American businessman, Lou Gerstner once said “Never let anyone own your schedule”. However, this might be easier said than done, considering nowadays we praise toxic productivity and encourage a never-ending to-do list. Scheduling has become one of the most assets for entrepreneurs whose ultimate goal is to find effective ways to manage their time. Additionally, their business growth is tied to their ability to understand tasks priorities, what can be rescheduled, and deadlines.
Time is a scarce resource. As much as we would want more hours during the day, the key to successfully laying out your day-to-day and not having an open-ended to-do list, is scheduling your time.
Set a specific time for email
You can blink once and your inbox suddenly overflows with emails. On top of that, you have that lingering notification reminding you that you have unread messages. Going through emails every five minutes takes you away from completing other activities. While there are some that can be handled in less than 30 seconds, others might take you much longer. Set a specific during the day to read and answer your emails.
Set Deadlines For Yourself
Entrepreneurs are essentially their own boss, apart from their clients they don’t have to answer to a boss figure. This might lead some to procrastinating tasks or missing due dates. Scheduling deadlines for yourself gives you a sense of urgency and creates a specific timeframe for when you need to complete your job. Working towards a deadline encourages you to complete it.
Be honest, schedule tasks at the time you’ll actually be able to complete them
Let’s be real, sometimes it can be hard to sit down and start an assignment. However, You know your routine better than anyone else, you understand what works best for you. There are different times during the day when you’ll be able to accomplish things more efficiently. For example, if you are a morning person, focus on the most complicated tasks that required you to concentrate.
Time blocking: meetings and calls
Plan out your days in advance by dedicating specific time blocks to meetings, calls and other tasks. Instead of having an open-ended to-do list, focus on a concrete schedule that lays out what types of activities you’re going to do and within which time frame.
Schedule your “me” time
It might be obvious to some, but how many times have eaten lunch while going through emails? Block time for yourself for activities like lunch, breaks, walks around the neighborhood, even shower time. It is easy to become overwhelmed with your to-do list, so make sure you are also scheduling time to take of yourself.
Do you have any other scheduling tips?, send me a DM on Instagram @lauraleebotsacos and let me know.
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