Design Your Best Schedule

Chances are, you are one of the millions out there feeling over-scheduled, under-effective, and worn out.  What to do about it?  First, decide that although it's common, it's doesn't have to be YOUR "normal."  Make a commitment to yourself for the next week to make some improvements.  Can you make 3 simple changes within one week that will help you better support your success?  I hope so!  How are you going to leave a powerful, positive legacy if you are exhausted?

If your daily routine/typical schedule doesn't feel like it is supporting your best self, it's time to make some changes.

1. Decide what should be added in, and what should be removed.  
*Consider what different activities, tasks, events, and routines are needed to best support your success, for both professional and personal.

*Draft a rough plan/make a list. Where do you add the most value professionally?  Make sure time is scheduled for those activities.  Which activities support these and other important areas?  When is the best time to add them in, or move them to?  In addition to work tasks, include things like exercise, writing, planning, reading, eating healthy lunches/meal prep, being home early some evenings, spending time with family or friends, volunteering, etc…
*Adding stuff in means something has to go.  What can you stop doing?  What can you delegate?  What can you make changes to so it takes less time?

2. Create mini-routines to take advantage of your stronger energy for important tasks.
*This applies for both physical and mental energy needed to be effective during your workday and for personal time as well. When do you feel at your peak?  How often should this task be performed? How long do you need? Where will the task take place? What will it take to reap the max benefits of the activity?
*Set-up mini-routines in blocks of time which can be done regularly at specific times, or moved for needed flexibility.

3. Design your ideal schedule and start using it with your calendar now. 
*For most professionals, there is both a weekly ideal schedule and a monthly version.  Schedule recurring appointments for your support activities with reminders, just like critical meetings with people. For example, if you decide that sales meetings will be from 1-4pm weekdays, and your salon asks if 3pm works, you say 'No' and find another day/time. 
*You may feel over-scheduled at first, but keep in mind that leaving stuff to chance or memory rarely works well in today's modern world since we all have too much to do.  You can always make changes as you go along to suit your personal style, but try scheduling everything that's important to you in the calendar and see how it goes.
*The hardest thing for most people is to stick with this when someone asks you for an appointment that conflicts with one of your support activities.  It is OK to break your rules ONCE IN A WHILE, but for this to work, you need to treat all appointments like a meeting with a valued client.  Say, "I have something scheduled during that time.  How about X or Y instead?" When you give them options, it will work out just fine.  If you decide to move something, make sure you commit to keeping the appointment in the new time.  For example, you have monthly review & planning Monday at 10am and something else comes up you can't miss.  Moving your planning meeting is fine; just make sure you don't skip it altogether.  Skipping stuff leads to everything falling apart. Don't do it!
*You will feel so much better consistently once you get your ideal schedule tweaked and have had a couple months with it in place! 


To your continued success and growth,
Heather A Legge
Coaching Executives to Live Their Legacy
www.EnvisionSuccessInc.com