How To Plan A Daily Schedule
There are so many things you need to take into consideration when thinking about daily life.
Personal time, family time, work, daily chores, meal prep, preparation for the next day, urgent tasks that pop up last minute, and the list goes on and on.
If you would like to start your own ‘side hustle,’ it can seem impossible fitting in time for it when your day is so full of things that need to be done.
However, it is possible to get all the things you want done.
But you need to instil discipline into your routine so that you can make the most of life whilst being efficient and stay on top of things.
Having a daily schedule will help you achieve all your daily goals – that is, if you know how to plan it properly.
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1. Start doing things at the same time every day
The best way to start off doing this is to go to bed and wake up at the same time consistently (it’s okay to have a change here and there for certain events but in your day-to-day life, try to keep it consistent).
If you like reading your book early in the morning, read it at the same time. If you typically take your vitamins straight after breakfast, do that all the time. If you like doing your chores before the kids get up in the morning, wake up at the same time everyday to do it.
Identify your current good habits and set a time to them so that they get done every day. Then, start creating new habits that are to be done the same time every day too.
This will ensure that these important things always get done with little effort. This is because you enter a state of ‘automacity’ – doing things automatically without having to really think about it.
2. Brain dump, set priorities & make a list
The first thing to do for how to plan a daily schedule is to do a brain dump of all the things that need to be completed for the day. Don’t think about an order or priority list just yet. Just write a list of any single thing that comes to mind.
After that, look through the list and figure out which tasks are urgent or important and which can be done later.
This will help you determine your priorities and will ultimately relieve stress as you focus on getting more complex/ urgent/ important tasks done first.
3. Time block
Time blocking is a process in which you assign certain tasks to a block of time.
For example, if you were writing an essay, you could assign a time block of two hours for research, an hour for planning, four hours for writing etc.
Of course, the timings will be different for each person. One person may take two hours for research, another four hours. One person may take three hours to write the essay, another person may take six.
Therefore, when time blocking it is important to understand an average of how long it takes for you to do a given task.
Don’t follow a standard time blocking method as everyone manages time in their own way.
A good tip for time blocking is to always give yourself a little more time than what you think you will need. This will give you time to deal with any unprecedented events that may arise.
So, after setting your priorities, create time blocks for them during your days.
4. Do a weekly/ monthly overview
As part of how to plan a daily schedule, it is important to zoom out and do a brief plan of your week and month.
Put any important dates in your calendar, and create automated alerts for those events.
Put recurring events in your calendar for the same time each week. Let’s take for example, going to the gym.
Creating an implementation intention for going to the gym will ensure that you go as you know exactly what day and time you will go.
I cover ‘implementation intentions’ as well as other productivity-related topics in this post, a concept I learnt from James Clear.
Whilst this step isn’t directly related to how to plan a daily schedule, it really is helpful as it helps you plan for the days ahead.
This step combined with the daily schedule will really help you stay on top of things as you can prepare for what’s to come days or weeks in advance.
5. Optimise tasks
If you’re really tight for time, start optimising certain tasks.
You may not have the time to do your groceries this week, so order it online and get it delivered. Or, join subscriptions for certain things you know you will need every month like your protein powder, skin care or vitamins. If it saves you time by preventing you from having to do multiple shopping trips and you think it will be useful, go for it!
(Be careful with subscriptions though, you can get carried away very fast. Before you know it, you’re subscribed to like twenty brands, and you don’t want to waste time later on having to unsubscribe from them all)
How does this relate to planning a daily schedule?
It prevents you from having to schedule time in to do these last-minute shopping trips and allows you to focus on more important tasks.
6. Batch task
Batch tasking involves working on/ completing similar tasks all in one go.
For instance, one way I use batch tasking for this blog is to break up the different stages of creating a blog post into steps.
Currently, I try to write and schedule three blog posts a month. But, I noticed that when I worked on each post at random times throughout the month, I would lose focus quickly because I was jumping between different tasks constantly.
Now, I plan all three posts in one go. Then I do all the writing in one go. Finally, I edit and schedule all three blog posts at once too.
I find that this helps me compartmentalise my different modes of thinking.
Writing requires a lot more thinking than planning and I realised that when I kept on jumping between writing one post and then planning another, then writing another and then planning again, my mind would go back and forth and I would lose concentration.
Batching similar tasks together allows me to stay in the zone as I put all my focus on getting this one specific task done.
Apart from work, one way you could use batch tasking at home could be setting a time block to go through all your old letters/ papers throughout the years. Rather than going through the huge pile a little bit each day (and then eventually giving up), maybe spending an afternoon tackling it all in one go will help you stay focussed and not burn out.
Think about how you can introduce batch tasking into your life and daily schedule.
My key positives for batch tasking would be that it helps you save time and keep up your concentration levels.
7. Figure out your most and least productive times of the day
Some people are morning birds and other night owls. Their levels of concentration, creativity and focus differ at different times of the day.
Identify your most and least productive times of the day and complete your most challenging tasks during your most productive times.
Getting complex tasks done straight away when you’re in peak productivity will give you the rest of the day to focus on less complex, lower energy tasks and will relieve stress.
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8. Create rest times
As you figure out how to plan a daily schedule, don’t fill it back-to-back with strenuous, high effort tasks as this will lead to burnout and failure.
Life isn’t all about rushing around and ticking things off. It needs to be enjoyed.
No matter how much you have on your plate, make rest your priority too. If you structure your days and weeks properly you will get all of those tasks done so there is no pressure to do it all in one day (and it’s not realistic).
9. Don’t multitask
I go further in on this topic about the pros and cons of single-tasking vs multi-tasking in this post so definitely have a read of it.
The gist of it is to single task during complex, high effort tasks (such as writing an assignment or going through your accounts) and multi-tasking if you want, though you don’t have to, during low effort tasks that don’t require as much concentration (such as folding the laundry or doing the washing).
As well as this, minimize any distractions whilst doing complex work – this not only includes the phone/ TV but people too!
If you need to get something done ASAP, buckle down and focus on that task solely.
10. Implement one change at a time
If you’re trying to add a new habit to your daily schedule, but it’s not happening, chances are it’s because you’re adding too many changes at one time or you’re expecting for you to get used to the new habit straight away.
Some people say it takes 21 days to form a habit, others say longer. Whatever the case, it takes time to form a new habit.
Allow yourself time to work on this habit and don’t add anything new in to your routine whilst you’re working on it.
Part of how to plan a daily schedule includes lists, time-blocking, batch tasking, priorities etc.
However, what will overall really make your daily schedule tight and efficient are the habits you create over time.
The more good habits you have, the more naturally efficient your day will be. And you’ll realise it too, without knowing when it happened.
Habit building is key for a more organised life.
11. Make adjustments
Your initial judgements of how long it will take for you to complete a given task might actually be different when you do it. You may be able to complete it quicker or it may take you longer than anticipated.
Another key element to master how to plan a daily schedule that gives you efficiency, free time and more peace during the day is to be flexible.
Be flexible with your daily schedule and be prepared to move things around as you see fit – this doesn’t mean your daily schedule isn’t working but is actually a positive thing as you are figuring out the best times to get things done.
This is especially crucial during the beginning stages of planning a daily schedule. You may realise Friday isn’t a good gym day for you, for example, as that’s the day you like to go out with your friends. Adjust the week plan/ daily plan so that it is scheduled for a time that suits you better.
As you make the adjustments and realise that the changes are working, it is now time to be less flexible and more disciplined. Honour this time for that task, don’t allow any distractions and limit any changes.
Of course, last-minute things may pop up here and there, so adjust as needed but the overall takeaway from this would be to be flexible at the beginning as you set up your daily schedule. Once you are comfortable with the set-up, stay disciplined and keep to your times.
KEY TAKEAWAYS – How to plan a daily schedule:
- Start doing things at the same time every day to encourage a behaviour of ‘automacity.’ For example, waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day, or having your vitamins at the same time everyday. This ensures tasks are done without having to think too much about it.
- Do a brain dump and then make a priority list
- Create time blocks for your tasks
- Create a weekly/ monthly overview to support your daily schedule
- Optimise tasks such as shopping or managing accounts
- Batching similar tasks together allows you to stay in one mode of thought and see the task to the end whilst keeping energy levels high
- Identify your most and least productive times of the day and complete your most challenging tasks during your most productive time
- Make sure to give yourself breaks throughout the day so you can stay rejuvenated and because you deserve it!
- Single task during complex, high effort tasks (such as writing an assignment or going through your accounts) and multi-task if you want, though you don’t have to, during low effort tasks that don’t require as much concentration (such as folding the laundry or doing the washing).
- Implement one change at a time
- Be flexible with your daily schedule and be prepared to move things around as you see fit – this doesn’t mean your daily schedule isn’t working but is actually a positive thing as you are figuring out the best times to get things done.
