TL;DR
Every minute you spend planning saves you ten minutes later. Days disappear when there is no pre-planned agenda, so give every day an agenda and every week two or three doable goals, built into one calendar only. Plan the week before it plans you, and think before adding any meeting that lacks an agenda and a goal.
Many times my clients tell me that they feel that their life and schedule is overtaken by a bunch of nothing. In fact, a common question I hear from clients is “where did my day go”? What did I actually do today?
Does this happen to you? If so, you are not alone.
I will admit, from time to time, the same thing happens to me as well.
Why does a day disappear?
What I have found over the years is that on the days that this happens to me, I did not have a pre-planned agenda.
I am a bit of a rebel myself and that day I was playing it loose figuring things would simply just get done. Sadly, that day almost never produced the results I envisioned in my mind.
So I am writing this as much of a reminder to myself as I am writing time management tips for you!
If you want to get things done and have free time at the end of each week, planning is a must!
When every day has a pre-planned agenda and every week has 1-3 predetermined goals, items actually get crossed off of your ‘ToDO’ list. It’s like magic! This is why professional organizers and life coaches are always talking about goals and lists.
So – do yourself a favor and before next week comes around, take the time to set a few goals and create a schedule that you can follow.
How many goals should a week have?
Not a crazy never-ending list that overwhelms you but, instead, a modest list that includes 2-3 doable goals that you can actually accomplish during the course of a week.
If you are like most folks (and I know you are not – you are exceptional!) you will have a few easy reoccurring tasks. Make sure these are built into your calendar.
Also include 2-3 other items that will move you towards completion of your larger, more time consuming goals.
What is the 10 to 1 reward?
My favorite guy, Abe Lincoln said that every hour he spent in preparation saved him 3 hours of perspiration later. And he was correct and, as usual, understated. I love that guy!
Modern day studies now show undisputedly that every minute you plan saves you ten minutes later! Wow – a 10 to 1 reward! That is enough to make me want to prep in advance of each week. How about you?
What are 3 things to do this week?
If you are inspired to take action, here are 3 things to consider:
- Use only one scheduling device. If you want to keep separate schedules, create divisions within your single calendar. Whatever you do, do not rely on one paper and one digital calendar. This tactic will only lead to confusion and trying to keep them synched will take more time away from your day.
- Plan the week before it plans you! Things change all of the time but here is the thing: If you don’t know what you want to do, you have no idea what you did not do! Make sense?
- Think first before committing. Before you commit to adding a new appointment or meeting to your schedule, make sure that every meeting you attend has a well defined agenda and a clearly specified goal that will hopefully benefit you.
I am proud to say that I am now a co-author for wikiHow! If you would like to read more tips about how to schedule your day on wikiHow, click here.
Related reading: 6 Steps To Power Up Your Productivity (the six-task daily list) and Effective Time Management Helps You Get What You Want. If planning your own week is not enough because the whole business runs through your calendar, a Business Logjam Session is the next step.
Keep reading
- 6 Steps To Power Up Your ProductivitySay no with grace, then run six prioritized tasks a day.
- Effective Time Management Helps You Get What You WantAbe Lincoln’s preparation rule and how to apply it.
- How Organized Are You Really? Take Your Personal Organizing Audit HereScore your seven daily organizing habits.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I get to the end of the day and wonder what I did?
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On the days that happens, there was no pre-planned agenda. Playing it loose and figuring things will simply get done almost never produces the results you envisioned. When every day has a pre-planned agenda and every week has one to three predetermined goals, items actually get crossed off the list.
How many goals should I set for a week?
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Not a crazy never-ending list that overwhelms you, but a modest list of two to three doable goals you can actually accomplish during the week. Build your easy recurring tasks into your calendar, then add two or three items that move your larger, more time-consuming goals forward.
What is the 10 to 1 reward of planning?
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Modern studies show that every minute you plan saves you ten minutes later, a 10 to 1 reward. Abe Lincoln said every hour he spent in preparation saved him three hours of perspiration, and as usual he was understating it. That return is reason enough to prep in advance of each week.
Should I keep a paper calendar and a digital one?
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No. Use only one scheduling device. If you want separate schedules, create divisions within that single calendar. Relying on one paper and one digital calendar only leads to confusion, and trying to keep them synced takes more time away from your day.
How do I decide whether to accept a meeting?
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Think first before committing. Before you add a new appointment or meeting to your schedule, make sure it has a well-defined agenda and a clearly specified goal that will benefit you. Plan the week before it plans you: if you don’t know what you want to do, you have no idea what you did not do.
Originally published on Organized and Energized on February 4, 2020. Moved to addSpace and updated 2026-11-07.
