
Your chances of reaching the level of success you desire will increase drastically when you have a plan in place that works perfectly for you. Below are tips on how to create a plan that will allow you to feel free, have fun and avoid burnout all while completing some of your most challenging tasks.
Scheduling in enough time to work on tasks and meet deadlines is a must when managing your planner. Meeting those deadlines early will be beneficial to you because you won't have to experience the added pressure of trying to meet a deadline at the last minute. Following a planner can sometimes feel dreadful and make us feel restricted. Fortunately, you can make simple adjustments to your planner that will allow you to feel more excited about following your plan. Listed below are 4 tips that I encourage you to consider if you want to manage a planner you look forward to following.
#1 Plan Your Breaks
When creating your planner, it’s important that you consider the amount of time that you need in between tasks. Breaks re-energize us, and help us perform at our highest level. In the past I rarely gave myself breaks and didn’t understand the importance of taking them. Day after day I’d go from one task to the next and scheduling a break into my planner never even crossed my mind. Then I’d begin to feel frustrated and my productivity would drop because I felt overworked. Finally, I realized that I have control over my schedule, and I have the power to add breaks wherever they are needed. I’ve noticed that I am now more productive over a longer period of time since adding breaks into my planner. I encourage you to take a moment to figure out how breaks can benefit you, and the best time to take one. Answering the questions below will help you determine when you should take breaks, and how to use them for your benefit.
When is the best time for me to insert breaks into my schedule?
How long of a break do I need in between tasks, to ensure that I’m able to give 100% effort on what’s next?
What can I do on my breaks to help energize me for the next task?
#2 Add a Little Fun
Having fun and enjoying life is just as important as taking care of business. Inserting opportunities for fun into your day is needed because it helps you provide balance and light heartedness into your busy and sometimes stressful lives. Fun can be inserted into almost any area of your schedule. We can insert opportunities to have fun into the breaks we take in between task, and into the time we have scheduled to complete a though task. I sometimes allow myself to do something I love while working on something that I dread, this makes the dreaded task more enjoyable. For instance I may clean, cook or write a blog while playing my favorite music. Instead of reading, I may listen to an audio book about a topic I need to research while completing an art project. I may also prep for my workshops or run errands while having phone conversations with friends and family whom I’ve not spoken with in a while.
There are also times when you need to focus 100% on having a good time. You will find that inserting fun into your planner will give you something to look forward to, help reduce stress and make your days more enjoyable. The following questions can help you determine the best way for you to add a little fun into your calendar while ensuring that you remain productive:
Which activities do I enjoy that can be paired with tasks that I dread to complete?
What is a good work/fun balance for me & how can I insert it into my calendar?
What activities do I consider to be fun?
#3 Include Self-Care
Although most of us disregard self-care, it is one of the most important things we can do to support ourselves as we work toward achieving success. Most of us don’t realize that taking care of ourselves mentally and physically is what gives us the strength to keep moving forward toward accomplishing our goals. It’s similar to getting oil changes and tune ups regularly on our cars. Our cars will still run even if we don’t get them serviced on time but they won’t run as well and can damage our cars in the long run. Like our cars, we won’t function as well without a little self-care. The more we take care of ourselves, the better we operate. Exercise, tapping into your spirituality, healthy eating, relaxation and even seeing a Life Coach are just a few ways that you can implement self-care. Consider the following questions as you determine how you can insert self-care into you day.
What activities help me de-stress?
When is the best time for me to add self-care opportunities into my planner
How might I benefit from the Free Coaching Calls with DeAnn LifeCoach Day?
#4 Plan to Celebrate
After all of the hard work and effort put into accomplishing a goal or completing a task, it’s important to celebrate success. The celebration of success gives us the opportunity to recognize that we are heading in the right direction, and inspires us to keep going. There are many ways to celebrate, and you’ll have to decide what works best for you. I’ve celebrated myself by purchasing art to hang in my home, a candle, new earrings or clothing items. When I see or wear these items they remind me of my accomplishments, my ability to complete challenging tasks, and inspire me to confidently take on more challenges. But celebrating does not always require that you spend money. Sometimes I may post an accomplishment on social media and enjoy all of the positive responses from my friends and family. I may schedule several hours in my schedule where I can do whatever I choose or nothing at all, in honor of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve treated myself to movie night, pampered myself with a relaxing bath, or manicure and pedicure. I try to celebrate once a week or once every other week depending on what I’m working on. How will you celebrate your accomplishments?
Take the Challenge
Answer the questions in each of the sections above
Use your calendar to schedule non-negotiable tasks (work, school, etc.) and tasks that will help you accomplish personal goals for a week or two.
Insert time for breaks, self-care, fun and celebration throughout the planner.
Each day check off all the things you complete on your calendar.
After a week or two, review your calendar and look for patterns in what you are and aren’t completing. Identify reasons why you may or may not be accomplishing your goals.
Make adjustments to your planner if needed until you figure out the perfect combination of tasks, breaks, self-care, and fun for you to be most effective.
Comments
Your comments may benefit some of the other readers. Please share with us:
How you will celebrate yourself
Your plan to do something you love while doing something you dread
Self-care activities you plan to do?
I look forward to hearing from you!