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Ok, maybe this title is a little bit dramatic sounding but I’m being completely serious. I recently made a change that has upped my productivity an insane amount and I wish I started doing this sooner. So I’m sharing this tip with y’all so that you can get started!
A typical day for me used to involve trying to do too many things at once and feeling like I got nothing done by the end of the day. I’d put off big important tasks and do less productive ones instead; responding to non-urgent emails, make a food shopping list, silly things like that. Basically: the things I NEEDED to be doing I was not, and the things that could wait were getting done. It left me feeling unsatisfied, annoyed with myself, unmotivated and not aligned.
So, what changed?
Every Sunday (and this is a fairly new practice around here, it’s been for about a month or so) Mike and I sit down and plan out the week ahead. We write down when we have in-person training clients, coaching calls with our online clients, other appointments, plans etc. But I don’t stop there. I then write down each day in detail, the night before. So on Monday evening I sit down and write out what Tuesday will look like.
This planner is my absolute favorite!
Here’s an example:
7am-11am: Daily Protected Time: This is MY time. I get dressed and do my quick morning skincare routine, meditate, read for 20 minutes, water my plants, eat breakfast, walk the dogs, workout, shower. These are the things I need to do before I sit down and get to work. Usually I have a training client thrown into that window for 45 minutes so I’ll block my time around that. I do realize I have the flexibility to block these big chunks of time out since I work at home and for myself. But I have friends who work a typical 9-5 and they schedule their DPT from 5-6:30 so they can meditate and get a workout in before their kids wake up. It is possible, but MUST be scheduled into your day.
11am-12pm: Write a blog post
12-1pm: Lunch + Instagram: I respond back to people’s comments and plan my next IG post.
1-2pm: Coaching calls with online clients
2-3pm: Work on my Beautycounter business
3-4pm: Create a vision board for an interior decorating client
4-4:30pm: Listen to a podcast
4:30-5:30pm: Edit the morning’s blog post, get pictures for it, add links when necessary
5:30-6:00pm: Take pictures (the lighting is really great in our home at this time so I take advantage of this and get some photos done)
6-7:00pm: Combo of porch time with Mike and make dinner
7:00pm: Some evenings we have a coaching call with a business mentorship we’re in so we’ll do that. Otherwise after 7pm we like to shut it down, go for a walk and watch tv.
9pm: BED.
The above is just an example, some days I spend more time in one area and less on others. The point is that the day is scheduled out in detail. If I don’t write in when I’m having lunch or to listen to a podcast, it won’t get done. It only takes a bit of effort each evening to write it all out and the results are massive. This allows us to make time for what needs to be done but also for more personal things that fill our hearts and bring us joy (going for a walk with your significant other in the evening, reading a book on the porch, playing with your kids..you get the picture).
If you’re not already doing this, try it and comment below with how it goes! Or if you have another type of productivity tip you love, tell me what it is!
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