I believe that every person who wants to succeed in life should know how to make a plan for the day.
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You can’t let things take their course, because, for example, in my case, it’s simply not realistic to keep all the information in my head.
And why load your thoughts with unnecessary garbage, trying to remember when negotiations, meetings are, what matters need to be resolved immediately and which ones later.
Therefore, I decided to devote this article to my favorite time management and time planning.
I have already touched on this topic on the blog. Then you can go and read these articles. Among these articles are articles based on interviews.
Below I present them to your attention:
- “Time management - 8 rules. Basics of time management";
- “Self-control and self-discipline in life and Internet business”;
- “Time management of an Internet business entrepreneur”;
- “Blogging, Internet business, time management, planning in my interview (Yaroslav Korchevsky - Andrey Khvostov)”;
- “Pinary calendar. How to stop being lazy through self-control."
For a business person, information businessman, the correct organization of the work process is especially important.
Because when you are your own boss and manage your own time, the need for strict self-control often arises.
Make a manageable plan for the day
You shouldn’t write down all the things you have in your head on your daily list; it shouldn’t be 25-30 items long.
It is impossible to solve all the issues at once, and a dimensionless list is demotivating. It is better to adhere to the “3-5-7” principle: plan 1-3 important things per day, 3-5 less important ones and a maximum of 5-7 small ones.
Write down the remaining tasks on a separate list or immediately distribute them by day of the week. For this purpose, I have an inbox in Trello for work issues and the same folder in the Wunderlist app for everything else.
I talked about this in more detail in the article:
Project “SUMMER WITH BENEFITS”. WEEK 2
Time management basics for your day
Are you afraid of this word? Calmly! Time management is not a wolf, but there are still similarities with the beast: it is merciless, because it is control over our main resource in life - time.
Large companies have recently begun to create positions of time managers who are responsible for optimizing employees' working time. Now do you understand why we need this? With the help of time management, you will not only learn how to plan wisely, but also how to use your free time.
Rule 1 . Concentrate on one specific task. Don't let anyone or anything distract you from the thing you're working on at the moment.
Rule 2 . You already know how to properly create a daily routine. Now it's time to get to work! Follow your plan strictly.
Rule 3 . It's time to draw up some rules for the internal routine of your life. This may apply to both work and personal life - it doesn’t matter, the main thing is to follow them flawlessly.
Rule 4 . Choose a time management technique that suits you. Experts have formulated several very interesting and working hypotheses that will help you solve problems. Now I’ll briefly talk about some of them, and as soon as you find one that suits you (focus on productivity), add it to your rules.
Don't put routine things on the list
There is no point in writing down things that are done in any case (getting ready for work, preparing breakfast, etc.). This will only visually clutter the list and frighten you with the amount of work.
If you use scheduling apps , a life hack is to make a list of recurring tasks and set the appropriate frequency for completing them. This is one of the most useful features in apps because it helps you save a lot of planning time and nothing gets lost in sight.
My list includes “take vitamins,” “check email,” “publish a post,” “pay a bill,” “take a Spanish lesson,” etc.
Setting goals for 2021
The main thing on the road is a good route. And even if you are used to trusting your intuition when choosing a turn, but you have never been able to follow clear plans, it will be easier for you to enter the new year with an understanding of what you want from life.
We will draw up a plan that does not have to be carried out point by point. If you want, you can link it to certain dates, but the main thing now is to figure out what is important to you at this very moment.
Over time, plans and guidelines may change, but it is important to start this page with a clear understanding of who I am now and who I would like to become by the end of next year.
We have already looked at ways to find your calling ; one of the exercises there was aimed at seeing yourself in 5, 10 years. Yourself - ideal. It makes sense to do this when setting goals for the new year.
But before moving on to the list of goals, it is important to ensure that life in the new year is harmonious. Sometimes we devote more time to work than to family and loved ones, or we engage in internal development, forgetting that we also need to strengthen the body.
How to sum up the year: remember the balance
The starting point is balance. We have many different vital resources that need to be taken care of so that there is no imbalance in either direction.
Draw two balance wheels according to the diagram, fill one now - how you feel harmony in each area of life - from one to ten (0 - center). Do you devote enough time to your family and communicate with your relatives? Are you moving towards new achievements in your work, or are you unhappy with what is happening, but doing nothing to change it?
Shade each section in the wheel the way you feel in relation to family, friendships, work, personal growth, and so on.
Ideally, the ratio should be approximately the same, like in a wheel - one spoke cannot be much larger or smaller than the others. Otherwise, the bike won't move.
So it is with life.
Now look at the second wheel, it is a clean slate, a new page. This is a new you in the new year. You will have 366 days to build the perfect wheel that will take you to any heights.
Writing plans and goals for 2021
Now, keeping all the important areas of your life in mind, write down plans and goals for each of them. All resources need replenishment. They will complement each other and energize you all year long. Only if “everything is fine” in life in each of the areas, you feel that you are going right.
Remember an important rule - do not devote more time and importance to work than to everything else. Don't forget, we work to live, not live to work.
Having written down the goals for each of the areas, you can go further and plan each large goal into small ones, on the same sheet or separately - for each large plan, as is more convenient for you. I like to use the mind map technique to see on one page a complete picture of what needs to be done in a year, and only then transfer individual projects into the planning system.
Adhere to a rigid-flexible planning system
Such a system is more visual and easier to adapt to changing life circumstances. In a diary, the list of to-dos for the day can be compiled in two columns: on the left - those things that are time-bound (meetings, calls, etc.), and all the rest - in the column on the right.
It is pointless to tie each task on the list to a specific time, since any change in plans will immediately disrupt the entire structure like a house of cards. Alternatively, you can plan things in blocks based on your schedule (for example, while the child is awake, time after work, etc.).
Where does planning begin?
It all starts with choosing the perfect planning tool. I would even say: your future reliable assistant.
So that you feel comfortable with it and want to return to filling it out every day. This could be a phone, an empty notepad or a planner. It all depends on your rhythm of life and planning.
No matter which planner you choose, be sure to start planning with a year and gradually move to months, weeks, and days. This is necessary in order to have focus for a specific period of time.
Set your priorities
The ability to prioritize your affairs is one of the main elements of effective planning.
When compiling a list of daily tasks, it is important to categorize them: urgent important, urgent unimportant, unimportant urgent, non-urgent unimportant.
You can mark them in the list with the letters A, B, C, D. If several cases belong to the same category, add numbers A1, A2, A3, etc.
At the same time, you should not move on to the next category of tasks until more important tasks are completed.
Time management methods: looking for the right one
To list and talk even briefly about each of the existing methods is an empty exercise. I will outline the most popular and, in my opinion, effective ones, but it’s up to you to decide. So, which method should you choose to create your house rules?
- Pomodoro : a technique that will help you concentrate on a specific task. Alternate periods of 25 and 5 minutes, where 25 is working time and 5 minutes is a short rest. Then you will have a long pause of 15 minutes.
- GTD : translated into Russian, the method is aimed at putting your affairs in order. For more information about the technique, see the video below:
- Mind Maps : Make a mind map of your day and then work your way through the branches, trying to reach the “core” of your tree evenly.
To properly create a daily routine, I recommend using the LeaderTask to-do list - there you will find many world-famous time management techniques, implemented as additional programs.
I want to create my own internal routine
Set a time to complete each task
Another life hack when making a to-do list for the day is to indicate the time to complete a particular task. It also helps you get things done faster and understand how long it will take to complete the things on your list.
When the planned things are done, tell yourself “stop” and spend time with family, hobbies, watching a movie, reading a book, etc.
It is better to plan tasks in such a way that their completion takes no more than an hour at a time, preferably up to 30 minutes. If the task is more complex and requires more time, it can be divided into several subtasks.
It can be difficult to do something for 3 hours without distractions, and if this happens, it takes time to get into everything again and get involved in the work. But small tasks that require less time are easier to complete and results are visible faster, which serves as additional motivation.
It’s also worth leaving a reserve of time; you don’t need to plan things “back to back” to each other. This will help make your daily plan flexible and react quickly if circumstances change.
Why is it important to plan?
Planning, of course, is not a panacea, but it is still a great kick and stimulant. It’s like a pill that energizes you and brings structure into your life. I’ll tell you why planning is a must have:
- Planning sets priorities. Allows you to concentrate on a specific task and not be distracted by others.
- You know what needs to be done and when. Accurate to the minute, and sometimes even to the second.
- All plans in one place. I forgot something - I looked and was ready to move towards my goal again.
- Plans are easy to move without losing quality. When you clearly see what can be moved and what can be done without a queue.
- There is more time for rest and self-development. When everything goes according to plan, you can speed up your business and be free at the right time.
- When you set goals and objectives yourself, you take a more responsible approach to your life, thereby understanding what you really want.
Make a to-do list in the evening
Many people plan their day in the morning, but I would recommend doing it the night before. This way you feel much more collected in the morning and get back to work faster.
Well, the most popular question for discussions on this topic: “If a plan is drawn up, but on that day everything does not go as planned, what’s the point of it?”
Of course, not everything depends on us, and we need to be prepared for such situations.
This is one of the reasons why it is not recommended to plan more than one to three important tasks per day, and everything else, if necessary, can be postponed to another day or to another time.
I spoke in more detail about how to create a simple and convenient system for planning and storing information for yourself at the webinar “How to organize your life using Trello.”
As bonuses, participants receive an e-book with ideas for using Trello for all occasions and 8 theme board templates.
Information on how to purchase a webinar recording is on this page.
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If the topic of personal effectiveness interests you, join us on Telegram. There I run the “Planning is Easy” channel, where I share my experience and useful recommendations on the topics of personal effectiveness and self-development.
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That's why they are flexible, so you can drag them around over time. This way you can plan your day in 15 minutes. Write down all the tasks and scatter them on the calendar. You will do it faster than I wrote this article. Even faster than the time it will take you to read this article.
