It happens to everyone.
You’ve had the inspiration, organized the ideas, and created a to-do
list. Now it’s time for action, and this
is where you get stuck. Just how exactly
are you going to accomplish all of these wonderful things?
Without at least a mental outline, you’ll spend your day
wandering from task to task, unsure which to tackle next. Planning is crucial to getting the most from
your time. If you take a few extra
minutes to prepare, it will save that and more by the end of the week.
The Downside of Scheduling
Ideally, you want to tackle the most important of your tasks
first, thereby always making progress in the areas most important to you. Unfortunately, as we all know, life gets in
the way. We are required to complete
smaller, less important tasks that are more urgent.
Normal scheduling can also work against you. How many times have you had an important
meeting, or even a television show, coming in half an hour? Many will kill this time, thinking it not
long enough for any real work. Where a
project could have been completed, absolutely nothing happens because of the
looming interruption. The schedule keeps
you from being productive.
I propose a new look at scheduling, something I like to call
Fluid Planning. Here, I’ll offer some tricks in turning your
written items to action.
Feel the Rhythm
It is important to know the rhythm of your day. You probably have a pretty good idea about
when you are most productive, tired, or creative in a typical 24 hours. Many productivity books suggest you to
complete your important projects in the morning, but this simply isn’t
realistic for everyone. Some people
function better in the afternoon or at night.
Tackle Blocks
Assign your projects to the hours that make the most sense
for you. These do not have to be exact
times. It’s unreasonable to say “I’m
creative at 2:35pm.” For now, think in
generic blocks. If you feel
creative in the afternoon, make that your painting time. If you need to balance your budget, choose an
hour more suited to such a task. Your
schedule should complement your natural rhythms, not battle against them.
Marking a block of time for required items allows for a
rougher, more freeform plan. Rather than
pinpointing each minute, you accomplish things within distinctive “genre”
windows. This gives you the freedom to
ride the day, while allowing the clarity to accomplish and move on.
Go with the Flow
If you’re particularly feeling it on a certain day, feel
free to move these blocks around. They
do not have to be in the same order every day.
Know yourself, and leverage that knowledge for productivity.
You can extend certain periods if the “flow” is taking
you. You don’t want to create artificial
interruptions in something that is working.
Keep it moving.
Make Each Moment Count
If you’re not feeling it however, don’t immediately give
up. Push on. Sometimes you have to go out and drag your
muse back to your work. Really try for
half an hour, if you don't break through, switch to something else.
This is not a free pass to do the things you like, and push
off the tasks that you dread. Remember,
you still have a set of goals for the day.
You have to make it work, but make it work for you. Use your schedule as a lever, rather than a
prison.
If you've found your current schedule to be stifling or unproductive, switch it up. Try this for a couple of weeks. It works for me, perhaps it can help you, too.
