Why Winging it Just Doesn’t Cut It

I didn’t have time to do this, I didn’t have time to do that, I’ve been so busy that I forgot…sound familiar?

If it does, it’s time to cut it out and start being more productive.

No excuses! The time is there if you make it.

I’ve gone back and fourth between having a schedule, and not having one and there are some big differences.

No schedule

I get a lot done but something usually gets left behind. I’ll invest a lot of effort into a few key tasks, tasks that I enjoy. The things that I don’t want to do, I put off…and off…and off yet I feel so productive because I’m still getting things accomplished.

Schedule

I get a ton of work done and it gets done quickly. The day goes by faster because I have a checklist already set and there’s no time to twiddle my thumbs. Best of all nothing gets neglected. My day is filled with variety and my overall bottom line increases because I’m not only focusing on what I like to do, but I am also focusing on what I need to do.

If you find yourself just floating along flapping your wings, here’s what I recommend you do.
Make a list of everything you need to do in a week. If you are a writer what writing commitments do you have? If you are another type of freelancer what client commitments do you have? If you work in direct sales what are some key tasks you need to complete? If you are in web publishing, what sites need updating?

Put yourself on a five-day schedule, even if you plan on working seven days per week. Trust me, there’s a reason.

Make yourself a calendar, don’t use dates or days, use numbers. For example

Day 1| Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4| Day 5

Divide up your tasks evenly between the 5 days.

That’s your schedule.

Notice there are no days or dates. It’s not necessary if you are working a flexible schedule. Day 1 could be Monday, or it could be a Wednesday. Just follow the “days” according to the days you choose to work. If you take a day off, pick up on the next days task.

If you find that you don’t get something done, write it down somewhere. Do that throughout the week and you’ll see what you need to do on Day 6 and Day 7 if you choose to put in extra time.

If not, use Days 6 and 7 to do tasks you may not have thought of during the week; or just enjoy the time off.
Please keep in mind that you’ll have to tweak this to something that works best for your situation. If you have date-sensitive tasks then make sure you are keeping track of those as well.

Winging it just doesn’t cut it, but have a set schedule that’s somewhat flexible makes my life so much easier.

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