Managing your time can be one of the biggest faults ~ especially if you have side projects that are top of mind. While working from home has been a luxury the past few months, I have noticed the impact time management has had on my overall productivity.
If I don’t plan, set goals, spark creativity, and hold myself accountable, my work goes to (insert poo emoji) ~ poo. I am spilling the beans on how I stay productive and plan my weeks like a boss babe. Sometimes you have to act like a boss to be a boss.
1. Schedule your week in advance
I am a big planner. If something isn’t penciled into my planner in advance, I don’t really like to do it. Every Friday I like to sit down, write out a list of everything I’d like to accomplish the next week, and then plan away. Over the years, I have been able to track how long it normally takes me to complete a specific task and plan for it accordingly.
After figuring out what I need to do the next week, I open up Google Calendar and time block my whole week. That way I know exactly what I have to do, when I need to do it, and a realistic time frame to hold myself accountable for completing that task.
Tools I use:
- Google Calendars ~ time blocking + scheduling
- Panoly ~ Social media content planning + scheduling
- Journal ~ I write down my every day to-do’s and random ideas (this is always found on me)
2. Consistently set daily and monthly goals
My goodness, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know I am a HUGE goals fan. Every month I clean off my blank whiteboard and write out at least 4-5 goals I’d like to complete that month.
Along with that, I set daily goals for myself the night before. When I am about to wrap up all my 9-5 work, I write out my work goals for the next day. When I wrap up my extra “side project” work for the day, I follow the same process before heading to bed.
Tools I use:
- Blank whiteboard ~ monthly goal-setting + tracking
- Monthly calendar whiteboard ~ track my weeks + goal statuses
- Journal ~ track my daily goals + inspiration
3. Constantly check yourself before you wreck yourself
You may have had a strong start to reaching your goals, yet you’re rarely able to finish and check off your goals. What’s worked for me is constantly looking at my goals and physically checking them off like a to-do list.
I always hang my monthly goal whiteboard above my desk where I see it every day. Along with that, I add small goal benchmarks for each monthly goal with boxes. Say you want to workout 5 times a week for a month-long, add 5 checkoff boxes right underneath that goal. Each week that goes by, check off a single box for each week you successfully reach that goal.
Tools I use:
- Blank whiteboard ~ monthly goal-setting + tracking
- Monthly calendar whiteboard ~ track my weeks + goal statuses
- Journal ~ track my daily goals + inspiration
4. Work somewhere that inspires you
Unfortunately, due to current events, this isn’t as easy to do. Before COVID, I would post-up at a coffee shop for at least 4 hours to do deep work. I would get a gourmet coffee, steal a seat in the corner, and plug in my AirPods.
Put your phone on silent, turn on some upbeat tunes, and start cranking out your work. When I am in a working environment that has a fresh coffee smell and chill vibes, I can stay focused on my daily goals, get into deep work, and crank out work faster than I would at home.
Tools I use:
5. Test out your deep work skills + put them to the test
Even if you don’t know what deep work is, I am sure you’ve done it before. Think back to when you were working on a school or work project and you lost track of time ~ that’s deep work. Personally, I like to silence my phone, put in my AirPods, and work in a space that has minimal distractions.
During this time, avoid social media, checking your phone in general, or any other distractions that come your way. Turns out, it could cost you time and motivation to get back into your deep work space once you’ve broken your focus.
Tools I use:
6. Add inspirational anything everywhere
So, let’s take things back to when I thought about starting my podcast, Life’s Awkward. I had randomly got the idea and decided to fully submerge myself into my curiosity. Shortly after doing so, I changed my phone background to something inspirational.
Waking up to that screen every morning, seeing it throughout the day, and taking a peek at it before bed helped me stay motivated. Staying focused on your goals can be really hard when things get sticky. But, seeing something inspirational shows you why your working so hard.
Tools I use:
- Pinterest ~ the perfect spot for inspirational anything
- Life’s Awkward Instagram page ~ store my favorite inspirational quotes
- If you’d like free motivational phone backgrounds, check out my past blog that has 3!
Set and reach your goals by working hard and loving the process along the way.
XXXX – Kayla
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