Schedule It
I recently read a quote that said if you schedule a task the chances and likelihood of you completing it goes from 40% to 70%. I really do find this fascinating. Simply writing things down can increase your chances of completing your tasks. Why does scheduling increase the chances even more? There are a few reasons for that success rate.
As I mentioned, writing things down should always be the first step, whether its handwritten or typed, have one place to keep your task list. The next step is scheduling it. Setting time aside to intentionally complete a task can be crucial to getting that task done. Schedule time in your day to check emails, to make phone calls, to do finances, or project/planning time. When we don’t schedule something like managing emails, they can often overtake our whole day. Have you ever sat down to work on something and then get an email and stop working on that first thing? It happens to all of us. Scheduling time also helps us remove those outside distractions, especially when we are trying to get things done.
How do i even get started scheduling my tasks?
Write it down (of course!)
Look at your calendar, virtually or paper, and observe the spaces of time you set aside to work or the open spaces of time
IMPORTANT: Don’t over-schedule. Just because you see a space of blank time, doesn’t mean it has to be filled. Keep space for rest and the unexpected.
Start small. Block a small period of time out - 20 minutes - to manage email or even tidy up your desk.
Play with different times to do different tasks. Begin to pay attention to when you work best, it could be a time of day, or sometimes it can be doing things in a particular order. For example, when you sit down at your desk if you don’t deal with email right away, it could be hard to get started on something else with that distraction. Or even vice versa, you might notice that when you start with email, it takes. your productivity away from getting other things done. It is always a game of trial and error.
Schedule, observe, and shift.
Make sure you actually write it down on your calendar. Set that clear space of time to complete your tasks.
Remember, it is okay if you don’t get to it. If something else comes up, or if it just doesn’t happen that day. Try not to be hard on yourself, take a breath and try to schedule it again. Getting organized and being more productive on your tasks is always trial and error and it’s always shifting and changing. Something that works today might not work in a month, that’s okay!
Try this out, schedule a task this week and see how it goes! If it works, schedule another one!
Good luck!