Module 4: Time Management & Productivity

Module 4

Use your imagination and cast a vision of where you could be in 12 months. Don’t worry about how it will get done or if you have what you need, just take 10 minutes to imagine every part of your life.

Let’s go step-by-step, through the process to get your week planned out in a way that will give you TIME to get what matters done without feeling overworked or overwhelmed.

MACRO-PLANNING: Determining the broad outline of your day. You already do this we just want to refine it a bit and set the stage for micro-planning. The macro-schedule puts things like your work hours or school hours on your calendar. It’s typically a block of time where you may do a variety of tasks, but no matter the task it still falls under the umbrella of “work” for example.

1.) How many hours of sleep do you NEED to get to be rested?

2.) What time do you need to get up so that your morning is not rushed?

3.) Sleeping hours. Based on your desired wake-up time what time do you need to go to bed in order to get the necessary amount of sleep?

4.) Non-negotiables. What are the non-negotiables, what days, and what timeframe do they occur? These are things like your work hours, church, and picking up the kids. Anything that has to happen and the time that it happens cannot be changed by you. List them here along with the days and timeframes.

5.) Regular activities. List all the other things you typically do during the week including the days and timeframe you usually do them.

6.) Desired activities. List all the activities you’d like to add to your schedule, but haven’t had the time for. Include how often you would like to do them and the amount of time it will take to do them.

Using the Weekly Planner Worksheet and a PENCIL write all your activities from the previous questions in the following order on the days and times they happen.

Be sure to show the start and stop times for each activity.

1.) Sleeping Hours

2.) Non-Negotiables

3.) Regular Activities

4.) Desired Activities

If there is a conflict of time #1 and #2 are the priority EVERY TIME so adjust all the other activities accordingly. If there isn’t enough time on the calendar for #3 and #4 make a decision now about what you will no longer be doing. Consider outsourcing if necessary

In order to create a micro-schedule that fits your personality consider which you prefer:

1. A) Working on one thing until it is complete because finishing gives you joy, you need to complete a project each day to feel accomplished.

OR

1. B) Working on several things in one day because you need to mix them up or you’ll be bored, it doesn’t bother you to have several unfinished projects at the end of the day.

If you answered A, then I suggest you create themes for your days. For example, choosing a day to dedicate (during your work hours)to only focusing on the podcast. You may get several episodes outlined, recorded, and scheduled by the end of the day and you will feel great. The next day is for Youtube and you will do all things Youtube on that day.

if you answered B, then I suggest setting time limits during the day to devote yourself to different projects. Continuing with the podcast/Youtube example, you would work on your podcast every day, but only for say a 90-minute block. Then even if you haven’t finished you would move on to the next project. At the end of the day, you may have worked in several areas, but not completed a project.