Let me ask you something…
Have you ever taken the time to create a schedule or agenda for your day that seemed to fall apart before it even began?
You had the best intentions. You planned for it. It was going to be a “productive” day…and yet, that schedule didn’t end up being as helpful as you’d hoped.
I’m sure you’ve probably experienced something like this. We all have at some point.
Why does this happen?
Here are a few contributing factors:
- We set unrealistic expectations for how long tasks will take. Have you ever allotted 20 minutes for a task that ended up taking an hour? Once you get “behind” in your schedule, it’s difficult to catch back up.
- We forget to add important things to our agendas. It’s easier than you’d think to leave important tasks out of the daily schedule. Sure, it can happen with meetings and appointments, but it’s far more likely to happen with daily tasks such as making dinner or picking up groceries. These forgotten tasks are still important and will require time that hasn’t been planned for.
- We don’t look at the schedule after we create it. Have you ever taken the time to map out your day or week, only to put that carefully planned schedule on a desk somewhere, never to be looked at again? I’ll be honest, I’ve done that. Here’s what I’ve learned: If you aren’t going to LOOK at your schedule you might as well not bother making one in the first place.
- We get distracted and lose time. Ah, the time-wasting activities. These are the activities we never plan for but are SO GOOD at sucking precious time away from other more important matters. I’m talking about the YouTube rabbit holes you fall down when you should be working or the extra twenty minutes you spend pursuing each time you visit Target. It’s not that these activities are “bad” per se, it’s just important to recognize how they impact your ability to follow a schedule.
So, what’s the moral of the story? Schedules aren’t worth your time?
Of course not. Taking the time to plan out your day is a hugely important practice that can have a significant impact on your overall productivity. The key is creating a schedule that WORKS for you!
Here are a few tips:
- Do it ahead of time. Don’t wait until the day in question to begin planning your schedule. At that point, you’ve already lost time. Instead, plan your agenda at the beginning of the week or the night before.
- Do a brain dump. List ALL tasks/projects that need to be done. Be specific. Try to break bigger tasks down into smaller steps.
- Prioritize. Take a look at your list. If you’re anything like me, there is probably WAY more written down than you could hope to accomplish in a day. Trying to squeeze it all in is setting yourself up for failure. Instead, identify the top 3-5 tasks and prioritize those items when creating your agenda. Then focus on the top two.
- Give yourself some “wiggle room.” Assume that some tasks may take a little longer than you anticipate. Give yourself some extra space in the schedule to accommodate those tasks. And some unscheduled “breathing space.”
- Review your schedule. Each morning before you begin your day, take out your agenda. Read over it carefully. Remind yourself of your priorities and WHY those matter.
- Set alarms. Once you have the schedule set, it’s important to stay on pace. Setting alarms can be a helpful reminder to yourself when it’s time to transition to a new activity.
If you haven’t taken the time to really plan your schedule in a while (or you have, but your schedule is regularly derailed) I invite you to give these tips a try! Let this be the week that your agenda actually works for you!
Add a comment below and let me know which of the tips you try! I’d love to hear about your experience. And, if you are struggling with honoring YOUR priorities, reach out.
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
