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Do you ever get the feeling that your To-Do list is long enough for two people??
(If so, I recommend that you go back and check out this blog post I wrote about how to clone yourself – then keep reading!)
Nikki Elledge Brown, the Communication Stylist, knows what's up when it comes to keeping things simple and effective – and I'm not just talking about her writing! She's also a master at simplifying and optimizing her schedules.
I asked Nikki to share with me two of her strategies for organizing her time effectively – not only did she put that at the top of her To-Do list, but she really delivered!
Calendars.
What's the best way to get the big picture, bird’s-eye view of all of the things that you need to get done to keep your business growing? Calendars!
Nikki loves this free printable calendar from Just a Girl and Her Blog. This cleanly designed and attractive calendar is a great way to see all of your monthly to-do list at a glance without having to log into an app. Keep your calendar visible in your workspace so that you can keep your longer-term to-do list at the front of your mind.
Nikki uses a super simple Google calendar to schedule important daily meetings, appointments, and tasks. She recommends scheduling tasks for the times that work best for you. If you tend to get your best writing/designing/brainstorming done at a certain time of day, make space for it!
To-Do Lists.
To keep track of her daily tasks, Nikki keeps it super simple – before bed, she uses a notepad to write down a list of all of the things that she needs to do the next day. “The trick to getting everything on your list done is to make a shorter list,” says Nikki.
After writing down the things that you need to do the next day, take a highlighter and highlight 1-3 things that absolutely, truly have to be done. “If I make the list too long and I know that I'm just setting myself up to fail, then it's going to feel like poop,” Nikki explains. “However, if I set myself up for success by focusing on the one thing that legitimately needs to be done – and actually get that done – then I have the momentum to move forward to other things on the list.”
Take note every day of much you really get done, how long stuff actually takes you, what things you could delegate, and what tasks you can just delete. “Be honest with yourself about the time that you have available,” Nikki advises. You're not doing yourself any favors by putting together an overwhelming list!
I don't know about you, but I've already downloaded and printed the calendar Nikki recommended! What free tools or printables are you rocking? Tell me in the comments!
