I recently took a trip and before we jumped on the road, we had the GPS pulled up. When you are traveling to a new destination, do you just assume you know the route or do you plan ahead of time which roads are best to take? Unless you are a person of chance, you at least know which direction to head. That’s not to say there won’t be construction, accidents or traffic on the way but you have an idea of what’s ahead. Our lives aren’t much different, there are effective ways to plan out a blueprint and increase your weekly productivity.
Think Ahead
It took me a while to figure this out; I was always busy but never seemed to get much done. Then I realized, being busy does not represent being progressive. You can actually get more done in less time if you are focused on a specific task. Block out a time during the weekend to plan for the week ahead and schedule out what you would like to accomplish. Heading into Monday without some guideline can set you up for an unproductive week. Be sure to set your tone early in the week as it will determine your level of motivation. If you can’t explain your reasoning for your specific task, you are less likely to hold yourself accountable.
Prioritize and Categorize
When planning out your week, be realistic with your expectations and what you can accomplish each day. Set deadlines for your task by identifying your priorities. This will help throughout the week to maximize your time and manage distractions. Don’t allow your obstacles to derail your focus during the week, instead adjust accordingly as things arise but never lose sight of your end mark. In addition, categorizing your task list enables you to see structure so that you can successfully break them into smaller steps. When I first started categorizing my tasks it included: Family, Personal, Business, Financial and Physical. Depending on your task and lifestyle, these can definitely differ but it should be primarily based on your overall task causing you to constantly review those.
Take Action
Take a look at your task each morning in order to revive your focus, it will also help you be intentional with you time throughout the day. Try to stray away from procrastination, accomplishing your hardest task first it’s a driving factor to your motivation. Complete task as soon as you can, putting them off will simply create unnecessary stress and leave you feeling overwhelmed at the end of the week.
Acknowledge your Progress
Be proud of your small milestones because they are the indications of a much bigger accomplishment ahead. Even if you didn’t get to every task, simply add it to the top of the priority list for the following week. Make sure to evaluate why it was not accomplished the previous week so that you have an idea of what to avoid and/or pay attention the next round.
Embrace your journey! Once you’ve reached the destination, keep going! For our journey is never complete as we strive towards new goals. Allow yourself to fully engage in your future. It may take one-step at a time but you will find that organizing and prioritizing your task will help you achieve your greatest potentials.