Punch Holes in Your Schedule
The best schedules include enough gaps to fit the unexpecteds. A schedule with more “un-planned” time gives you the opportunity to meet with a “new” client, go to a movie with your boyfriend, or spend a few extra hours brainstorming or perfecting a project. Of course, how you schedule your time depends on your priorities and responsibilities. But, I think that there are a few basic concepts that can help just about anyone in need of better planning skills.
My number one rule in creating a daily plan is to be kind to yourself first. And this goes for entrepreneurs, students, moms and garbage men. Whatever your daily gig is you need to plan around your most basic needs. Make sure that you leave time for sleeping and eating. And, be realistic with the amount of tasks you intend on completing on any given day. The worst thing about my current schedule is that I NEED to do more things than are actually humanly possible.
Do you try to cram more work into one day than anyone else in your shoes could do in 24 hours? No one will appreciate you more just because you are running yourself into the ground. When would you ideally like to start your work day? Begin your planning as close to that as possible. After years of trying to work from 9-5 (or somewhere around there) I recently discovered that I could get so much more of my work done at night. I am so much happier and less distracted once I have completed all of my non-work responsibilities.
My business allows me to work from 9pm-5am. And that totally works for me. But, maybe you have a storefront—and this is not realistic for you. Or maybe you’re juggling a class schedule and day job as well. Just remember that most every aspect of your business and life are under your control. You can decide when to work and how much work to do. But, it’s definitely going to be a process of trial and error before you are completely happy with your schedule.
If you live by the principle of “why put off til next week, what can be done today” – then you will always work more than play and pretty much always be stressed. New work arrives each day, so there’s no question that you’ll be busy tomorrow. So, don’t be afraid to leave some free time each day to just get your head together, or even open the door to better business opportunities.
One Comment
Sharat Thakur
June 19th, 2007 at 10:58 am
Good article Gina. It seems you were telling my story. Initially I used to create a very hectic schedule for myself, and at the end of the day, I was totally exhausted. So when we plan things, we definitely need to be realistic and practical in our approach. Meanwhile, when we plan something for the day, we need to be disciplined and follow it in the most productive manner.
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