Have you ever wondered how is it that some people do so much while you get exhausted by just thinking of all the things that you need to get done? 

I mean, somehow, some people even have time to sit down and enjoy a wide variety of cat memes before bed after having woken up early, meditated, done yoga, drunk a green juice, gone to work, fixed everyone’s problems, attended a happy hour, done laundry, read a book about being awesome, and completed their 30-minute skincare routines. Every. Single. Day.

Seems unfair, right? 

It might even seem like they’ve done some kind of weird pact with Chronos to multiply their time, because what the actual hell?!

I used to think this was just impossible, and those people were superhumans. Or very rich. But, as I embarked into a whole “mindful living” way of life, I kinda understood their tricks. I think.

You see, I hope that I don’t get in trouble with the enlightened community by sharing these secrets with you, but I do think every one of us is capable of living our best lives if we just organize and prioritize. And, well, stop wasting time with what doesn’t help our causes.

So, let’s start from the beginning. In order to prioritize whatever you need to focus on, you need to understand what that actually is. They say we need to find a balance between four main things every day: work, play, exercise and rest. So, what is it that you want to focus on each category? For example, I admit that I’m a pretty lazy person. Sometimes, some days, I would just like to rest. It took me a while, but after many failed attempts at being “fit”, I found four different things I can do for exercise without wanting to kill myself, which are Tai Chi, yoga, mountain hikes and running. After identifying these, I created my own exercise weekly schedule that goes like this:

Now, I’m not gonna lie to you. I sometimes don’t make it. But that’s part of the whole process. You need to stay flexible and be kind to yourself. If one day you just can’t, don’t push yourself harder the next one. Just try, and by just trying, it will be more than enough, because most of the times, when we push ourselves too hard, we don’t want to go back. 

Now that you know this, create your own weekly schedule and establish a routine by finding the perfect time for each activity. I, for example, just can’t wake up early. I don’t have it in me, my body suffers too much. So, of course, I’m not gonna pretend that I’ll wake up earlier to do any of these activities because I would just totally hate that I’m doing that and I’ll go back to sleep. I do, however, make a commitment to myself that, no matter how tough the day was, if I have a tiny bit of energy left after work, I will put on my sneakers and get my butt off the couch. 

Nowadays, and excuse me if I’m getting too personal, my own internal schedule, looks like this: 

This might seem silly but creating a balanced routine and schedule can help you visualize your weeks in a whole new way so you can experience a whole new world. See what I did there? 

I really hope this helps you not only figure out what it is that you need to be your most productive, and zen self – but also to establish priorities and get rid of what doesn’t add to your personal growth. Having a clear vision of where you are and where you want to be will for sure help you live your best life, and don’t lose your mind while trying. 

Content courtesy of Samantha Villavicencio, Founder of LlevoTuLuz, a platform that celebrates the beauty of Venezuela and its remarkable women who “take their Venezuelan spark” with wherever they go, and the Founder and CCO of MindfulBrands Creative, a studio focused on helping conscious brands grow.

Contributing Author, Samantha Villavicencio

Hi! My name is Sam, and I’m a creative soul, a music lover, a chocolate addict, a photography enthusiast and a tree drawer, established in Los Angeles, California. I’m also the creator of LlevoTuLuz, a platform that celebrates the beauty of Venezuela and its remarkable women who “take their Venezuelan spark” with wherever they go, and the Founder and CCO of MindfulBrands Creative, a studio focused on helping conscious brands grow.

Professionally speaking, I was trained as a Social Media Creative, a hybrid between an Art Director, a Copywriter, a Producer and a Community Manager for all things Social. I’m involved in all the social media creative process, from coming up with ideas, to bringing them to life. I write copy, take and edit photographs in-house, create cool designs, shoot and edit videos in-house (short videos, time-lapses, stop-motions, GIFs), and supervise and Art-Direct everything social-media-creative-related whenever it involves bigger productions. I’m passionate about branding, advertising and design, about learning new things, visiting new places, taking photographs, finding new adventures, listening to music, attending to concerts, theater plays and exhibitions. I am passionate about art, life and revolution – I’m a big fan of revolution. I plan to become the president of Venezuela one day, but while that time comes, I want to help the world become a more beautiful, harmonious place with the power of visuals and words that promote positive change. I feel lucky and blessed to be where I am, and I want to share all the good karma I receive by doing what I do best; creating beautiful things.

You can catch up with Amanda on her Instagram @samanthavillavicencio or her Facebook Page @svillavicencioh.