Nowadays, many people struggle with feeling like they are not getting to everything they need to. Whether it is in our personal lives or at work, we always feel like we are running out of time no matter how much we do.
However, knowing how to plan your week effectively not only allows you to get everything done in a timely fashion but will also prevent you from feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
Set Your Weekly Goals
The first thing you should do is to make a list of your weekly goals. These don’t have to be anything significant or important, but you should write down the things you need to get done. These can range from a doctor’s appointment to getting to the gym.
Plan on a Sunday
Do your planning on a Sunday when you are the most relaxed. This allows you to think clearly and logically, and you are also able to start Monday morning focussed and with your daily goals in place already.
Planning on a Sunday also allows you to maximize your time during the week and can prevent your tasks from spilling over to the weekend when you want to relax.
Make a Schedule
Don’t make a plan in the form of a list, but rather in a schedule. This gives you a set framework to stick to and ensures you get to everything. We are also all guilty at times of putting things off until the last minute, and a schedule gives you a subconscious push to get something done in a way a list doesn’t.
Have a Priority List
When making your schedule, split your tasks by priority. You should aim to get the more time-consuming or difficult things done early in the week, thus allowing your week to wind down as it gets closer to the weekend.
Once again, leaving the more difficult tasks for last opens you up to not getting to them on time and having to do them over the weekend.
One Thing at a Time
It doesn’t matter how much you need to get done; it is always vital that you stick to one task at a time. There is nothing efficient about starting multiple tasks and only finishing half of them; this is entirely avoided by staying focused on one job.
We are often confronted with videos on Instagram and YouTube talking about how we are all capable of multitasking and should be doing it. However, this is not true for everyone, and sticking to one task at a time is something everyone can do.
Ask for Help
Don’t feel worried or insecure about asking for help. Whether it is a personal or professional task, you should ask if getting help will allow you to complete it. One enemy of efficiency is not being able to do the job at all.
Learn to Say No
While we all want to help where we can, saying yes to everyone is an easy way to derail our own plans and goals. While it may make you feel bad at times, it is essential that you learn to say no when you aren’t able to complete your own tasks.
If saying yes to helping someone will affect your own efficiency, rather say no or ask if you can do it at a time that suits you best. You aren’t obligated to do anything, particularly if it negatively impacts your work or day.
Spread Out Your Activities
There is no need to cram as much as possible in one day. Being efficient is about being consistent and being great at time management, not about trying to do as many things as you can as quickly as you can.
Unless you have a surprise deadline or an emergency, spread your tasks throughout your day and week, and have a good mix between easy tasks and more time-consuming tasks.
Review
The last thing you should do is spend some time reviewing what you have done and what you still need to do. This allows you to adjust your schedule and make any changes you need to make.
A review can also be a great way to give yourself a confidence boost, as you can look back and see how much you have done and achieved. These little boosts are especially helpful if you’ve had a tough week or you aren’t feeling as productive as usual.
