"Was this a productive week? What can you do today to guarantee the answer is yes?" - James Clear 3-2-1 Thursday
For far too long, I prioritized my schedule. Years later, I've come to realize, I had it all wrong.
It took me too long for me to realize I'd been making a mistake. It felt as though I was surrounded by lists of other people's demands. I actually started to dread going to work. If you've ever been in the ocean getting pummeled by waves, you understand the feeling.
This was not sustainable. I had to do something, to change, to improve this situation.
Audit your day. Ask, "What's within my control, what's beyond my control, and what's within my influence?"
If you don't do this, you will be, like me, stuck in the surf, gasping for air.
It's easier and takes less time than you think. Daily practice leads to a manageable, productive, and positive workflow. A calendar audit reveals simple daily joys that we may not otherwise see. There's more time than we think, and these moments are all around us.
Ready to boost your daily productivity and experience more joy at work? Start here.
Work your typical week and look for patterns.
You'll want to start making changes immediately. Resist that urge. Instead, work the way you normally do for five days. Write down everything you do, with timestamps. You're likely using a calendar of some sort, and if you work alongside someone, it will make this step a bit easier. Lean on that person to assist in keeping you accountable for this first crucial step. This will allow you to begin to see what you are doing, when you're doing it, and how much time you're devoting to each task. As an added step, you may want to simply note your energy levels while engaged in the tasks on your calendar. This will come on handy later.
Identify your top priorities.
Separately, list off the tasks in which you engage that are aligned with your priorities. Some of this will be "have-to-do's" and some will be "get-to-do's". Some examples will fall into both categories. This is an important step. As you prepare for step three, you will use this information to schedule the day that will supercharge your energy and fuel your workflow.
Schedule your priorities.
This is the fun part. Looking at the time available to you, along with the priorities you have identified, begin to experiment with matching these up. For me, seeing and interacting with students, visiting classrooms, and checking in with my support staff are three values reflected in the work I commit to do daily. These are my priorities. At the same time, these interactions give me energy. So if I know of a task on my calendar is a "have-to-do", I look to schedule (either before, after, or both), time with people under my care and supervision.
Keep prioritizing your schedule, and keep getting the same results. Schedule your priorities, and watch your workflow and productivity levels change.
More importantly, your passion for what you do will surge.
