There are countless methods for managing time, but they all require one crucial first step that we often forget: planning.
It’s difficult to prioritize projects, leverage resources, track progress and ultimately achieve desired outcomes when we don’t have clear plans. Not only does having a straightforward plan help you stay on track with your own tasks and goals, it also makes it so you’re less likely to get caught up in someone else’s.
Here are some ways I incorporate planning into my regular work routine:
Plan your planning sessions! Start with big-picture plans.
Consider setting aside one day every three to six months for bigger-picture strategic planning. Block this time out on your calendar and use it to examine where you’ve come from and where you want to go next. Productive uses of this time might include visioning, setting goals and identifying resources to help you on your path. The key is to come out of this time understanding what is most important to you and how you will go about accomplishing it.
Then, add blocks of time for planning your weekly and daily schedules.
At the start of your workweek, create a plan for what you need to accomplish that week. This is a chance to be intentional about where you dedicate your efforts and resources. Most people can do this in as little as 15 minutes.
Then, start each day with 15 minutes of reviewing daily goals and prioritizing tasks. At the end of the day, spend another 10 to 15 minutes reviewing how you did. Give yourself credit for what you finished, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you didn’t accomplish much! You can always improve your plans the next day.
Find time management tools that work for you.
There are many tools and apps available that help with planning and time management. One that we’ve tested at Xenium is the Panda Planner, a physical planner with sections for daily schedules, priorities and beginning- and end-of-day reviews, along with pages for weekly and monthly reviews.
But no matter what tools work best for you, finding time to plan consistently is the key to getting the most out of those tools and to keeping you on track.
Watch Episode 14 of Transform Your Workplace
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