How You Should Actually Be Scheduling Your Day

Scheduling your day is one of the most important things you can do for your productivity. If you don’t have a schedule, you could miss out on getting things done and find that you’re behind on your work or other tasks. But with the right plan for time management, you can accomplish more and still have plenty of downtime, so you don’t overwork yourself. Here’s what to consider.

Set Realistic and Achievable Goals

You might have really big dreams, or some smaller goals that are very important to you. It could even be a combination of both of those areas you want to work on. No matter what you want to accomplish, though, you need to set goals that are realistic and achievable. That will make it much easier to work toward them, keep an eye on your progress, and recognize when you’ve completed your tasks. Time management makes a world of difference.

Work, But Build in Breaks for Reassessment

Getting work done is the focus of managing your time the right way, but you can’t just be working all the time. Not only does that lead to burnout and frustration, but it can also make it difficult to focus on whether you’re actually moving in the right direction at a good pace. When a break is taken, you can use it for reassessment.

Take a look at the goals you set in your schedule for the day, and see if you’re meeting them the way you planned to. If you’re not, you may have to shift your focus a little when your break is over, so you can get more done or move toward specific goals more easily.

Remember: You’re Scheduling Your Day to Hit Your Goal(s)

When you’re good at time management and scheduling, and you need to get things done, you’ll hit your goals. Hitting those goals can feel great, and make you more focused on additional goals in the future. Make sure you mark things off your list or schedule when you accomplish them, so you can see that they’re done and work on the next task on the list. Starting to see things marked off can also help you feel like you’re getting a lot done, which can make you want to keep going to finish that day’s tasks.

Plan Some Downtime So You’re Not Overworking

Even if you really want to get things done and take them off your list, you also need to make downtime part of your time management plans. That way you don’t overwork yourself. Trying to do too much too fast, or for too long of a time period, could make you feel burned out. That could actually lead you to accomplish less than you’d hoped for. Instead of letting that happen, be realistic with how much you can do in your day.

A schedule can be the best way to make sure you’re staying on track and getting things done. But if you don’t exercise good time management it could simply leave you feeling overwhelmed. Instead of letting that happen, be realistic about what you can and can’t do in a day. Scheduling your day takes some time but the work is worth it. Do your best to schedule some goals and some breaks to stay on track. It will help you have a good balance to keep you moving forward.

About the Author: Michelle Dakota Beck has worked as a professional freelance writer since the 1990s. During that time she has written everything from product descriptions to full-length books. Her areas of specialization include real estate, home services, legal topics, relationships, family life, and mental health issues. You can find her on WriterAccess.