Happy hump day everyone! I know we’re all still reminiscing about the long weekend, and wishing we were still sipping on a cocktail poolside… 😉 But alas, for most of us, we’re back to work in full hustle! I know Wednesdays for me are especially tough because while you can almostttt see the weekend, we’re really only halfway through the week. Haha so this is a perfect time to talk a bit about being productive and organized!
One thing you may not know yet about me is that I LOVE being organized! I’m the queen of to do lists, am always writing in my planner, and it stresses me out if I don’t feel like I have a handle on things. Obviously no one likes being stressed out, and we won’t even get into all the havoc stress can wreak on your body (that’s a whole other blog post about personal experiences!), so I think it’s super important to find ways to streamline your to do’s, organize your time, and manage everything on your plate! That way you can spend more time doing the things you truly love, and be more productive and mindful with the time that you do have!
Here are five things that I try (keyword here – try! As in, do my best!) to do consistently to help me stay on top of all my responsibilities. They help me organize my day so I can be productive, less stressed, and have time left to myself at the end of the day! 🙂
1. To do lists
I love to do lists. I have one for my corporate job, one with ongoing projects, one for smaller daily to do’s, one for blog-specific things, and the list goes on (haha no pun intended!). While you don’t need to go to my extremes, it does help to write out the things you need to get done – it makes it seem less overwhelming. And the satisfaction you get when crossing something off your list… it’s like no other! Haha or is that just me? Another neat tip I recently heard that I’ve found helpful is to write how long specific tasks are going to take you. It helps to plan out your day and be more productive with your chunks of time, as you have a better idea of when you could tackle certain tasks versus others.
2. Planner
Planners are my go-to, like my central command station, and I’ve had a planner since as long as I can remember. Kindergarten? Grade one? Haha and all throughout school, university, and to today! Now there are an abundance of beautiful planners out there, with pages and pages to write out your to do’s, appointments, and anything you can think of! Last year, I had a Kate Spade planner, which I adored! Last week, when I popped into Indigo, I came across a gorgeous Rifle Paper Co planner, and I just had to have it! I love using different coloured pens to write out my week and see it all laid out in front of me.
3. Monday mornings
This one is all about planning ahead to be productive, having an idea of your upcoming week so you can see what the most important items are and where you have time to do certain projects and tasks. For me, Monday mornings work best to look at my previous week’s to do list, see what has carried over, and get an idea of what I really need to get done this week. What meetings do I have, when can I set some serious time aside, and when do I have little chunks of time to perhaps tackle some of those smaller, nagging tasks. I also use this time to set some intentions, and take a moment to think about my week ahead and what I would like it to look like – planning ahead is key for a smooth week!
4. Mindful breaks
How often have you found yourself in need of a mental break, and hopping over to Facebook or Instagram, and 20 minutes later feeling just as worked up or tired as when you started your break? I know I’m not the only one! I came across this concept a few weeks ago, and it’s really helped me re-evaluate my breaks. I’ve started to shift to thinking to “productivity breaks”, meaning not wasting your break time, but creating time to be mindful so you come back refreshed and more alert than before. Take a walk, get some fresh air, medidate, read a book, do something to truly take a step back and let your mind wander. That way, when you come back to whatever task you were doing, you’ll feel energized and ultimately, be more productive.
5. Find what works for you
Finally, find what works best for you! Some people like to have their schedule entirely digitally, and if that works for you, you go Glen Coco! For me, I like to have a combination of both a digital schedule and my planner, because 100% digital just doesn’t work for me, and I’ve figured that out. If Sunday afternoons are your down time to plan your week ahead – great! If you’ve found you need to schedule set breaks otherwise your whole day flies by and you’re left drained, that’s awesome. I think it’s important to try different things and find what really helps you to be productive, and ultimately stress less about your daily to do’s, and enjoy each and every day fully!
And lastly – a bonus tip – don’t sweat the small stuff! In the end, it’s probably not worth it! And no matter what, you’re enough! It doesn’t matter how much you did or didn’t get done today, you are enough! Tomorrow is another day, and another opportunity, and that’s okay. We’re all in this together, to support one another in our dream chasing, so let’s do this!
Any other tips on being productive and managing your time? I’m always looking for new ideas and tips to try! Have a fantastic rest of your week everyone 🙂
XO
Danielle