Plan Your Day and Stick to Your Plan

How many times have you remarked to someone that there are not enough hours in the day? The sad truth is, not matter how much you wish it, it is unlikely that you can get more than 24 hours in each day. So, the trick to time management is really how you get the most out of the hours you have. One way to do that is to become an exceptional planner of your day. It is not very difficult ? just takes some basic knowledge and a lot of discipline. As a coach, I can help you with both, but the knowledge is what I'll cover right now.

Set aside time to plan

This is really the first step. You have to make planning a habit, and do the task religiously. I set aside an hour on Sunday mornings to plan my week. In order for me to make sure that the week goes according to plan, I have to have "a plan" to start with. In the beginning, it may take you longer than an hour, but once you've done the planning for a while, you'll get more efficient at it. You will also feel much more focused when you have identified what you want to accomplish for the week.

Schedule at least one week at a time

Some people only plan one day at a time, but I think that you need to be more forward looking than that. So, I suggest you focus on at least one week at a time, but also review what may be coming up in the next month while you are considering what to prioritize for the next week. The more proactive you are about your life, the less often you will find yourself having to react to unforeseen situations.

Identify your "big rocks" for your week

If you don't know what I mean, you have to read Stephen Covey. He made a masterful illustration using a bucket, some sand, and several rocks of various sizes. He explained that the sand represents all the busy work that we have to do, like answering the phone, reading email, filing away papers, etc. The rocks represent all the important things that we have to do, such as setting goals for the year, launching a new project, creating a vision for your team, etc. The bucket represents all the time we have for all the demands of our lives.

What happens with most of us is that we fill up our buckets with the sand first, and then we can only put a few rocks on top, and there's no more room for the rest. What he suggested is that we put all our rocks into the bucket first, and then fill in all the available spaces with the sand. And miraculously, everything fits in our container!

This is the philosophy you need to employ when you schedule your week. Identify all your big rocks, and block out the time to handle these first. Then worry about the sand afterwards. We have to make sure that we handle the important stuff first, and not let the busy work consume our days.

Think 24/7

I am not suggesting that you plan to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But I am suggesting that you account for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in your schedule. If you neglect to consider Saturdays and Sundays because those are your "days off", you may find on Sunday night that you have not handled any of the household chores that you needed to get done. Or if you are planning on having a dinner party on Saturday night next week, you had better block off some time Friday or Saturday to straighten out the house, or go to the market.

Plan personal and play time

Don't think that a schedule is only for work, this is a plan for your life. So, make sure that you block off time for exercise, or "date night" with your spouse, or cheerleader time for your kids' games in your schedule. Remember that the goal is to have time to handle everything that's important to us, not just things that are important concerning work. If you want Friday to be a mental health day, block that off. You don't need to put in any more details than that. But you know that if you don't plan for it, it won't happen.

Leave some contingency time in your schedule

You know better than to expect that your days all go exactly as planned. Just when you are about to really focus on that important analysis you needed to do, your boss calls you into a meeting where your expertise is desperately needed, and your schedule is shot. So, don't cram every hour of your day with activities. Leave some contingency time for you to catch up when the unexpected happens.

Discipline, discipline, discipline

Once you have your days scheduled, you need to exercise discipline and stick to what you planned. Do everything you can to eliminate distractions and really focus on what you have to do. You will be amazed how much more productive you can be. So, close that email program, turn the phone ringer off and let voicemail handle the calls, close your office door for an hour of so. Then when it is time for you to handle email, and phone calls, and drop-in visitors, give all your focus to those activities then.

? 2004 Inez O. Ng

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Do you need some structure and accountability to propel you forward? Personal Coach Inez Ng has worked with professionals and entrepreneurs to transform their aspirations into reality. While focusing on specific areas, her coaching positively impacts all areas of her clients' lives. Learn more about coaching with Inez at http://www.realizationsunltd.com

one time home cleaning Highland Park ..
In The News:

Privacy risks are hiding in plain sight, as your personal data is likely being collected, tracked, and sold without your knowledge.
VenHub, a fully autonomous, AI-powered smart store just opened at the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles.
A woman's Facebook account takeover reveals dangerous social engineering tactics and provides lessons on recovery, avoiding scams and enacting stronger security measures.
Shanghai engineers are using 432 walking robots to relocate a complex, preserving Shikumen architecture while creating space for a modern underground hub and cultural center.
Major healthcare data analytics firm Episource had a cybersecurity incident exposing 5 million patients' medical records and personal information in recent breach.
A new sophisticated PayPal scam sends legitimate-looking emails from official PayPal addresses, using phone numbers instead of links to convince victims to download remote access tools.
Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.
The innovative Kara Pod device extracts moisture from air to create mineral-rich water and brew coffee, featuring UV sterilization and compatibility with Nespresso pods.
Gov. Hochul unveiled New York's nuclear power plant project to power a million homes, which faces permit challenges while promising jobs and a cleaner energy future.
SAFE introduces Aerie, an underground luxury bunker combining high-end living with advanced security, wellness amenities and interactive walls simulating panoramic views.
A Facebook scammer posing as Elon Musk tricked a victim with promises of a Tesla and $250,000, requesting gift cards that become untraceable once the codes are shared.
Experience hands-free golfing with the Robera Neo smart caddie that uses AI to follow you, navigate obstacles and carry your clubs with GPS course mapping.
Cybersecurity alert: 16 billion passwords exposed in massive credential database affecting major platforms. Protect your accounts with password managers
The innovative BeBot robot uses electric power to remove pollution from shorelines, covering 20-30 times more area than manual collection while preserving wildlife.
A new ClickFix campaign targets macOS users with fake Spectrum support sites, tricking victims with CAPTCHA failures to paste commands that install information-stealing malware.
AI-powered autonomous trucks from Plus Automation are being tested across the U.S., Europe and Asia to solve logistics challenges while facing regulatory hurdles and labor concerns.
Your health information might feel private and secure with your doctor, but the reality is far more complicated. Data brokers collect a wide range of sensitive health data, from diagnoses and prescription details to personal identifiers, and sell this data to marketers, insurers, and other third parties.
Kepler Robotics has officially introduced its Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" humanoid robot at the SAIC-GM automotive plant in Shanghai, marking a significant moment in the real-world deployment of advanced robotics.
Scammers never seem to be running out of new ways to try and get their hands on your money – and lately, they've been getting sophisticated.
Thirty people were injured and killed, though the exact number remains currently unknown, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Damascus church.
Unexpected password reset alerts signal potential hacking attempts or phishing scams. Learn how to respond and establish stronger security measures for your accounts.
A historic electric airplane flight landed at JFK with passengers, marking a milestone as Beta Technologies demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of electric air travel.
The Chaos ransomware group breached Optima Tax Relief in a double-extortion attack, stealing sensitive customer case files and corporate documents with personal information.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The first human brain-computer interface by Paradromics was completed in 20 minutes, featuring microelectrodes to help paralyzed individuals control computers with thoughts.

Doing Things We Dread

As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More

The Laundry Has Never Been More Fun Or The Pitfalls To Working At Home

As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More

Time Management: How to Make Your Meetings More Productive

In most organizations, meetings are often the biggest time-wasters. With... Read More

9 Proven Principles for Increasing Productivity, Profit and Peace of Mind

Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More

Time is Money - Dont Waste It

"If you control your time, you control your life" -... Read More

The Power of 90 Seconds

You can use the Power of 90 Seconds to transform... Read More

Tips to Manage Your Time

Time and money are both very important in business. Yet,... Read More

31 Ways to Get An Extra Hour Out of Each Day

How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More

Have You Got a Minute?

Such an innocuous little phrase, yet when you are hard... Read More

Because Its Been Years Since Youve Seen a Blank Calendar

If you have ever missed an appointment, forgotten to pick... Read More

Decrease Your Sleep, Increase Your Energy! And Have More Time In Your Day!

Many of the world's most driven and successful people sleep... Read More

Prioritize Your Life for Success

Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More

Time Invested Wisely = Your Dreams

This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More

Mercury Retrograde and Time Management

The concept of Mercury Retrograde is very well known even... Read More

10 Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals

If you feel like your life moves faster than a... Read More

Effective Email and Verses Voicemail

Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More

5 Time Savers You (Probably) Havent Tried Yet

1. Do tasks less frequentlyClean house every 10 days rather... Read More

File It: Boost Your Productivity in Only 15 Minutes Per Week

Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More

5 Days to A Simpler Life!

Of all the Attraction Principles, the most popular class I... Read More

Taking Time Out to Play - Summertime and the Living is Easy

As the song goes, this is the time to relax,... Read More

How Much Is Poor Time Management Costing You?

* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More

Time Well Spent

It is common knowledge that creating and living according to... Read More

How to Double Your Accomplishment Level

Here's a smart system for doubling or tripling your daily... Read More

Time Management

Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More

Procrastination - Understanding & Overcoming it

Whenever I've worked on 'de-cluttering' my living or working space,... Read More

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..