It’s 7 AM on a Monday morning and your alarm is buzzing too loud. You’re supposed to get out of bed and start another day. Instead, you hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Your dreams, about something that you can’t remember, get interrupted by a BANG, CLANK, WHIRRRR! The garbage truck, again!

Panicked, you check the clock. It’s now 10 AM and you already missed two hours of study time. There are only a couple of hours left until your shift starts at work. You feel cranky and unmotivated but you have stuff to do… Ugh.

It can happen to anyone, but if it happens too often, it’s probably a good time to think about setting a schedule for yourself. Besides making sure you don’t sleep in, there are a lot of winning reasons why you need to set and stick to a schedule. We’ll share a few of them here.

#1 It makes better use of your time

A schedule gives you the power to take control of your time. It forces you to be more aware of how you are spending your time. This awareness of time will prompt you to use your time more efficiently.

Making a schedule is similar to making a budget. You need to think about how much time you have, things you must spend time on, versus what you want to spend time on. Remember things like sleep, schoolwork, eating healthy, and exercise.

When you use your time better, you will be able to accomplish more of your goals.

#2 You will feel better

Once you have planned out your daily routine and start sticking to it, you will start to notice a few improvements with your health. Here’s why:

First, you will feel less stressed. With a steady routine that prioritizes the important stuff, you will worry less about “getting it all done”. You scheduled time to consistently work toward the things you have to do and now you are seeing the benefits. You are no longer sweating about how to get things done because you didn’t procrastinate.

Second, you are taking the time to get the sleep that your body needs. Also, because you are feeling less stressed, you are more likely to sleep better. Getting good sleep is critical!

A lack of sleep makes you more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, and mental health conditions. Even short-term disruptions can cause memory issues, a lack of energy, delayed wound healing and more.

Third, getting enough sleep usually results in healthier eating. When you sleep well, you will have less food cravings. Doctors believe that poor sleep disrupts the balance of ghrelin and leptin, hormones that control appetite. So, one way to avoid weight gain is to ensure you are getting enough good sleep.

Fourth, if you build in time for regular exercise, you will see the benefits. Two powerful benefits of exercise are improved mood and increased energy. These will give you the energy you need to accomplish your work each day.

#3 The D-Word

Taking a disciplined approach to your schedule is life-changing —but in the beginning, it will be a challenge. Most of us are not naturally disciplined. We may have developed some bad habits during our lives that may have gotten us into trouble. Instead of re-living the past, you can take some steps to drop those bad habits and make a better future.

Making a schedule empowers you to live a disciplined life by providing the structure you need to get stuff done. So, make a schedule and commit yourself to it. When you successfully stick to your schedule, reward yourself for a job well done!

As you begin to follow your schedule on a regular basis, it will become more natural. Your body will develop a memory of the routine it is supposed to follow. This will set you up to get things done and achieve more!