There's something about the fall that I absolutely love in terms of productivity. I don't know if it's because the start of a new school year was ingrained in me for so many years, but I always feel like come September, you get a fresh start.

I have recently made some changes in my life that have helped me feel like I'm more organized and getting more done, so I thought I would share what I have been doing in case you would like to take some ideas and incorporate them into your own daily life.

1. Establish a morning routine. I have always loved starting my days with productive mornings but the older I've gotten the busier I am and the easier it is to hit that snooze button and skip things that I know I should be doing. A few months ago I decided to change up my mornings and start with a workout. I always feel more productive and energized throughout the day when I get my butt out of bed early and get to my gym. I leave myself enough time to get ready and plan my day when I'm done which sets me up for an accomplished day. I like working out in the morning because even if the rest of my day doesn't go as planned, I don't have to worry about fitting a workout in. I find that doing this every morning makes for a more productive week. So whatever you choose to do in the morning, try to establish a routine so that you get in the habit of starting your day successfully.

2. Get a planner. This may not seem like a necessity once you enter into post-grad life, but I find that there's even more to keep track of in my life now that I am no longer in school. Having a planner helps me make sure I'm staying up to date in every aspect of my life which can get rid of a lot of unnecessary stress.

3. Adopt a new habit. This is a trick I learned from my dad. He took something he wanted to improve at and challenged himself to be disciplined enough to do it for a little bit every day. This is actually how his blog was born, but I think it's a great way to introduce something you want to get better at, or just get back to doing. I'm sure you have plenty of things you wish you had more time to do, so I challenge you to create a list and then tackle the one most important! You could even change it up every month. For me it's reading. I started reading just 15 minutes a day (sometimes longer if my schedule allows for it and I don't fall asleep first...haha). Whether it's right when I wake up or before I go to bed, I try to get my 15 minutes in every day.

4. Do it at night. I do this all the time. I have a million little things I want to get done at night and then I tell myself I'll do it in the morning because I just want to get to bed. But then morning comes along and you run out of time or completely forget to do it so it gets pushed off until night time again and then the cycle continues. Just do those little things at night. Whether it's putting away my laundry that I've just folded or unloading the dishwasher, if you simply get these tasks done at night, you can start your day with a shorter To-Do list and a clearer head in the morning.

When do you feel like you get a fresh start? At the beginning of the year in January or during the fall?

Please share your tips below for creating a fresh start!

Have a beautiful start to your week,

Dre