Front Load the Week
I read a list of productivity ideas, and I put one into practice about a month ago: Planning the next week on Friday. I actually took it a step further and plan my weeks Friday to Friday, which means that I’m actually planning my week on Thursday. But… let me explain what happened.
Every Thursday, I take a piece of paper and fold it three times so I end up with 8 sections when I unfold it. Then I write the days of the week at the top of each box, EXCEPT I slip an extra title called “Open Dump” after Sunday. So if you’re looking at the paper, write Friday in the first box on the top left, then Saturday to the right, then Sunday in the box below Friday, then Open Dump to the right of Sunday, then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There’s a point to this.
So I write everything that either must get done or I think can get done on Friday, being realistic. I mix work and personal in the same box because it’s all the same 24 hour period. So, I create a tiny to-do list of meetings and cooking dinner and remembering to send an email and all of that. Then I do the same for Saturday and Sunday, adding in things that we are going to do as well as maybe one or two tasks I would normally put off to the next week.
Then I get to the Open Dump box and I write down things that I need to do in the future. So, for instance, I have a work project coming up that I’m not going to work on this week. But I put it in there so I remember to schedule it in next week. That square is a dumping ground for future thoughts. Then I continue, Monday through Thursday with the rest of the squares.
I try to finish everything in the daily square and put a big slash across the square when it’s done, but if I don’t get to a task, I schedule it two days from that point (unless it is so urgent that it needs to get done the next day).
This is what tends to happen. I look at my week and think, “Okay, I need to get all these things done on Friday.” If I have any time, I look ahead and grab something off the Saturday list and do that, too. So usually, when I wake up Saturday morning, one task is already done and I feel like I’m ahead instead of behind.
This snowballs through the week, making me feel like I’ve already gotten huge tasks out of the way before Monday is really underway. And this feeling continues every day because let’s say I don’t get to something on Monday. It goes on the list for Wednesday, right? But I usually can get to it on Tuesday, so I start my Wednesday feeling like something big is off my plate.
My days are still the same, but my experience of looking at my to-do list feels different. Things aren’t pooling on Thursday and Friday, making me feel like I’m dragging towards the weekend. In fact, the list feels lighter and lighter as the week goes on.
It’s all just an illusion, but I’ll take it.
6 comments
Why are you so busy?? Better question…what am I supposed to be doing that I’m not?
(I get up, exercise, shower, go to work, do whatever work strikes my fancy (sometimes there are deadlines, but mostly not), come home, make sure the grazers have worked their way through some leftovers, perform 2-3 child-related tasks, sit on the couch for 2 hours (watching TV, on the computer, talking to the husband), get my clothes ready for the next day, and go to bed. On the weekends, I cook, walk dogs at the shelter, maybe clean if it’s not already done, and do whatever else strikes our fancy. Sometimes the kid has an activity, but not often. Stress-free AND I save on paper. 😁
I’m kind of wondering what A above is…what kinds of things are you putting on your list? Everything from cooking to doing laundry? To me, those are things I never write down because they are constant…I always have laundry and cooking. I do have several small dry erase boards on my fridge that I write down things that I need to do like scheduling appointments, paying a bill I always forget, or if I have to make cookies or something for an event. I also use one as a grocery list starter when I’m cooking and run out of something, and one is usually a honey-do list of things that have broken or need urgent attention like the leak under the kitchen sink last week.
Also, I can’t for the life of me picture your list as you described…a picture would have helped me so much lol
I use my outlook calendar at work like this (for work stuff)…with opposite results. Seems I’m always moving stuff forward bc something else took too long or some unexpected email/call/meeting/task came up. Sigh.
I love a good productivity hack idea- thanks for the link to the article.
This year, I am trying to have all of my to-do list action items each day map back to large goals. So for work for example, I have two big goals and everything I do has to further those, otherwise they don’t make the list. This helps to keep unnecessary action limited, so I am only doing work that pushes forward what I need to do. Likewise, I have two big goals for each of these: family, marriage, house and friendships. So my action lists for those things also need to map back. I’m sure this sounds really nerdy, but it does keep me focused on the big picture every day.
I’ve started physically writing down my appointments instead of doing it all in my phone. It keeps things much better in my head than just on the phone. Of course I don’t write down everything we do daily but it’s interesting to look back on a physical calendar and realize ‘Oh I did that! No wonder I’m tired now’ lol
I am trying to keep some stuff that I do weekly. My friend suggested a bullet journal which is all the rage but I failed at that. I’m slowly trying to get on board with blogging again lol
That’s a pretty lovely way of planning~ That said, how do you manage with all the things that crop up during the week and need to get done before the next week? And how do you remember everything at once during your Thursday session?
I always have to have a list handy so I can add things that I’ve forgotten to it, and it is constantly growing during the week.