends and attending your niece’s birthday party? We do all that.

Chances are that you, like many others, have the natural ambition to get the most out of your day. Our society is also geared towards this. We have many obligations: work, family, friends and our health. The focus is on performance and productivity, and the expectations we have of ourselves are sky-high. We’re used to having many irons in the fire and doing multiple things at once.

We want to do too much at the same time

But because of all that multitasking, we don’t live fully in the moment. As a result, we are more prone to making mistakes and experience more stress. And if there’s too much on your to-do list, chances are you won’t get everything done. The result is a feeling of dissatisfaction or unfulfillment.

On a busy day, self-care also quickly falls by the wayside. If you have not taken good care of yourself, for example due to lack of sleep, a healthy diet or sufficient relaxation, this will affect the way you experience the day.

It doesn’t have to be perfect

What can you do (or not do) to end the day with a positive feeling? First of all, it is important to remember that not every day has to be perfect. There are always days when you are less productive. That’s OK. In addition, we have a number of tools that you can use to get more satisfaction out of your day. The key is doing less instead of more.

1. Keep your to-do list realistic
A to-do list is useful, but it must be realistic. Therefore, make sure that the goals you set for yourself are achievable. Break up large tasks into bite-sized chunks or scrap things that are not needed right now. This will prevent you from taking on too much and becoming frustrated afterwards because your goals have not been achieved.

2. Set priorities
Determine which items are most important on your to-do list and focus on them first. Have you needed to make an appointment with the dentist for some time now, but are always too busy? Do this at the beginning of the day. Do you always forget to respond to emails or text people back? Then block out a part of your morning to complete these tasks. Then you’ll be able to cross this off your list. 

3. Take sufficient breaks
Just keeping going all the time doesn’t help anyone. That’s why you should regularly take a short break to relax. If you forget to recharge between tasks, you’ll be more prone to making mistakes or overlooking important things. This, in turn, will create a feeling of frustration and dissatisfaction. So pressing the pause button remains very important.

4. Do something that energises you
Nothing gives you such a feeling of dissatisfaction as constantly doing things that you don’t like. Make sure you spend time on activities or tasks that energise you. This can be done by looking for a meaningful job, volunteering or spending time with family, for example. You can also find a new hobby. As long as it gives you an energised feeling, it’s good.

5. Reflect at the end of the day
Take the time to look back at what you did at the end of the day. When doing so, look not only at the things you have crossed off your list, but also how you felt about this. Take a moment to focus on the fun or special moments of your day. This will help you create a positive mindset.

So the key to feeling satisfied at the end of the day is not doing more, but doing less. When you convert that to-do list into a ‘done’ list in your head, you will view the day in a more positive light. Do it!

How financially fit are you?
Besides a healthy life, you want a healthy pension. By staying aware of the pension market and react to it in a flexible way, we keep your pension in top condition. Do you already have a pension scheme with BeFrank? Then you can see how your pension is doing on your Personal Pension page. Here you will also find the most important updates. Do you not have a pension scheme with BeFrank yet? Ask your employer about the possibilities.