Scheduling Q&A: Part 1

Today we are talking about scheduling! These are specific questions I have been asked on Instagram.

1. How do you use block scheduling?
   Block scheduling is a great way to up your productivity. My daughter goes to school only 4 days a week so I use these days to focus on work that needs uninterrupted think time. In my planner I choose a Big 3 for each day. I try to create sections of time that I only focus on one thing so I can get more done. I even do this with errands. I try to plan them all out and and plan my route out so I can be the most efficient. I will make phone calls while I’m in the car or catch up on a podcast.
   Some days I try to not leave the house at all so I can focus on one thing for those hours she is at school.
   I also will block certain days for certain tasks. I know I’ll complete these tasks on these certain days and it keeps things from falling through the cracks.
   

2. What kind of a planner do you use?
   I love most things digital. If you give me a stack of papers for a meeting I will write on them and then go home and scan them into Evernote and trash them. (Check out THIS blog post for more about that.) However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my paper planner. I have used a lot of planners and this works the best for me.
   I use the Full Focus Planner from Michael Hyatt & Co. (You can get one of these HERE.) If you don’t want to make this investment, I believe you must use a planner if you want to be your most productive self. This helps you to be intentional about your time.

3. How to balance a schedule when you work both night and day?
   This is intense. Hopefully this is just a season in your life. If this is a season you are in, you will have to realize that you have to let some things go. During this time I recommend you choose the bare minimum that is the most important and focus on these things.
   You will have to be very structured to stay on top of things when you are working this much. Write it all down and be sure you are only focusing on the necessary and important, but be sure to give yourself time for rest and get help where you can.

4. I have no schedule and feel like I’m going in circles.
   Many time we are going in circles if we don’t have written out what is the most important and what needs to be done. We can be busy without getting the important things done. So start with what your goals are and then schedule out your day. Be sure one of your Big 3 each day is focusing on moving a goal forward. I highly recommend reading Free to Focus. - HERE is a blog post and video I did sharing my takeaways.
   

5. How do you get anything done with little kids that are still very dependent?
   This is just a crazy time in life. It’s a season we will all likely go through at some point. We have to know that our goals need to be relevant to our season. Some things are impossible during this stage. If you still have a baby waking you up at night, sometimes you have to nap when baby naps in order to stay healthy.
   Choose what is important. You can still accomplish things in this season, you just have to choose what your focus will be and know that some days will not be as productive as others. When my youngest was really small I had to rely on routines. Doing one of load of laundry was important to keep me from being behind. I would do a quick pick up at nap time and then focus on what was important.
   Take a deep breath, create routines that help you accomplish the necessary, and know that these babies are the most important work in this season.
   

I hope these tips for scheduling will help you to create margin in your life for the good things. 

I have opened up virtual coaching session for Productivity Coaching. If you would like individualized guidance for your schedule, productivity, goals, or just in life I would love to meet with you! Click HERE for pricing. You can email me at thegoodnessmargin@gmail.com to schedule a session.