If you don’t already have a weekly task plan , it’s time to start. In recent years, planners have given diaries a new look and have become a favorite among many people, but that’s not why they’re so popular: adopting a planning tool has a positive impact on your routine, both at work and in your personal life.
How many times did you drive to the store and forget what to buy? Or pass a store but realized later that you should have shopped for something in there? Every day people are very occupied with their routine life, and using an organization system can facilitate one’s life and make them sure of getting things they want and being efficiently organized.
And if this is important for personal matters, at work it is even more essential, as a lack of organization and planning can even harm a person’s reputation, reduce their productivity and generate stress.
The importance of making a weekly plan
If we do not have clear objectives in life, then it is hard to make choices and grow as a person. This is the case with more important issues like career and personal choices, but also with our day-to-day life.
When coming to work without much notion of what to do, the professional can end up wasting time, engaging in activities that are not a priority, and even forgetting deadlines and critical tasks.
Understand the importance of having a plan:
Focus
By having your week mapped out, you already know what your most important activities are, which days you have available for meetings and other tasks, and what will take more or less time to complete. This way, you can focus on your tasks carefully, knowing that you will have time to complete everything you need to.
Productivity
This also impacts productivity , as the professional is more aware of what needs to be done and has more planning to carry out their tasks with commitment. This impacts their performance and also offers an opportunity to stand out in the company.
Less stress
It’s very common to read about tidying up your desk when looking for ways to focus and stay productive at work. This is no surprise, since organization helps reduce anxiety.
The same happens with planning, as it takes this “chaos” out of the work routine and prevents the person from drifting, or accumulating tasks and ending up increasing stress and even the workload.
Autonomy and decision making
Having independence to perform one’s own task is the dream of most professionals, but it also means taking responsibility for their work.
In order to gain the trust of leadership, you must demonstrate that you are able to make your own decisions and manage yourself effectively.
How to make a weekly plan?
First of all, it is important to remember that when working as a team, it is also necessary to consider team planning. Some companies use specific management systems, which can be adapted to each employee individually.
However, if you prefer to use another system or a more traditional calendar model, remember to also include commitments with the team, such as meetings, deliveries to colleagues and other obligations.
With that in mind, here’s how to plan your week:
Plan to plan
Yes, exactly. In order to plan, you must allocate a certain amount of time daily to spend on this process. It should ideally be done at the start or end of the week, and the time spent will vary based on the kind of work and tasks everyone has. It might be allocated in half an hour, or it might occupy the whole morning.
But, for it to be efficient, weekly planning needs to be updated and aligned, so include this process in your agenda.
Include a calendar in your routine
And speaking of a calendar, there’s no way to avoid it. Whether it’s a customized digital version, your cell phone calendar or a physical model, this tool is essential because it shows the days of the week and offers a practical view of what’s coming up in the next few days.
Be realistic with activities
It is common for people, out of habit or experience, to underestimate the time needed to perform certain activities. Therefore, try to be realistic when planning your week and avoid including 10 complex tasks in the same day.
In addition to making your routine more complicated, it can also generate frustration and discouragement when you realize that you are not completing everything you should in the period.
Know how to prioritize tasks
Another common workplace habit is spending too much time on a task that is not a priority and does not add value to the business. Consider how to make the process easier and faster, or seek help from managers and colleagues to speed up these activities.
Use time blocks
Finally, create blocks of time in your schedule for each task, taking into account a realistic deadline for its completion. Define this in your schedule, categorizing it by type of activity, color, or however you see fit.
