003: Ditch your ever-growing to do list part 2: Plan effectively
This episode will cover how you can plan your tasks into your week effectively, so you don't need to work off a never-ending to do list.
Having everything you need to do already listed out (and decluttered) will help you when planning, so if you need to list out and declutter your tasks first, hop on over to episode 002 where I walk you through that process.
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The benefits of weekly planning
Before we begin, it's essential to understand the advantages of incorporating a weekly planning routine – so that you’re not tempted to go back to working off of a to-do list only.
By investing a little time upfront to plan your week, you'll experience the following benefits:
Enhanced decision-making: Planning in advance enables you to make better decisions by providing a clear perspective on your tasks, rather than being caught up in the midst of multiple activities.
Realistic outlook: By gaining a comprehensive view of your week, you can plan more realistically, ensuring you allocate the necessary time for each task or commitment.
Selective task management: Seeing the available time slots allows you to be more discerning about what tasks you take on. You can prioritize those that align with your goals and values, avoiding unnecessary distractions.
Daily clarity: With a well-structured plan, you no longer need to figure out what to do each morning. Instead, you wake up with a clear direction, ready to tackle the day's tasks.
Sense of completion: Knowing when you are done for the day brings a sense of accomplishment and allows for better relaxation and rejuvenation. You can bid farewell to going to bed with an unfinished to-do list.
Prioritizing self-care: By scheduling dedicated time for self-care activities, you can feel more confident in stepping away from your work because you’ve accounted for time outside of business. Plus this way self-care isn’t something that only gets pushed to the margins.
Flexibility: Life is full of unexpected events. It’s so much easier to deviate from a plan when things change, than it is to scramble together a plan out of thin air when you’re already stressed out (or when things have already hit the fan.)
Step-by-step guide to planning your week
Now that we understand the benefits, let's delve into the step-by-step process of planning your week effectively:
Step 1: Prestep - Prior Appointments and Commitments
Start by filling in any existing appointments or commitments for the week. This ensures that you account for prior obligations and give them the appropriate priority.
Step 2: Schedule self-care and white space
Scheduling dedicated time for self-care activities. Block off white space in your schedule to allow for flexibility and personal time. Remember: self-care isn’t something to squeeze into the margins but a vital aspect of your overall well-being.
Step 3: Schedule your priorities
Identify and schedule tasks, events, and projects that are important to you. These priorities should be aligned with your long-term goals and aspirations.
If you’re a business owner, this might mean creating your marketing content, planning your next quarter, and overall working on your business.
If you’re a creative or artist, this could include all the things you need to do to be able to create, including time you need to find inspiration for your work, and tasks that have to do with getting your work visible.
And this step doesn’t have to be tied just to work – this also covers any projects you’re doing outside of your work that matter to you – like maybe blocking off time to turn your backyard into a vegetable garden.
Step 4: Schedule other tasks and responsibilities
Now, it's time to allocate time for other tasks, commitments, and responsibilities that you undertake, which may be for others. This could include client work, product orders, engaging with your audience, responding to requests, running errands, or catching up on emails.
It's important to differentiate these tasks from your own priorities to maintain a healthy balance. Many of us are more likely to stick to our commitments toward others than we are to make room for our own priorities, which can end up biting us in the butt later.
Effective planning considerations
As you plan your week, keep the following tips in mind to optimize your productivity:
Optimal task placement: Schedule your most focus-intensive tasks during times when you feel most energetic and focused. These are likely to be from your “own priorities.”
Establish regular patterns: Consider allocating regular spots in your schedule for daily, weekly, or monthly tasks. Having predictable patterns in your routine can simplify planning and reduce cognitive load.
Step 4: Set aside time for weekly planning
Before wrapping up the week, set aside a specific time (around 10 minutes) to review the past week, transfer unfinished tasks, and plan for the upcoming week. Reflect on the tasks you didn’t complete and determine their relevance or reasons for postponement.
Streamlining the Process
To make planning your tasks more enjoyable and efficient, here are a few tips:
Color coding: Use different colored pens to distinguish between tasks and appointments, making them easily distinguishable at a glance.
Erasable gel pens: Consider using Frixion's erasable gel pens. They allow for easy rearrangement of tasks when needed.
Break down big projects: For significant projects, break them down into smaller, manageable tasks. This ensures that each step is captured and can be scheduled accordingly. Creating an initial to-do list can help with this process.
Time allocation for complex tasks or projects: If you're unsure about completing a task in one sitting, consider assigning a specific duration for working on that task. For example, "work on [task] for [number of] minutes." This helps track progress and ensures no task is left hanging.
Shorthand for repeated tasks: Develop a shorthand or abbreviation system for frequently repeated tasks. This saves time and effort, as you won't need to write them out in detail every time.
Handling unfinished tasks: If you have tasks left at the end of the week, draw an arrow in the checkbox to indicate moving them to a future week. Give them a new spot right away. If a task is no longer relevant, cross it out.
Flexibility is key: Just like with planning your schedule, you can adjust tasks to better align with your energy levels or changing priorities as needed.
The power of a short daily to-do list
We tend to overestimate how much we can accomplish in a day, but underestimate how much we can get done if we follow through on a few key tasks per day. So try to not overload your daily to-do list. Two to four main tasks per day, executed effectively, will bring you closer to your goals, while avoiding the overwhelm of an endless to-do list.