You Don't Need More Time ~ You Need a System & a Process!
This is exactly what has worked for me for over 20 years, in many different chapters of my life. It's taken on many different "looks" as I've gone through lots of different planners, but my concept has always been the same.
Your process doesn't need to be complicated! It doesn't need to be 5 bazillion steps. In fact, the simpler, the better!
Use a monthly calendar, plan out your week, and work from a list. It's THAT SIMPLE!
Hear me out... everyone has the same amount of time in a day - just 24 hours. The difference between the people who end the day feeling productive and those who feel like they've left a ton on their to-do list - is simply their system, their plan of attack.
The key is to prioritize what's most important, what's urgent, what "needs" to get done - and really really important, by WHEN does it need to get done.
Now I'm hearing you in my head right now "but everything's important! There is so much that needs to get done!"
I'm reminding you right now... not everything is important. The truth is, you probably have tasks on your list that you can delegate, put on the back burner, or better yet (and I challenge you to be ruthless and unapologetic here!) take some things OFF your list completely!
If you're anything like me, some of what's on your to-do list has more to do with people-pleasing tendencies than an actual meaningful task that moves your life forward. We all want to be helpful, we all want to be problem solvers, but when it comes at the price of your own sanity, sometimes you have to simply say "no." And let it go... don't dwell on the fact that you may have let someone down. If it's important to them... they will ask someone else.
When you master this simple system to plan out your months, weeks, and days... you're going to find that saying "no" becomes easier. And on those occasions you do say "yes", you will do it without the stress of having just added "another thing to your list". You'll do it because you want to and have time to get it done.
When you distinguish the difference between which tasks are "urgent" and what are "important", things will start to fall into place. Not every to do is created equal. Remember too...not every task should be a top priority.
My 3-Step Fail-Proof Planning System
1) Use a Monthly Calendar: This is where you'll keep on top of ALL THE THINGS: special occasions, family and friends' birthdays, special occasions, date nights, dinner with friends, vacations, travel, the first day of school, the last day of school, kids extra curricular schedules, game-days, dance recitals, cheer camp, doctor appointments, meetings, project deadlines, Literally EVERYTHING goes on your monthly calendar. And TIP: use ONE calendar for all the things. You only have ONE set of 24 hours in a day.
2) Use a Weekly Planner: Each week, grab your monthly calendar and write down anything you have coming up in the week ahead in your weekly planner. I prefer to do this on Saturdays or Sundays so that on Monday morning, I have a good grasp on when and where I need to be, and what important tasks need to be done.
- Fill in your appointments and any notes from your monthly calendar.
- Add in your regularly scheduled programming. Ex: morning Happy Hour, workouts, work time, etc...
Now I am a BIG advocate for blocking out your time, especially if you are uber-busy and it's vital for you to stay on track and stay focused to get everything done. But sometimes, time blocking isn't necessary. A simple list of what you need to do each day of the week works just as well if your schedule is a little more flexible. Personally, a combination of both is what works best for me!
So maybe on Mondays and Tuesdays, I block out my time and work from a list. But on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I simply make a list and move through it within the day.
The beautiful thing about planning your week is that YOU get to dictate what that looks like. YOU get to decide what works for you. YOU get to choose a method and switch it up whenever you want.
3) Work from a List: One of my favorite things to do in life... is to check things off a list. 🥰 Have you ever written something on a list that you already did just so you can check it off? Asking for a friend 😉
- Now this is where prioritizing comes into play. Decide what tasks NEED to get done FIRST. These should be things that move your life or your business forward.
- If you're a block timer, then you already know how much time you have to spend on something. For example, you've set "Admin Work" for 1 hour between 9 am and 10 am. Your "list" should have all the things you need to do within that hour... get your daily post up, check emails, reply to DMs, respond to comments, check your analytics... and check them off as you go!
- Another example of working from a list. You've blocked out 2 hours to get errands done. So between 12 pm and 2 pm, you'll drop off the Amazon returns, hit up the post office, run to the grocery store, pick up the prescriptions from the pharmacy, get a new pair of walking shoes, etc. Those are the things you'll write on the list.
TIME TIP: Your list keeps you on track. It reminds you of what you need to get done. When you set a time limit on what you need to do...you're more likely to get it done in that allotted time. It's called Parkinson's law. If you aren't familiar with the concept, Parkinson's law is the adage that work expands to the time allotted. So if you set a time limit of 2 hours to get your errands done, you'll likely do it in that time. If you don't, what could take only 2 hours might expand to 4 because you aren't mindful of "time".
Your system doesn't need to be complicated! Keep it simple.
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Use a monthly calendar,
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plan out your week,
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and work from a list.
It's THAT SIMPLE! I have used this process for over 20 years... through many different chapters of life... so I'm absolutely confident it will work for you too!
XoXo,
Charlani 🖤
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