Last week I wrote about how over planning can kill the creative buzz. How we need space in our plans for movement, taking action as we make our plans, and using discernment to decide if we followed our calendar or heart to get actions done.
Well this week I learnt a hard lesson. It feels like I swung in the opposite direction and have been running around putting out fires for most of the week. Feeling a little frazzled by missing out a weekly planning session I like to take at the end of each week, I decided to share some simple and effective tips for staying on top of your week.
Action lists
Action lists are great. One way to layout your list is to write at the top of the page what you want to accomplish, and then bullet point actions, regardless of how small, that will get you closer to completing the task.
At the end of every week I like to look into the future and send an action list to the Thought Leaders and Creatives I work with. It helps to touch base to where projects and requested tasks are at, what I can do next week to help and keeps communications open for both of us.
Whether the action list is approved of, adjusted or declined. It also helps me to know what I’m up to next week so I can make plans.
End of week reviews
At the end of each week make a coffee, sit down and have a review of the past week. Looking at the list from the week just been ask yourself, did you get done what you wanted? If not can you carry it over to next week to finish, or do you have time now to get it done now.
End of week reviews help to keep those small actions from slipping through the cracks and missed. It’s those small actions, that can in the long term, cause a little bit of chaos if not dealt with asap.
Schedule it
If you can’t do it now, and it takes more than 5 minutes, schedule it. Put the task in your calendar or write it in your diary.
Pre-planning is also awesome. If you have an event that is coming up, schedule actions for when you are going to get certain things done. Then you will know that by the time the event comes around, you will have everything ready to go.
What can you do today that will make next week easy?
Over the next few months I would love to share with you planning and productivity ideas that may help us both in getting the most out our time.