I don’t know about you, but I LOVE to-do lists and ticking off items once complete. It’s like a mini victory!

As a person who loves to plan, sometimes I’ve over-planned and been over-ambitious with the amount of work I’ve wanted to accomplish in a day/week, which has stressed me out. It’s taken some fine-tuning to figure out a daily and weekly plan that is not just realistic but helps to accomplish my work priorities. So, I’m going to share my tips that are working for me, and maybe they’ll work for you too!

1. Plan Your Week in Advance

I like to take time — either at the end of the workday on Friday or Sunday evening — to plan out the upcoming week.

I’ll note any plans I have or errands I need to do, meetings I have, and work tasks that need to be accomplished. This provides me with a solid foundation and understanding of how much free time I have, at work and at home.

2. Set Your Goals for the Week

I then consider what work tasks I need to prioritize. In my work planner, I list all of the tasks I want to accomplish in the upcoming week, including carrying over any that weren’t completed the previous week. 

This allows me to see at a glance what needs to be done.

3. Set Your Goals for the Day

Utilizing the list of goals I created for the week, each day I’ll pull three items from that list to work on. This is a number that works for me: I’m not giving myself an unrealistic amount of work to do, and it allows buffer for any interruptions, like emails and last minute meetings.

4. Use Extra Time Wisely

If I complete my three tasks before the work day is complete, I’ll use my extra time wisely. That could be something like tackling another task or doing research. I think it’s important to allow time for learning, and staying up to date on your industry.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it, these quick four productivity tips are working really well for me at home and at work. Let me know what you think, and of course, if you have a helpful tip, please share it in the comments!