I can't always be ad productive as I'd like. I know that and I accept that. However, I'm not sure why some days are so ridiculously wasted. You know them, the days when you feel like it as a long day but you can't figure out why, or what exactly you did with it. Those can be great days when you an afford them, but the rest of the time things generally need to be accomplished. the solution: a schedule! *surprise!!* We all know that by making ourselves time for all the things we have to do then we are sure we actually have the time, and we are probably more likely to do it if we set that time aside. I know, of doesn't always work, but I have to start somewhere. How to stay on schedule is another issue fr another day. Or a other writer...someone who has actually figured it out and can manage to follow their plan and finish the day the way they want. I just plan it out, schedule it, and hope for the best. I do think the most important things are to start the day at the same time and in the same way, every day, so your body knows its time to wake up and get started. By. missing part of our morning routine you may be slower and groggier all day. I know, I do it all the stinking time. I'm totally working on that this year, because I've lost a lot of hours in my life just by having an off start to my morning. its the same with my girl. If I wake her up early or late there is usually so,e suffering for it later. Maybe it'll be around lunch when we've been up so long we are on our third meal for the day, or bedtime when she wants to crash early or stay up late, that's just going to make tomorrow as impossible as today. The key points to building your schedule are to put in outside actions that are at a set time first. Have a doctors appointment? put that in first because you can't just go when you want, same with school , bedtime, and extracurriculars. Now put in time for what you like or need in a day. I like to plan time for yoga every morning because it helps lower my stress point for the day and helps ,manage my daily pains. If I skip that for 2 days I'm a mess, and I can feel it in my body and hear it in my lack of patience. This needs to be in my daily schedule or part of my morning routine for the sake of myself and those around me. I also enjoy a morning coffee (or tea, or apple juice) to get me relaxed and give me time to prepare and look over my day. This time doesn't need to be just sitting and staring into space, but if I do all my other morning things without that sit down and have a drink time I will feel rushed and hectic, even if I don't leave the house. Its about the time to enjoy something just because and to build a focus and tone for the day. After that? Just fill in whatever else. Lots of children thrive on routine, structure, schedules, and knowing what comes next. It makes it easier on them to have fewer surprises and lots of consistency. We get up at the same time, we eat at the same times every day, we have school on these days at these times. Children without this just float around the day and will likely put up more of a fight when something does need to be dome on a time limit. That's why schools have blocks of time to do things, in the same order, every day. Its also why children who out their hat on first will always put their hat on first, then a coat or boots, followed by the rest of their gear. It took a while of helping kids get ready for me to even notice that, but its there when you look hard enough. Or when you start to do it their way. Sure it makes no sense to put on my gloves then my coat, so much harder to do it up, but when they do it enough times you might try it too... Maybe I'm just a child at heart, but it works for me. I definitely need to know what I have to do and when in order for it to get done.