Top 10 Pro Scheduling Tips
Ever feel like your schedule controls you? Let's flip that narrative. Make it work for you!
To complement my blog from last week on identifying your top 5 time priorities and taking back your time, here are 10 scheduling tips that will put you back in the driver's seat, improve your scheduling process and set you up for success. Experiment and see what combination works best for you.
1. Identify Your Weekly Goals: Identify your weekly goals and the results you want to create at the beginning of the week, set due dates and how long it will take for you to achieve them, prioritize them in order of what is most important, and put them on the calendar.
2. Frame Tasks as Results: When putting tasks on your calendar frame them as results you want to create. So instead of “Work on presentation” write “Complete first 10 slides of presentation.”
3. Calendar Your Free Time First: Pencil in your free time on your calendar BEFORE you schedule other tasks and appointments so you make room in your schedule and have something fun to work towards. Examples include hobbies, self-care, family time, meal times, date nights, non-negotiable doctor’s appointments, etc. In order for you to show up as your best self you need to prioritize you.
4. Slay Your Hardest Task First: Identify and complete the hardest task for the day first when you are fresh, so you get over the hump early and feel like a rockstar the rest of the day.
5. Schedule Focus Time: Identify 1-2 hours a day for uninterrupted brain time. This is the thinking part of your job so schedule it when you are clear and alert. Turn off all notifications and identify a result you want to create by the end of it.
6. Include Flex Time: Schedule unplanned time each day for surprise tasks, unexpected steps and catch-up time. Life happens, bosses surprise you and kids interrupt. Anticipate what might happen and make room on your calendar so your schedule isn’t thrown off.
7. Schedule Email and Social Media Use: Decide how often you want to check your email and social media throughout the day and schedule it on your calendar. You want to reduce the constant interruption of notifications so you can focus on work, knowing that you have designated times throughout the day when you can check it.
8. Use a Planner: Yes, I’m stating the obvious but I’m always surprised how many don’t use one. Your brain isn’t meant to be a storage unit. Get everything out of your brain onto paper or an electronic planner. I plan in a paper planner called a Passion Planner and transfer the results I want to create to my iCalendar.
9. Do a Commitment Check: On a scale of 1-10 how likely are you to follow through on a task? If it isn’t an 8 or higher, ask yourself why and make the necessary changes. Maybe it needs to be broken down into smaller, more digestible steps so you’ll move forward. Or add a motivational thought to a task like “Doing my taxes will lead to a tax refund!” 😃
10. Friday Review/Celebrations: At the end of each week take the time to briefly review your week and note your accomplishments. Celebrate them! Train your brain to look for what went well. Note any lessons learned and brainstorm how you can improve the following week. Note three things that you want to work on so you’ve got a head start on Monday morning when it is time to plan out your week.
What resonates most with you?
If you’d like help infusing more calm and ease into your life, schedule a free “Priorities Planning Session” with me. We’ll discuss your top 5 time priorities, review your schedule and brainstorm ways to get you into alignment. Schedule a free session here.
#planning #timemanagement #calendaring #schedule