How would you spend your Ideal Day?

We are nearly halfway through the year, which makes it the perfect time to talk about routines, planning and creating a vision for your ideal day. I am a big believer in ‘Design the Lifestyle YOU Desire‘ and ‘Living a Well-Designed Life‘ and it all starts with planning and visualising WHAT your ideal day would look like.

“Every new day is another chance to change your life” ~Unknown

Exercise

Sharing a profound realisation I had a couple of years ago while doing my ‘Ideal Day’ exercise. When I did this exercise, I thought that I had to be a certain person, live at a certain place, have a certain amount of money in my bank account etc. to be able to live my ideal day, but what I realised was:

It’s not about where I live, how much money I have, what clothes and make-up I am wearing etc., it’s simply about focusing my intentions and energy on my non-negotiables; like having gratitude and spiritual practice, fitting in any form of exercise (yoga, long walks), eat nourishing meals, spend time on my personal growth, journal, quality me-time (I am an introvert) and so forth.

NOW…

Take a moment to imagine your ideal day. Imagine how you’d feel as you yawn, stretch, and step out of bed. What your first action would be? You’re second. What you’d eat, what you’d do, and how you’d spend your time. The lightness of happiness as you ease from one activity to the next. Your ideal day, start to finish.

• How do you want to feel?
• What time would you get up? The first thing you hear, see, smell?
• Where do you live?
• What does your home look like?
• What would your early morning routine be like?
• How will you dress?
• What will you be eating?
• What will you be doing?
• What would make you happy?

Have a clear vision of what you want. Write down all the things you’d like to do and the experiences you’d like to experience on your ideal day. Write it all down in the worksheet below. I recommend that you go somewhere quiet, for at least an hour or so. Switch off your phone (or put it on silent), bring a cup of your favourite tea and get dreaming and visualising!

Start living what you envision and put it into practice every single day. Make your dreams a reality by implementing them (taking small steps at a time) into your daily schedule. As Danielle LaPorte says;

“Do a little bit more of what you really want to do and a little bit less of what you don’t want to do – every day! And before you know it – you’ll be doing what you love!”

Visualise and Manifest Your Ideal Day:

1. Become clear on what you want
2. Write down your ideal day and create a vision board
3. Visualise your ideal day – every day
4. Believe in your vision
5. Emotional investment
6. Activity your personal development; change the way you think, take focused action towards making your ideal day happen
7. Awareness and gratitude

Picturing your ideal day is a common exercise that I use with my clients. It’s clarification visualisation, a way to hone in on what you’re really after in your professional and personal life.

My Ideal Day

So, after sharing how you can plan your ideal day and make it happen, I thought I’d share with you what my ideal would be like. Now, this would be my ideal ‘normal’ weekday when I’ve got school runs and work to do. If I had one day all to myself, my ideal day would be rather different! I would take myself to the movies (if a good movie is on of course), or plan a movie date with myself at home, buy a Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake, go shopping, and treat myself to delicious comfort food, have a long, hot bath and more.

• 5 AM-5.15 AM: Wake up and stretch + make the bed
• 5.15 AM-5.30 AM: Enjoy a cup of warm lemon water
• 5.30 AM-6 AM: Sivananda Yoga and exercise
• 6 AM-6.30 AM: Journaling and planning my day
• 6.30 AM-7 AM: Morning pampering, getting ready
• 7 AM-7.15 AM: Make nourishing breakfast for my Madam and juice for me
• 7.15 AM-7.30 AM: Have a chat with my baby while enjoying breakfast/juice
• 7.30 AM-8.30 AM: School run, morning walk and grocery shopping
• 8.30 AM-9 AM: Make and eat a yummy breakfast + listen to something inspirational
• 9 AM-11.45: Build my Empire
• 11.45-12 PM: Make nourishing lunch
• 12 PM-1 PM; Enjoy my lunch and go for a short afternoon walk/bike ride
• 1 PM-2.15 PM: Build my Empire
• 2.20 PM-3.10 PM: School run and an afternoon walk
• 3.15 PM-4 PM: Make dinner
• 4 PM-5 PM: Dinner and catch up with my Madam, clean the kitchen
• 5 PM-5.30 PM: Go for a short evening walk sipping a cup of after-dinner tea
• 5.30 PM-6.30 PM: Build my Empire
• 6.30 PM-7.30 PM: TV or movie with my Madam
• 7.30 PM-7.45 PM: Prepare breakfast and lunch, tidy up living room etc
• 7.45 PM-8.15 PM: ‘ME-Time’; evening pampering yoga stretches and meditation
• 8.15 PM-9 PM: Reading and journaling
• 9 PM: Beauty sleep 🙂

Now… 70% of the above is what I do on a daily basis, the only things I am not so very good with are yoga, meditation and exercise plus I am less structured than what I’d ideally like to be.

10 Journaling Prompts for Planning Your Ideal Day

1. Reflect on Your Current Days: What aspects of your typical days do you enjoy? What parts do you find stressful or unfulfilling?
2. Dream Day Visualisation: Imagine your perfect day. What activities do you see yourself doing? Where are you? How do you feel?
3. Prioritise Activities: What activities bring you the most joy or fulfilment? How can you prioritise these in your ideal day?
4. Time Allocation: How much time do you want to spend on different activities? Consider work, leisure, self-care, and social interactions.
5. Create a Realistic Schedule: Based on your priorities and time constraints, create a realistic schedule for your ideal day.
6. Mindset Shift: What mindset shifts can help you approach your ideal day with a positive and motivated attitude?
7. Self-Care Integration: How can you incorporate self-care activities into your ideal day? Consider things like exercise, meditation, or spending time in nature.
8. Social Connections: Who are the important people in your life? How can you include them in your ideal day?
9. Learning Opportunities: Are there any learning opportunities or personal growth activities you want to include in your ideal day?
10. Flexibility and Adaptation: How can you build flexibility into your ideal day to accommodate unexpected events or changes?

How to Plan Your Day

• START THE NIGHT BEFORE. What do you need to do tomorrow to meet your needs?
• CREATE A BEAUTIFUL MORNING ROUTINE. Many people start their days with movement, meditation, quiet time, or reading.
• BRAIN DUMP. Get your ideas out of your head and onto paper.
• REVIEW THE BIG PICTURE. What are your current projects, and which ones are the most important?
• REVIEW YOUR DAILY LIST IN YOUR WEEK. Estimate the time it will take to complete each task.
• WORK YOUR LIST. Batch tasks that are similar for optimum efficiency.
• FINISH EACH DAY WITH A TEN-MINUTE TIDY. What can you do now to set up your spaces and routines for beauty and efficiency?
• PICK A WEEKLY PREP DAY. Get the house cleaned, meals planned and prepped and review your calendar for the week ahead.

This article has also been published in the Huffington Post and Mouth of Mums.

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