Plan To Be Productive Every Day
Many of us see the day slip through our fingers wondering where the time went wishing for more. Instead, we should create our ideal day every day. Scheduling our day sounds like it will limit what we can do and make us feel like we are back in high school. However, this is not the case as I have found. Taking the time to plan out each day helps me become more productive, get more done, and feel more fulfilled.
Setting up a schedule is not blocking out time forever single task each day but taking chunks as categories of what kind of tasks you want to get done. Here is an example of my current weekday schedule:
| Time Slot | Category | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| 05:00-06:30 | Wake up, exercise, get ready for work | Exercise often falls through here but it's a goal |
| 06:30-15:30 | Work and commute | Gotta pay those bills |
| 15:30-16:00 | Settle in at home | This is filler time, and the next slot often starts here |
| 16:00-17:00 | Read Bible | Work out that spiritual muscle |
| 17:00-18:00 | Write and publish blog post | This includes writing, editing, finding images, and promotion |
| 18:00-19:30 | Cook and clean up | I'm the dishwasher... |
| 19:30-21:30 | Learn or code something | Love to learn and don't always have something to code |
| 21:30-22:00 | Offline, read, journal | Getting off the computer an hour before I want to sleep seems to increase my sleep quality |
| 22:00-22:30 | Get ready for bed | I take my time, no need to rush |
For individual tasks that I want to get down in each of those time slots, I use my bullet journal to record them. The goal of the schedule is not to be a to-do list but a place to know when to do each task you want to accomplish.
Don't let this be a daunting task and don't add things you don't want to do (except got to work; paying the bills is important). If you wish to have time each day to play video games, watch TV, or some other relaxing activities make a time slot. Another thing, make sure to update this and allow your day to be fluid.
There will always be days when something new comes up but even hitting some of these daily goals is better than having none at all. As your goals change, change your schedule. You are the one making it after all so make the schedule fit for you. I have changed this many times already as I learn what works for me and as my priorities change. I'm sure I'll change in many more times to come. One such time I will change my schedule is when I have a new project I want to make or eBook I want to write.
Stay flexible, forgiving, and productive.
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