One of the questions I get asked most frequently is how I stay on task and maximize productivity with everything while juggling homeschooling, running a business, homemaking, and life.
This is a simple tip, but it's one that has completely transformed my productivity and revolutionized my life and helped me stay much more organized, on task, and efficient.
What's that tip? I create a time blocked schedule for myself every day.
Right before I go to bed each night, I look at the tasks I've assigned to the next day on Google Calendar and then create a fairly detailed time blocked schedule for myself based off of this.
The act of writing out a time-blocked to-do list the night before not only helps me brain dump all the thoughts swirling around in my head so that I can quiet my mind and sleep better, but it also help me think through the priorities for the next day.
Best of all, I've found that it helps me to go to bed knowing that I've got an organized plan of attack for the next day. This encourages me to wake up and start my day with intention, stay on task, get the most important things done each day, and not bite off more than I can chew.
And yes, right now, I don't use any elaborate or expensive planners - or even printable pages! Instead, I write out my daily to do list in a simple, cheap notebook and it works beautifully for me!
(Note: It might stop working next week; I'm all about using a system as long as it works and then being willing and open to tweak it as soon as it stops working!)
Here are 3 reasons why this time-blocked schedule is so effective for me:
1. It Challenges Me to Prioritize.
Creating a time blocked schedule for myself every day helps me visualize just exactly how much time I have each day for certain tasks. Since I only have 24 hours to work with and I have to assign a specific time to each item on my list, I can't bite off way more than I can chew.
This forces me to prioritize. I start with putting the most important tasks as close to the beginning of the day as possible. And then I often have to bump some of the less important tasks to another day (I love the drag and drop feature of Google Calendar which makes this so simple!)
On rare occasions, I get to most everything on my list. But many days, things come up and other things take longer than expected and I don't get everything done. However, by beginning with the most important tasks, I end my day usually feeling productive and accomplished - whether or not I got to the less important tasks I'd planned for later on in the day.
2. It Motivates Me to Streamline.
When making a to-do list, I tend to be overly ambitious and sometimes even a bit unrealistic. (Okay, maybe make that "usually a bit unrealistic". Hey! That's the downfall of having a very optimistic personality! You always think you can get more done than you really can!)
My time blocked to do list helps me streamline my day because as I'm assigning times to the specific to-do's, I'll quickly realize that I'm trying to cream 36 hours' worth of tasks into a 24-hour day. And I have to then choose items to either bump to another day or to delete altogether.
Tip: Expect the Unexpected - Plan 2 Hours of Margin Time
Another little secret of my time blocked scheduled is that I always make sure to add in at least 2 hours of margin time - breathing room for the unexpected interruptions that always come up during the day.
Planning for interruptions and unexpected things to come up helps me feel less stressed or frustrated when those things do indeed unexpected things come up. Because I've already planned for them! 
I can move things around as needed and still get everything done. I also like knowing that I have a time pre-scheduled on my list for rest or fun. It encourages me to finish everything on my list so that I can relax and enjoy my time alone or with family.
3. It Encourages Me That My Day is Doable
I breathe a big sigh of relief when I get my time blocked schedule written out on paper each night. Instead of all of these ideas swimming around in my head and overwhelming me, I have a plan and I know that by working the plan, I'll be able to get the most important things done each day. My time blocked schedule keeps me feeling organized and in control of my day.
I also often rework my to-do list halfway through the day. Many days, things do not go as planned and I feel like I'm not staying on top of what needs to be done. When that happens, I take 5 minutes to stop and rewrite my to-do list.
This might seem like a lot of extra work, but stopping and re-grouping instead of letting things spin further out of control usually gets my day back on track, helps me be able to stay focused, and makes the second half of the day go well!
Want Step-By-Step Help to Get Your Calendar & To Do List Organized?
I've been working on a little course for the past little while. It's called Make Over Your Calendar and it's a 7-day course all about how to set up your to do list and your daily and weekly schedule for success.
So many of you have requested something like this and I'm thrilled that it's done. Best of all, I decided to give it away for FREE (yes, you read that right) to everyone who orders a copy of my brand-new book by midnight tonight (November 3, 2015).
To get in on this special offer, just order a copy of my book or ebook from any site and fill out this form here and you'll get instant access to my new 7-Day Make Over Your Calendar Course - for FREE!
Hurry, this offer is only valid through tonight!
