Holding your daily schedule upside down can feel overwhelming. Lots of different methods are available, so it’s easy to fall into a trap to use a common method that just doesn’t work for you.

Whether you feel stressed, or notice that you are constantly forgetting important meetings, jobs, or obligations, nothing is wrong with you. Only don’t use the correct timetable.

Find the Right Form

When it comes to scheduling, two big schools of thinking exist: paper and electronics. Many people make a mix of both, but some diehards in one camp over the other are solid.

An benefit of electronic scheduling is it can synchronize through all your computers. If you have a very busy schedule or are constantly dealing with several changes this is a useful feature. Some people are sticking to paper schedules because they like the look and feel that they profit from being able to pin down stuff without having to switch to their phones.

There is no proper response to that. You just have to find the method which works for you.

To sync a family calendar, use Apple’s Calendar App

If you are trying to share a calendar with a group of friends, a friend, or family, the value of using an electronic calendar becomes highly obvious. Apple’s Calendar software lets you create a calendar that several people can edit. They’ll be shared through all synced devices if there are any changes.

Apple is still starting to make new, useful Calendar updates. Now, you can use Siri to enter Calendar adjustments and get a reminder when it’s time to leave for an appointment or case.

Write it down if you keep forgetting

The reason some people remain diehard paper fans is that writing has been found to stimulate memory, even as Apple publishes more and more valuable updates for their Calendar.

Evidence has shown that we’re basically “rehearsing” the action by writing it down, which helps us keep it in the forefront of our mind. Unless we’ve already written something down, it’s harder for it to sneak up on us.

When you notice that you’re going to miss stuff or scrolling past important calendar updates on your screen, consider using a paper diary for a couple of weeks to see if writing down helps boost memory.

Make a list to-do that fits your working style

Everybody knows that it is incredibly important to draw up a to – do list. It helps keep us centered when we feel scattered and keeps essential tasks at the forefront of our mind. A recent Baylor University study has found that writing down a to-do list helps the participants sleep better.

To optimize the utility of a to – do list, make sure you do so in an order that works for you. If you are a morning person, first prioritize the most complicated tasks, then move the list down to tasks which require less effort.

If you get your best afternoon or evening work completed, arrange a few less demanding morning activities before you get to the meat of your to – do list later on in the day.

Check Your To – Do List Before Night

Baylor’s study found that participants were getting more sleep after writing to – do lists as they felt more relaxed and comfortable that they would take care of their tasks. If we have unfinished assignments, then at bedtime we continue to think about them, which can lead to restlessness.

After these thoughts were “offloaded” to our to – do list for the next day, participants reported their sleep improved, which left them feeling refreshed and concentrated on the next day.

Plan your day every day

Planning your day is another way you can make yourself feel more prepared. When you head through the day with a list of tasks and no plan for how or when to get them finished, you probably don’t make the most productive use of your time.

You don’t need to schedule yourself down to the minute unless you’re incredibly busy, but it can be useful to get through the day with a plan. Plan when you will be doing errands, check messages, answer emails, and perform big tasks.

The better you prepare ahead, the more likely you will be in a position to get things done.

Cut in Chunks your Workday

One issue that many people have is that they don’t schedule themselves breaks. Spending too much time on one thing can be exhausting, which can easily lead to tiredness which burnout.

If you find yourself irritated early in the day, you may need to change the manner in which you schedule your time. Many people have had success with the Pomodoro method, where you focus on one job for 25 minutes, and then take a 5-minute break.

If you don’t want to use a specific time management system, consider mixing harder tasks with simpler, more boring activities such as paying bills or reviewing notes.

Team Tasks Similar Together

One smart way to optimize your work time is to put together related projects and activities. Some people do so by allocating one or two days a week either for meetings or conducting extra-office errands.

If in the course of a week you have several daily phone calls, seek to arrange them back to back. This helps you to get into the appropriate headspace once instead of several times a week for these types of activities which can take up valuable time.

Set a default time limit for the tasks

Many people have found that putting a time limit on routine activities such as phone calls and daily meetings allows them to better schedule their time. It ensures you optimize productivity by performing certain tasks as quickly as possible. Besides, scheduling helps, because you will still know exactly how much time you need.

Start with a standard amount of time, such as 10 minutes per phone call and 30 minutes for a daily meet. Instead, if you notice that you sometimes go over or under the time limit, instead adjust accordingly. Ideally, the amount of time would feel adequate to accomplish the business at hand but not adequate for idle chitchat.

Manage your email like you would a Pro

When you receive a lot of emails, they can feel daunting. We see something come in and it’s on our head before we get to grips with that. Plus, if you receive a large amount of messages, we can feel distracted by this.

Prevent the feeling by introducing a new email handling process. If you see something come in that can be deleted or is spam, then instantly delete it. Anything that needs an response that will take a minute or less, will deal with it immediately. Schedule critical emails for a specific time of the day, and treat them all at once.

Many people do use a Gmail extension that allows them to delay updates on incoming emails until a specified time.plish the business at hand, but not sufficient for idle chitchat.

Don’t take things for granted like exercise and family time.

If family and personal time are important to you, adding them to your schedule can be beneficial just as you would for any other commitment. To believe that your full schedule would magically clear itself up to fit your personal life is delusional.

If you’re serious about a balanced work-life balance, activities like spending time with family and friends, exercise, and hobbies need to be planned. And when the time comes you’ll know you’ve got the time to really enjoy it.

Take control of Your Own Time

Most individuals who have worked their way up the corporate ladder rely on others to organize their daily tasks. Only if you are at that stage, controlling your own time can be truly beneficial.

Most people believe it just adds to the burden of their daily lives. Once they do so, though, so allows them to feel their time’s control that gives them much-needed peace of mind.

The responses below are not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any financial entity or advertiser. It is not the advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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