I am a virgo. According to websites, this makes me an avid planner. I used to think it was a bad thing, but in reality all of the greats say if you're not planning, you are walking around aimlessly and without any direction.
A lot of people ask me how I am able to do so much and have said in many blog posts that one of the biggest reasons is simply: PLANNING. I intentionally plan what I am going to do each week. So for all of the questions AND for all of you who would like some sort of guidance on planning out your week: THIS IS FOR YOU.
How I Plan My Weekly Goals
I look at my yearly and monthly goals
I am the QUEEN of breaking down goals from big picture to step by step. So the first thing I do when planning my weekly goals is look at what I had planned for the month (which I look at my yearly goals to achieve). This helps me to BREAK DOWN what can be done within a week to achieve those goals.
Prioritize accordingly
It is definitely important when deciding what to do each week to know what NEEDS to be done. What has a deadline attached to it? What is going to take longer to do and so needs to be broken up into even more tasks in order to reach your monthly goals? I prioritize accordingly so the things that I know need to be done first are top priority.
Look at previously scheduled engagements.
This is when I look at what I already HAVE to do that week. I look at consults, client meetings, brand deal meetings, anything that I had already committed myself to. I do this because I HATE having full day where I HAVE to be doing something every minute of the entire day. I absolutely love always having something to do but I HATE not having the option to take a couple of hours to take a break in a day. So I try to plan fewer things on days when I have multiple consult calls or when I have a meeting or something. This way I don't feel pressured or stressed out because I didn't accomplish anything on my to-do list. Gotta give yourself plenty of wiggle room.
Decide what CAN be done in a week and then add TAX.
I am the type of person who always puts a LITTLE bit more on my weekly to do list than I feel I will likely get done. Why? There are some weeks where I am just ON it and just feel fired up. On those weeks I like it when I have more to do than NEEDED to be done because I can get ahead. If you're a long time reader then you know I like doing things ahead of time because depression can put me out of commission for weeks. So any chance to get ahead, I take it.
Planning my week this way allows me to have a good guideline for each day. I hate not knowing what needs to be done. Having to sit and remember steps for each goal so you can remember what you should be working on is actually a tremendous waste of time.
How do you plan your week? Do you plan by the week or by the day? Comment your thoughts below.