Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve found myself sharing my daily framework with people who need some help managing their day as a work-from-home entrepreneur.
My Facebook friend, Tera McHugh, posted an update about something similar and I chimed in saying that I’d switched from a daily to-do list to a weekly one. This one change has done wonders for me, in that I’m getting so much more done. Tera stated she wanted to hear any suggestions I have so here goes…
Disclaimer
1. What works for me may not work for the person next door. Having said that, take these suggestions (and any others that you get) and modify them to best suit you. That’s the only way you’ll be satisfied with the outcome.
2. Leave room for adjustments. Don’t hold yourself accountable to the point where you feel less than pleased with yourself for not getting as much done as you set out to do. The key is to remain flexible while still being focused.
3. Do what feels natural to you and do it consistently. Don’t abandon your framework before you’ve given it a chance to actually work. Simply put – it’s going to take you more than 3 days to develop a pattern so don’t quit after 2 days saying that it didn’t work.
Here’s my real-life framework. I really don’t have to refer to it because I’ve used it for over a year now. I’ll be making revisions to it soon, like the tasks I complete between 9pm – 10:30 p.m. This time will be dedicated solely to completing special projects, program development, and implementation of new launches, etc. On days when I'm out of the office, it means I'll have to work on the weekend or a little past my normal weekday "business" hours.
9am - 2pm = WORK! (write articles, blog, marketing, networking, teleseminars, coaching, etc.)
2pm - 4pm = Transition (this is when I'm preparing for kids to come home, picking up kids, scheduling appointments for family, etc.)
4pm - 8pm = Family
8:30pm = Son's Bedtime
8:30pm - 9 = Me & Daughter time
9pm - 10:30 = Check emails, update calendar, tweet, Facebook
10:30 - 11 = Read (Sometimes I use this time for brainstorming or prep for the next day)
Friday = 12p to 1:30p meeting with my Action & Accountability group. No other work-related appointments on this day.
I don’t put a lot of emphasis on timeblocking every task. This just doesn’t work for me. Again, since I’ve used this schedule for so long, I know what needs to be done at what time and I prioritize the tasks on my weekly list accordingly. For example, I’m not going to start an in-depth project at 1pm that’ll take longer than an hour to complete because I’ll have to “clock out” at 2pm. Instead, I’ll work on it first thing in the morning – as long as it’s a real priority. I focus on doing the things I need to do for the week and manage my time around those tasks.
Did this help at all? Leave your comments and questions below and I’ll be sure to clarify and elaborate for you.
Photo credit: Zach Klein
Thank you so much Donna, this is fabulous!! I like the idea of creating a framework for your work schedule.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that you work off of a weekly To-Do List instead of a Daily To-Do List. At the beginning of the week do you decide the tasks that you are going to focus on for the week & work on those during the 9am-2pm time frame? If so, how do you prioritize those tasks & estimate the amount of time they will take to get done?
Thanks so much!!
No problem, Tera.
ReplyDeleteYes, I focus on specific tasks each week and work on those during the 9a-2p timeframe. I prioritize based upon deadlines (ie: presentations I'm doing, media interviews, etc.) and things that will add to my bottom line (ie: marketing).
Instead of estimating how much time it will take to complete, I dedicate a certain amount of time to each task and work from there. Make sense?