I don’t know about you, but so far my January has been filled with reflecting over the past year, setting goals and thinking of ways that I can make 2017 a more organized and productive year than the last.One of my biggest goals this year is to learn how to manage my time more effectively so that I have more free time, feel less burnt out, and have a greater sense of purpose each day. This morning, I want to share with you four strategies that I am putting in place this year to make the most of my time.
Strategy One: Going to bed at a descent time.
One of my favorite ways to decompress and relax after working all day is to snuggle on the couch and watch my favorites shows. While there is nothing wrong with that, one episode usually turns into 2 or 3 and before I know it, it is after 11:00pm. Then, I usually get in bed and check Instagram and Snapchat for another half hour before going to sleep. This i
s a problem because I am not exactly a morning person. Hopefully by going to bed earlier, I can wake up on time, feel more refreshed and be productive much sooner. I am also going to try to put my phone across the room, so I actually go to sleep when I say I am going to.
Strategy Two: Scheduling out my week and sticking to it
My next strategy for being more organized and productive this year is to take some time each Friday afternoon and plan out my schedule for the next week. This means taking time to schedule meetings and photoshoots, make to do lists, and think through my blog posts. The change that I am most excited to implement is taking an hour or so on Fridays to plan out and photograph my Instagram posts for the entire week. Ideally, this hour will help me to create better content and to be more intentional about what I post. So far, planning out my time like this has helped me to know exactly what I need to get done each day and reduced my stress level a ton.
Strategy Three: Time Blocking
I haven’t tried this strategy yet, but I think it will make a big difference when I do. The idea behind time blocking is dedicating a specific amount of time to accomplish a specific task before moving on to something else. A lot of people set timers on their phones to help them keep track of how much time they have been working a project. I think this will be particularly helpful when it comes to writing blog posts and emails and other administrative tasks. This could easily be done with homework or housework too!
Strategy Four: Accountability
I have also started sharing my daily to do list/goals for the day with my husband before he leaves for work, so that he can ask me about them when he gets home. This gives me incentive to stay focused throughout the day.
Strategy Five: Take Baby Steps!
Lastly, while setting goals and making resolutions is exciting, it is important to take baby steps. I always try to make too many changes to quickly which usually leads to failure. This year, I am going to try implement one strategy every week and see how it goes before adding more. My goal is to set myself up for success, not to return to bad habits.
My favorite office supplies for a more productive and organized year:
The Made For Each Other Agenda
Be the first to comment