Planning your week usually starts with one question, “Which planner should I get?”. But it’s not always about that. If you’re one of those people who constantly buy notebooks and planners, only to leave them half-way through, you need to start with a great plan and build it from there. There’s no need to feel overwhelmed on a Sunday, thinking that you’ve got tonnes to do on Monday morning.
Grab your pen, and a planner that will help you become the CEO of your own life – and get ready to get sh*t done:
Strategy number 1:
Get the right planner
You do need a planner that helps you put down the framework for your week. Which is why we designed the Getting Things Done planner. It’ll help you get more strategic about your day, and stop you from spreading your plans across multiple notebooks. Containing space for to-dos and notes plus a section for self-care, both halves of your life will be truly aligned.
You’ll be able to create a master plan for your life with the Getting Things Done Planner, and put yourself on your priority list finally. So before you start strategizing your week, make sure you’ve got the right planner to help you have it all. Find out more here.
Strategy number 2:
List your MITs
Start off by listing three (and only three) MITs. These are your ‘Most Important Tasks’. Consider them the VIPs of your week, you need to make sure that no matter what you’re doing, you’re working on these tasks. And you need to get them ticked off as soon as possible.
If you want to, you can write everything down on a ‘scratch pad’ and then highlight your top three. It might be easier to identify them that way, but you still have to ensure that they are your highest priority tasks for the week. Other things often pop up that can distract us, but it’s important to focus on your big three, once they’re completed you can move on to three more!
Strategy number 3:
Steamroll your day
Steamrolling your day basically means you start off slow and then get faster throughout the day. It’s a technique that encourages you to create a structured morning routine and actually enjoy a slower pace in the first few hours of the day. You will find yourself more productive if you start the day slow, and then gradually increase the intensity of the tasks you need to do.
Some people achieve this by meditating in the mornings and checking emails only after lunch. They’ll focus on their most important tasks in the morning, but only chip away at the small things, building up the intensity until they need to focus hard in the afternoon. This works well if you’ve got several heavy tasks to accomplish, slowly work on them and then in the afternoon you can dedicate your energy to smashing it!
Strategy number 4:
Plan for your energy levels
It’s important to plan a week that matches your energy levels. The steamrolling technique works if you find yourself tired and unproductive in the morning, but you might also find you never feel communicative on a Wednesday because you’re always so busy and don’t have time for meetings. Or maybe you’ve noticed you’re always on a low on Thursdays. Theme your week accordingly.
It’s a good idea to write in your planner how you felt after every day and which tasks you struggled with. Maybe you’ll establish a pattern and realize creative tasks are better tackled on a Thursday, while Monday is a better day for meetings.
Are you ready to plan your perfect week?
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