Time: < 30 Minutes
STEP 1: Spend 10-20 minutes on Sunday making sure you are ready for the new week. Note all activities besides work on your calendar. Include exercise, prayer/meditation, necessary discussions, walks, specific errands, special time/dates with friends or family that you planned, calling those you care about, etc. Remember to schedule time for yourself—whether that is time spent reading your book, relaxing alone or creating art. It is critical to be selfish with some of your free time.
STEP 2: Schedule tasks during your most productive times of the day. If you are most energized and innovative in the morning, schedule things during that time so it increases the chances of completing them in a timely manner. Motivate yourself with rewards. If you complete a certain number of necessary tasks in your day, reward yourself with an hour of TV or time spent reading a good book.
STEP 3: At the end of each day look at your calendar to confirm you achieved the most important things for the day. If you didn’t, move them to the upcoming day to make sure you stay on track. Every morning confirm your tasks for that day. Keep your list prioritized to ensure that the most important items get completed each day.
STEP 4: Monitor your goal setting. If you are adding too many tasks or not allowing enough time for each, adjust to set realistic goals. You don’t want to become frustrated or demoralized because you can’t get it all done. Perhaps there are things you can do to get some assistance or support on certain tasks that are eating up too much of your time. It is okay to ask for help—chances are, you will be pleasantly surprised how willing people are to lend a hand.
