Think about your most productive days. Did you wake up with a plan or did you just do whatever came to mind throughout the day?
Chances are you had a plan. You had a schedule for every single thing you did that day. Times and places and what needed done were laid out for you.
The structure of a schedule makes us more productive. If there are no deadlines or check-in meetings, there would be no reason to get work done in a timely fashion or even at all.
As a college student, I was a professional procrastinator for a long time, and I sometimes still am. Big projects would sneak up on me and entire 10-page papers would get written in a night. And then I decided to get it together.
Now, an entire window of my computer is dedicated to Stickies. I have a Stickie for each class and project and one Stickie has my daily schedule with all of the tasks that need done. My roommates give me a hard time about being overly organized, but it’s my life on a computer screen, and it makes sense to me.
In reality, it’s how I get things done. It’s how I keep my research paper moving forward while also designing logos for my project this summer. All of this before going to the athletics communications office to prep for the women’s tennis match the next day and then heading to work that evening’s baseball game. I have a lot going on, and I’m not complaining about that at all. But if I don’t write these things down, I’ll inevitably forget something.
For example, on Friday I didn’t open my computer the entire day. It was good for me to take a step back, but it also stressed me out when I realized it. I thought about my day and didn’t think I missed anything. But then, my boss, Rachel, walked into the press box for lacrosse the next day bearing my tennis programs. I totally forgot to go in and take care of that because I didn’t look at my schedule, but luckily, she’s got my back.
Moral of the story: My computer and the schedule on it keep my life in order. I take note of everything I need to do on there, and it helps me be productive.
This exact method may not be your thing, but I can guarantee that a schedule in your life will make your days more productive.
What scheduling tools can you use to make your days more productive?
Taylor Snodgrass 