I may not have my own business (yet), but as an Odyssey EIC, it certainly feels like I am running my own little operation.

The "work smarter, not harder" mentality is one that cannot be ignored, so I have come up with these habits below to help you conquer your daily routine and absolutely crush any nay-sayers who feel like stopping you in the process.

1. Make a to-do list the night before.

Waking up and having absolutely no motivation to do anything shall be a thing of the past. By writing a list the night before, you have a sense of purpose to get shit done.

2. The next day, rank tasks in order of importance.

What is the #1 thing you absolutely, positively MUST get done today? Start there. Pick two other tasks that you will do right afterward. The remainder of your list will be additional tasks that you will only do if you complete everything else.

3. Do not worry if you do not get everything done.

You probably won't get everything done and that is perfectly OK. Finishing your #1 priority is enough, getting your top 3 done is plenty. If you feel like you're going to crash, do not do the rest of the list.

4. Start the day with a bit of reading and journaling.

One of the worst habits we all have is automatically reaching for our phones when we wake up. You would think checking it for a minute is no problem, but the problem is we will stay on them forever. Instead of doing this, I prefer to wake up and read a mantra, then journal about it. This clears my mind, helps me practice gratitude, and I am far less caught up in the social media drama I missed last night.

5. If you cannot resist checking social media, go on Pinterest.

Pinterest is inspiration galore. I think it's better to go on Pinterest because it's filled with quotes, travel destinations, outfits, things that will ultimately get you more excited for all that life has to offer (rather than reading someone's long ass FB rant).

6. When it's time to sit down and work, put your phone in 'do not disturb' mode.

Do not disturb is that little half moon that appears next to wifi and Bluetooth on your iPhone. Once you click on it, it will halt all communications (aka you won't get any notifications). You will be FAR more productive without any unnecessary distractions.

7. Take frequent breaks, especially if you are working on a time-consuming task.

Instead of sitting down on your computer and attempting to finish everything at once, work for 25-30 minutes and take a break. A ten-minute break away from the computer screen (even if it's just going downstairs to play with your dog) does wonders.

8. Make yourself an Instagram worthy breakfast.

I know, I know, this might sound a bit cliche but hear me out. Taking the time to make yourself a healthy and colorful breakfast will make you feel so much better. My go-to's are bagels, smoothies and anything with avocados.

9. Organize your email inbox.

Drowning in emails is not fun, so it is important to get rid of spam ones and save the rest in a safe place. In Gmail, you can actually create labels for different categories and drag messages into each. Color-coding always comes in handy, after all.

10. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Get yourself the cutest stinkin' water bottle/tumbler cup and keep that baby refilled throughout the entire day. I have a 16 OZ tumbler cup and usually drink 4-5 of those a day.

11. Give yourself ten minutes to tidy up.

This is something that I am trying to get better at. Cleaning is no fun when you let everything get super messy, so take a little bit of time to throw away the receipts on your desk and clean out your gigantic purse. In the long run, it will make things a whole lot easier.

12. Incorporate a seven-minute workout.

Believe it or not, there is indeed an app that generates seven-minute workouts for you. You don't even have to leave your room.

13. Treat yourself to a bubble bath or face mask.

Okay, I will admit, I never thought I would be the type of girl who loved soaking in hot water and putting green stuff on her face, but I love it. Mostly because it gives me time to relax and appreciate being alone. I do not normally get to do these every day, but I wanted to include them because they are important.

14. Practice gratitude before you go to bed.

Oh no, not another list. Before you go to bed, think about the things that happened to you that day. Maybe you had a shitty day, but you can still think about the good things that happened to you in the past week or month. Write down five things that you are thankful for. An example would be, "I am thankful for the person in front of me who paid for my coffee in the drive-thru." Try and think of little things like this or else you might find yourself writing the same sort of things all the time.