When it comes to being productive with your time and focusing your days on what really matters to you, there is a 5-minute habit that can have a significant affect on your life. It’s very simple: You must tell your time where to go. Taking 5 minutes every day to write down your schedule for the next day can help you stay on track toward your goals, decrease time wasted on unimportant activities, and help you make sure you are spending your days doing what matters most to you. Here are some tips to maximize the power of writing down your schedule.
1. Set aside time to do something you love
Every day, plan some time to do something you love, even if it’s for just 5 minutes to start. When you take time to regularly do the things that light you up, your life will change and so will the people around you. If you’re not sure what you love, check out this free workbook.
2. Make sure you’re living your top priorities
Writing down your schedule can help you stay focused on what’s truly important in your life. As you write down your schedule, make sure you’re spending time on your top priorities. If you notice that month after month, you’re neglecting what’s important and filling your schedule with junk, it’s time to re-evaluate yourself. By consistently writing down your schedule, if you discover that you’re not living your top priorities, dig deep and be really honest with yourself about what your priorities are, and re-evaluate your life and schedule so you can truly live your priorities.
3. Group similar tasks together
When you write down your schedule, consider batching tasks together that are similar or that require you to be in the same location. This can help you minimize time spent transitioning from one activity to the next, which can help increase your productivity. Think about your daily tasks and group them in ways that allow for seamless transitions.
4. Give yourself deadlines
Deadlines are very powerful, as they can help us significantly increase our effort. When you write down your schedule, put time limits on your tasks. When you feel like the task must be completed in a certain amount of time, it can help you avoid procrastination and take immediate action. One way to maximize your use of self-imposed deadlines is to use the Pomodoro technique. This very simple technique can significantly help you to focus during your time allotted for each task.
5. Include a small step toward a big goal on your daily schedule
In order to make regular progress toward your big goals, commit to taking a small action step every day. Each day, write out the action step you will take the next day to move yourself closer to your dreams. I hope these time-management strategies help you as much as they’ve helped me. Writing down your schedule is a very simple exercise, yet it can be life-changing. When you tell your time where to go, it helps you focus your life on what truly matters to you. This will enable you to live a more fulfilling life. As you develop the habit of writing down your schedule, I’d love to hear how your life changes as a result. Writing down your schedule is a very simple, yet amazingly beneficial, life hack. Featured photo credit: Stacy Spensley / https://flickr.com via flickr.com
