Best Way to be Productive

Ever want to scream with the list of tasks you need to complete in a day?  If you are like me, you start your mornings with a well-intentioned to-do list only to end the day with just a few tasks completed.  When I changed the way I wrote my to-do list, my entire stress level plummeted and I could be productive.  Here is my method that is better than any to-do list.  

This simple process gets everything out of my head and creates a manageable day.

Do a Brain Dump

Write everything that you want to get accomplished today or in the future down on a piece of paper.  No matter the size of the project, every single thing goes on your list.  This can be personal stuff such as repaint the laundry room or organize the closet or career oriented such as write a book or apply for for a new job.

The important part of a brain dump is not to censor yourself.  I aim for getting my mind completely clear and written down on paper.  

I do the best typing my brain dump because I can then easily copy and paste for the next step.

Create an Action Plan

My thinking before I started this process was that I don’t have enough time to sit down and plan.  Planning!  What a luxury!  I need to get stuff down now!

But time is a limited entity.  Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day so success comes down to who can best prioritize.  Planning is essential to that.

For Whimiscle, I’ve written a business plan with an action plan.  My business plan is a working, breathing document.  It changes constantly and I am the only one who sees it.

To create my action plan, I look at my brain dump list and start sorting my projects into months.  I aim for only 5 large tasks in one month.  

This process is a HUGE reality check for me.  As much as I would like to do everything immediately, it just isn’t feasible.  What I find is that all of my aspirations that I thought I could accomplish in a few weeks will actually take me a few months.  Once I see this, my brain quiets and that anxious energy dissipitates giving me room to focus. 

Write a Daily Schedule

Every day has different needs.  My goal is to balance the needs of the day with my goals for the future.  I want to make sure I work on those huge projects, like writing my book, as well as giving urgent daily tasks my attention.  My daily schedule makes that happen.

Cold brew from @peixotocoffee and planning my day. Notice my 11:30AM (PST)!! I'll be on periscope talking about bad moods as a mom and how to get out of them. Come join me!! Find me @whimsiclejoann 🙂

A photo posted by JoAnn (@awhimsiclelife) on Sep 23, 2015 at 9:38am PDT

Start by dividing up your day into 30 minute increments.  Think:  What can I get done in 30 minutes?  Always overestimate.  I like to tell myself that a task will only take 10 minutes and then I will have 20 minutes to play on Facebook. 

I’m always wrong by the way.  I never have that 20 minutes to play on Facebook because jobs always take longer than I think they will.  But since I pad that time in my schedule, I accomplish everything I write down – making it immensely more effective than a to-do list.

Writing daily schedules has freed up my brain since now I no longer stress about everything I need to do.  Every task has it’s time and importance, whether that is now or months in the future.  

What have you found to help you organize your time? 

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