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Picture this, you wake up in the morning. Even though you are a little tired, you have a feeling of focus for the day. You get up and take a little time for yourself. Then, you start working. By lunch, you have crossed off many of the most important things you needed to do for the day, and there are still many hours left for you to work, take time for yourself, or spend with your family. Have you ever had a day like this? How about a week? How would you like every day to be like this? It can. All you need to do is create a schedule.
Creating and sticking to a daily schedule can be difficult, frustrating, and downright impossible. Are you encouraged about starting yours yet? Ha. But, with these simple tips, you can create an easy schedule. No matter how busy you are or flexible you are hoping to be, you can also stick to the schedule you have created.
Why do you need a schedule?
Despite the downfalls, schedules can be very motivating. They are also one of the number one tools productive people use to accomplish their goals. Schedules help you stay focused, finish big projects, and even have more time to relax.
I know from experience. Without a schedule, I end up lazing around with a nagging feeling that there is something I am supposed to be doing all morning long. By afternoon, I have kicked myself into gear to start working on something so I mosey around my house and look for projects that need to be finished. I may or may not actually finish those projects because other things present themselves and I get sidetracked by new things that need to be done.
When I have a clear, schedule, I get up with a purpose in the morning. I usually take some time for myself, but by lunch accomplish more than I had by dinner on an unscheduled day.
Setting a schedule you can stick to is vital. If you just throw together any old schedule and cannot stick to it, you will have a hard time reaping the benefits schedules can provide.
I absolutely have to use a schedule in order to be as productive as I like. I have big goals, and I am not going to apologize about that. But, I also do not want to work every waking hour of my day. So, I have to find ways to reach peak productivity in my life. This is the schedule I have been using to help keep me focused, on track, and productive.
create a Flexible schedule
Plans change….Things shift…..I like that about life. So, my schedule has be be flexible. When I create a schedule with flexibility in mind, I am not sidelined by changes in my day. As you build your schedule, plan with flexibility in mind. Create a structure that will allow you to organize and reorganize your tasks and appointments for the day.
One great way to do this is sticky notes. Sticky notes are never set in stone. That is the beauty of them. Instead of writing something in pen and having to cross it off it plans change or writing something in pencil and erasing, you can move the sticky notes around to fit your needs. Did your doctor’s office call and reschedule? Scooch that sticky to a new spot. Is your toddler fussy? Move the stickys with errands to a different day. It is as simple as that.
If you want to create a lasting schedule that you can stick to, you need to make sure it is flexible. Many of your tasks and appointments will be finished on time. But, you need to give yourself permission to move things around if needed.
use a color code
I love that sticky notes come in so many colors. Just walking through the aisle makes my nerdy heart happy. One way I keep myself organized is by color coding my schedule. I pick up a packet of these sticky notes and get to work.
- pink-appointments
- green-personal
- blue-level 1 priorities
- red-level 2 priorities
pink-appointments
Need to know where you have to be this week at a glance? Use a color that stands out and write your appointment, time, and location on it. Then, stick it where it goes in your schedule. And, that’s it. Your appointments are set, ready, and easy to see.
green-personal
Whether it is family time, housework, or you time, schedule your personal needs, too. They are too important to get pushed to the back burner. Put that 20 minutes a day you tidy up or family game night in your schedule. Prioritizing like this makes you much more likely to take that time for yourself and get those personal things done.
blue-level 1 priorities
There are some things that just have to get done. No matter what. That is where my blue stickies come in. When I have a task that needs to get done, I write it and the time it will take on a blue sticky note.
red-level 2 priorities
Some things in my schedule can be shifted around more easily. They are “like to” instead of “have to.” I write these along with the amount of time they will take on my red stickies.
Once I have my tasks and their times written out, I look through my schedule and start assigning a task to a day. Always start with the tasks that will take the longest when creating a schedule. These need to be scheduled first so that you can make sure you have enough time to complete them. Then, you can schedule in the shorter tasks around the longer tasks, personal schedule, and appointments. You should have more blue stickies than red during the week. Focus on the must do and get them scheduled first. Then you can schedule to the level 2 priorities based on the time you have left.
create a clear schedule
Once I have created my schedule with a color code, I know what my day will look like. The colors help me prioritize and ensure I am completing what I need to. Because of the layout and color code, I can see my whole schedule laid out at a glance. It is important to me that it is clear because I don’t want to waste precious time trying to figure out what my day will be like. I also do not want to lose a task in the hubub and forget it.
In order for a schedule to be effective, you need to make sure it is clear. That clarity will carry over to your motivation and productivity. it is best if you can see your whole week or day laid out at a glance so that you don’t miss or forget things in your schedule. It is also good to see your day laid out like this because it shows your schedule instead of a list. When you have a schedule, you can see how long you will be spending on different tasks so you are more likely to complete them.
Keep your schedule simple
I don’t want to spend hours and hours when I create a schedule. I want it to be simple, quick, and effective. This system fits that bill for me. I list my tasks and appointments out on the sticky notes, stick them on the week’s chart, and voila! I am done.
Bottom line, creating a schedule shouldn’t cost you valuable time. It is something you create and implement to help you manage your time and increase productivity. So, keep it simple! Find a system that works for you, and just go with it.
Put your schedule somewhere visible
If you are truly serious about sticking to this schedule, you need to see it. All the time. I look at my schedule approximately 4, 621 times a day. Actually, I don’t really know, but I feel like I pull it out all the time. Put your schedule in your line of site. Put it in a place you will see it often.
By having it in your line of site, you ensure that you will check it and stay on track for the day. Did you schedule time to work on your side hustle? Were you planning on spending two hours working on a gift you are making? Life gets so busy. It is too easy to forget these tasks on your schedule. But that doesn’t make them any less important. Keeping your schedule visible so you can check it often will help you remember which tasks you scheduled that day and make sure you get more done.
create a schedule in your Bullet Journal
I create my schedule in my bullet journal. I like the physical interface better than my phone because I work better when I can physically work on moving things around. But more importantly, I will always have it with me. Some days it sits open on my counter or table. Others, it is stuck in my bag as I run errands and I check it every time I come out of a store. I take this thing everywhere. It is my one stop for all the lists, plans, schedules, appointments, and personal tracking that I do. If I am already taking it with me, I figure I might as well include my schedule as well.
These are the journaling supplies I love
If the bullet journal craze is not your thing, that is fine. You can make schedule to hang on your wall with the cost of a small posterboard from the dollar store and a pack of sticky note. I suggest using these sticky notes because they are more likely to stay. For some reason, I just don’t have luck with off brand sticky notes. They fall out of my schedule and I end up worse than I was before.
Create your schedule
My schedule design is simple and quick. I make six straight lines. I write the day of the week at the top of each column. Then, I just fill in the space with my sticky notes. You can download a printable of this design here for FREE! Or, make your own in your bullet journal or on a posterboard. As you work on creating your schedule remember
- color code it
- make it clear
- keep it simple
- keep it visible
Try it out. I promise, anyone can create this schedule and stick to it.
How are you scheduling now? Do you have a system you love? Or did you try mine? Let us know in the comments below.
