5 Essential Ingredients To Planning Your Day

As we approach the end of the year, it seems to get more and more hectic. I thought I’d share some strategies with you that I start off using with my time management coaching clients.

In fact, recently one of them told me, “I can’t believe it; I actually have a life again”. This was after we started incorporating some of the principles I’m sharing with you below.

1. Block out any appointments
Don’t only block out the actual time of the appointment; add “getting ready” time and travel time before and after the appointment.

I used to find myself constantly rushing to a regular morning meeting until I realised I wasn’t factoring in the 5 minutes I had to walk from my car all the way to the meeting venue. Since I added this time, I’m always the first one there, waiting ;)

2. Do high priority items first
I call this the “Eat the Frog” principle. They’re also commonly called big rocks. Big rocks are items of high value and importance.

For a business owner, it could mean working on an income-producing activity and for a stay-at-home mom, it could mean planning your menus for the week.

3. Add in your routines
Do you have an evening routine and a morning routine? We talk in detail about these routines on my Simplify your Life e-course. Routines help your day run smoothly because they’re done on auto-pilot.

Some people do a load of laundry every day. This is part of their routine. If they don’t do this for a couple of days, life can get out of control very quickly.

4. Don’t forget buffer time
Buffer time helps when an appointment runs over or the traffic is bad. Or when something just takes longer to do than you anticipated!

Depending on the situation, you might want to leave 15 – 30 minutes after each appointment or activity so that you’re not frazzled when things inevitably don’t work out exactly as you planned. This is beside the travel time.

5. Add in some fun
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy ;)

Fun means different things for each of us. Whether it’s time to exercise, do some crafts or read, add some fun into your day, every day. Fun also means rewarding yourself appropriately when you are disciplined with those BIG ROCKS I mentioned in number (2).

Now print this article, start with point 1 and keep adding another point every week until you too can breathe again ;)

Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners make the most of their time. Visit organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.

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