Hey boss babe!
Do you struggle with like a million things going on in your day and you think.. “Oh my goodness! How am I going to get it all done?” My corporate life and personal life demands me to be able to juggle a million things at once and I am able to do this through a variety of techniques that I wanted to share with you that can likely help you out if you find yourself in the same situation I am in:
- Plan my week on Sundays: {mostly} Every Sunday I sit down and plan my week. I plan my workouts, chores, meal prepping, social commitments, dates with my hubby, blog writing and other tasks that need to get done. This helps me visualize what my week will look like. It also gives me a chance to look at where I stand with my monthly and annual goals. Reconnecting with them is so important to ensure I am going in the direction I want to take my life.
- Daily to-do lists: YUP, I said DAILY. These tend to be at work. Although it takes time “away” from my productivity, it actually allows me to be most productive in the areas where I need to be. If you are paying attention to your A priorities and getting those done, then none of the others really matter. When I write my to-do list, I list the top things at top, then the ones that can potentially wait on the bottom. Then, I prioritize the things at the top and literally write 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This leaves no question in my mind where I should start. If I get through those top ones, then I move to the items at the bottom. As the day progresses, more things come up and I write them in and decide.. do these need to be a 2a, or is it on my B list and can wait until tomorrow? This practice allows me to realign everyday and check things off.. literally! It gives me such a sense of accomplishment and that also makes me happy.
- Use my calendar: I have a personal and a work calendar. Why? Because both areas of my life need to be balanced and planned out. In my work calendar, I use Outlook and block off time for things that need my 100% attention. I also use the “follow up” reminder function in Outlook a lot so that rather than me having to remember everything, it pops up and reminds me instead. My personal calendar is in my iPhone and it keeps track of every activity going on in my life so that I am not double booked.
- Color-coding: I am a visual learner and will ALWAYS prefer a visual and a flow chart. I use colors for my calendar and email so I can sort emails, see in a quick snapshot where I am spending my time that day/week and prepare accordingly. I also use colored pens to allow me to track where I am with things (I am a total sucker for school supplies!).
- Break things down into bite-sized items: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That holds true for larger, multi-step projects and items. If your goal is to complete a triathlon, you’re not going to jump in and do all three sports every day, right? Set a realistic completion date of your project/goal and work backwards. What are the small steps you need to take in order to reach it? Who are the people that need to be involved in helping you reach that project/goal? What does their schedule look like? What are the other variables that could interfere with you achieving success? How do you plan for that and ensure that you have incorporated that into your small steps? By taking these small steps, you are avoiding overwhelming yourself and can plan for a successful outcome.
Hope this helped, boo! Interested in hearing about your tactics to stay organized and on track!
XOXO
Gina
ginajanine 