Putting your life on a schedule may seem very tedious and limiting. But believe it or not, doing so can actually be freeing. That’s because if you do it right, you won’t feel overwhelmed by how much you have to do. Instead, you will be able to be more relaxed about yourself. Life coaches say that doing so will help your better work-life balance.
So how can you schedule your life without feeling like a robot? Here are some tips:
- Begin with a vision of a great future in mind: What is it that you would like to achieve? Getting your work done quicker? Having more time to enjoy life? Spending more time with your family? Write down what it is you want to achieve. This way, you will have tangible reasons for better scheduling of your life.
- Think about how you would like to create your schedule: Do you like to write a schedule down by hand? Get a daily planner. Or perhaps you would like to make your schedule on the computer or online, like with Google calendar. There are also apps that you can use on your smartphone with which to track your schedule. It doesn’t matter which one you choose. The important thing is that whatever scheduling device or tool you use, that you have easy access to it and can change it on the fly if needed.
- Write down everything you do for a week: Go ahead track your life, down to as little as 15 minute increments, for a week. Whether it is working, eating, sleeping, or doing anything else, write it down in a notebook or spreadsheet. Don’t judge yourself if you wasted time on silliness, but just mark the time down. This all sounds tedious, and doing so may be, but it will give you a better sense of what you have been doing with your time.
- Come up with a realistic schedule for your life: Look at what you wrote down that you did for the previous week. Did you spend too much time on work? Not enough on family life? What about exercise? Set your priorities, and schedule accordingly. Schedule the basics first – sleeping, work, family time and meals – and then plan for other things, like exercise, time with friends and self-development. This will be a work in progress, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t follow the schedule 100%.
- Spend some time reflecting each day: If you are a morning person, do this in the a.m. If you are a night owl, do this in the evening. Take 10 minutes to figure out what you did right or wrong that day, and write down what you need to do for the next day. Did you spend too much time at work on nonproductive tasks that help your business? Note accordingly. Spending some time in quiet reflection can help you get ready for the day, or unwind for the evening.
- Don’t forget to have some time for fun: it is important to put things you enjoy into your schedule. If you are working long hours, try to schedule lunch and some rest breaks to recharge your batteries. Also schedule in energizing or relaxing things you like to do. Allowing yourself time to do something fun is important to your overall well-being.
Read more: Best scheduling software
Resource Guru - Team Scheduling
- 30 Day Free Trial
- 370+ Top-Rated Capterra Reviews
- CRM Integration - Including Salesforce