The Benefits of Creating a Weekly Schedule of Your Tasks
According to Winston Churchill, time is one of the things that we can never retrieve in this world. It isn’t like money or material things that we can regain over and over again, depending on our wants and efforts. But the funny thing is, even if we are all aware that we can never turn back time, most of us still tend to waste it on things that are not that important.
Most of us might be wondering how some people can get so much done in a day. Meanwhile, there are those people who struggle even to get their meals done. Sometimes, we can’t help but wonder if the world is unfair. However, let’s get realistic. We are all given the same amount of time in a day, a week, in a month, and so on. We all live in the same cycle. So, why do other people can get their jobs done and still have time to relax while some individuals can’t even get out of their desks and also need to turn nights into days? The answer is simple- time management.
The Best Way to Manage Your Time
Whenever we want something to achieve in our lives, we always think of ways on how we can get it, on how we can achieve it. That stage is popularly known as planning. No matter what kind of life we live, what type of work we do, we all have the ability to plan. The sad thing is, most of us take for granted the importance of planning, the value of creating schedules and following them. We tend to think that we can always get another day to get things done, especially in our jobs. But little did we know that the more we avoid doing what we need to do, the more we get tangled in our daily lives, the more we lose our life/work balance. Fortunately, it is not that hard to reverse the habit. We all have the chance to learn time management. All we need to do is to start creating a weekly schedule of our tasks. And of course, we should also have a dose of discipline.
The following are the benefits we can reap from creating a weekly schedule.
#1 Having a weekly schedule can make us more productive.
As successful people repeatedly attest to, being productive doesn’t mean that we have to be working all the time. It also doesn’t mean that we need to do multiple things at once only to find a bunch of things left undone at the end of the day. Being productive means doing the right thing and spending our time and energy on things that matter.
Whether it’s a pen and paper, or online planner, having a list of things that we usually do in a week and looking at them can make us realize what we need to prioritize. The list can also remind us of the crucial due dates and of the things that can wait. By determining which thing needs our utmost attention, we would be under the obligation to finish them on time.
#2 Having a weekly schedule can help us maintain a work-life balance.
Numerous studies in the past had proven how work conflicts could impact our abilities to enjoy our personal lives. Most of us, out of stress, blame it on the jobs at hand, on our working schedule, and sometimes on our employers. But the thing is, we have the power to save ourselves from being a victim. There are many people out there who can finish their tasks and still have time to enjoy with families and friends. Again, the secret lies in time management. By having a schedule and striving to accomplish what’s on our list at a given time frame, we might be surprised to know how much time we have to spend with our loved ones.
#3 Having a weekly schedule teaches us to become more responsible.
Let’s admit it. It’s always tempting to get out with friends, especially after a hard day’s work. But we must all bear in mind that it is only good when we do it once in a while. But, when it becomes a habit, it can easily lead us to become irresponsible. Having a weekly schedule doesn’t mean that we have to give up leisure time. It is meant to remind us that we have a plan and that there is the right time for everything. If we have a hard time saying no, perhaps we can all reflect and think whether a particular thing contributes to our life’s success or not.
#4 Having a weekly schedule makes us aware of what’s going on.
There are times that we think of too much in a day. We then tend to forget what’s going on, at least temporarily. It can be fatigue or age or other health implications that makes us forgetful. Having a weekly schedule can easily remind us of the things that we need to do, especially those small but crucial tasks. Furthermore, looking at our schedules can remind us of the things that we have to do later that week. That alone can help us refuse the unimportant stuff that might come our way.
#5 Having a weekly schedule can help us avoid distractions from workmates.
Chances are, most of us have our favourite workmates. While talking to them can lessen a day’s burden, going too much can quickly get us out of track. By letting them know that we have a weekly schedule, they would be mature and professional enough to let us focus on the things we need to accomplish. Furthermore, they might even help us stick to our schedule. Who knows? Others might challenge us if we can do what’s on the list, and that would only make the end goal sweeter.
#6 Having a weekly schedule can help us assess our goals.
Having a list of the things that we need to do doesn’t only help us accomplish them on time. The more important thing is, it can help us identify whether we are getting closer to our goals, regardless if it’s professional or personal. As time passes by, we can learn how to execute things in a quicker but more efficient way, and we can learn the art of focusing on the task at hand. One day, we might be surprised to find out how much time we have in case urgent tasks come up.
We all want to have enough time to spend with our loved ones without sacrificing our jobs or our source of income. Luckily, it is not impossible. Remember, no one can buy time. The secret of having a work-life balance lies in our ability to manage time wisely. The tips above are all free, and we can all start doing them today!