“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”- Tim Ferriss
Every time I think of being productive, I am unable to execute it. And this makes me feel low and helpless about myself. I am sure a lot of us are going through this phase.
I have written a mail to all my subscribers and after reading the mail I felt like sharing the same thought with you all.
So here it goes-
Every weekend gives scary moments to many people for two things. One, a new week is approaching and they are not prepared for it. Two, last week wasn’t as productive as they expected.
The feeling of accomplishment is something we all long for every time. Right? What does it require to achieve this? A Weekly Plan is all that you need in hand. It might sound like the same boring thing to do but with my experience, I can assure you that this works.
Here are my top 5 reasons why everybody should plan their week, one week ahead!️
- It makes you productive
- It helps you in balancing work-life
- It teaches you to say ‘No’ to unwanted commitments in between
- You will have total control over everything happening around you
Now, how to work on the plan?
Here is the step-by-step game for your weekly plan
Step 1: Schedule Time for Weekly Planner
To schedule the week ahead, first, you need to fix a time that you need to work every week on your upcoming week’s plan. Don’t just think that you will plan it whenever you can. It doesn’t work that way. Have a fixed time for scheduling your weekly plan. I personally have been planning my whole schedules on every Sunday.
Step 2: Have a Masterplan
Have a masterplan that you need to refer to while planning your weekly schedule. There, you will keep track of your life goals, annual goals, important events, and so on. You don’t have to work on this every weekend. This is a one-time job, and you may have to update it now and then if you have any goals or needs popping in.
Make sure to divide the big goals into steps that fit into your weekly plans.
Step 3: Have a Notepad
Have an exclusive diary or notepad where you can note down any commitments or appointments you are giving to or taking from somebody. Here, you will also be noting down your assignments, tasks, chores, family time, and so on.
Step 4: Work on the Plan!!
As per the schedule, sit and start planning the upcoming week. Now refer to your masterplan and notepad. Fix the number of tasks you can productively work on every day without taking stress. Accordingly, include all the commitments and meetings promised to others.
Look at the timings available for the rest, and include tasks, assignments and all from your notepad. Do not ignore scheduling self-time and family-time too. While planning meetings with your team, make sure to talk to them too, whether they are free at the scheduled time before finalizing.
Step 5: Stick to it!!
Planning is tough but following is tougher. Keep it hard in mind that you cannot be productive or achieve your goals until and unless you plan your tasks ahead. Talk to yourself on how serious you are about your projects and tasks. This should be the motivating factor for you to stick to your schedule.
Step 6: Appreciate Yourself
Every day, think about something that you enjoyed doing the most. Make sure to thank and appreciate yourself for sticking to the schedule. Make sure you read some affirmations to stop procrastination.
Lastly, I would like to end with a quote:
“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”-Dale Carnegie
Always remember that you can do all the tasks if you have the right mindset.