The phone rings, you receive an e-mail, someone comes over to your desk to ask you a burning question… Want it or not, these distractions destroy your flow, and promote a passive mindset at work rather than an active one.
Instead of continually crossing off everything you need to do, you are responding to others’ needs and desires. The day comes to an end in a flash, you rush to get those last few tasks done, when you arrive at home you are exhausted, and once you finally lie down in bed, you pass out immediately.
Does your day sound something like this? Are you tired of stressing out and getting to the weekend completely burnt out?
That is exactly why you need a schedule. It provides you with a clear plan of attack based on your priorities, commitments and goals.
Need more convincing? Check out the 3 main reasons why having a schedule will change your life.
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It holds you accountable
When you need to accomplish a goal, such as lose weight or read more, it is much easier to reach it by enlisting a friend that supports you than by doing so completely alone. A friend gives you external motivation, since you are less likely to let them down and make excuses.
Having a schedule is the next best thing, since it provides you with internal motivation. It gives you the focus and reason to work on a task on a particular day, or leave 30 minutes before a meeting instead of 15 so you get there on time.
You can see in your planner or calendar whether or not you are following your plan. Give yourself rewards as an incentive each time, or every few times, you stick to it. In time, you will follow your schedule as a habit and part of muscle memory, and be able to remove the reward altogether.
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It provides structure
Starting off your work day staring blankly into a computer screen is never good. You waste your precious time figuring out what you need to do instead of taking action right from the bat.
With a schedule, you can, and should, plan your days the night or even the week before. This way, you dedicate your brainpower to making big and complicated decisions, rather than to making the simple decision of what to do when.
Map out everything you need to accomplish, including prior commitments and meetings, prioritize anything that has an upcoming deadline, batch similar tasks together, and automate those tasks that can be done in advance. Working on similar tasks one after the other instead of jumping from different task to task increases your productivity, amplifies your focus, and ensures you get things done faster.
Add some time buffers for unexpected things that may come up, and schedule in time for answering calls and e-mails three times a day, instead of answering them as they come in. By having a structure, you ensure that the items on your to do list, the ones that are actually important, are being crossed off.
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It gives you freedom
The more you plan and schedule, the more you will be able to increase your effectiveness to work smarter, not harder. Your day will be mapped around the times when you are most awake and productive, and so you will be able to move one step closer to achieving your overarching goals and dreams.
Ultimately, you will be able to put your kids to sleep. Go out on a date with your spouse. Read that murder mystery you have been dying to dive into, but never had the time.
Why? Because your days will be more efficient, and you may even be done with all of your tasks early. You will be able to schedule in ‘me’ time, since you are all caught up on your responsibilities and duties. Just imagine having that and more. Complete control over your time.
Things don’t stop here, my friend. Download this FREE productivity cheat sheet and learn how you can implement dead-simple tweaks in your life and business that will give you a super boost in your productivity in a really meaningful way.
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