{"id":9201,"date":"2024-10-28T06:47:35","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T10:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/how-to-plan-your-day-a-7-minute-habit\/"},"modified":"2024-10-28T06:47:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T10:47:35","slug":"how-to-plan-your-day-a-7-minute-habit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/how-to-plan-your-day-a-7-minute-habit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Plan Your Day: A 7-Minute Habit"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Have you ever heard someone say, \u201cYou can get money back with time, but you can\u2019t get time back with money,\u201d or anything that relays a similar message?<\/p>\n

Basically, this is saying that if you lose money, you will have a chance to earn it back. However, if you lose an hour, you can\u2019t replace it.<\/p>\n

Your time is valuable, which is probably evidenced at the end of those days when you reflect on the last 14 hours and realize you didn\u2019t\u00a0really\u00a0<\/em>get anything accomplished. However, the day is over, and you can\u2019t get it back, so you have to hope to do better tomorrow.<\/p>\n

The key to doing better is to develop a time management skill that helps you focus on what’s important in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having good time management skills will help you improve the quality of your work, your ability to practice self-discipline, your decision-making abilities, and increase the number of things you can get accomplished in one day. Knowing how to effectively manage your time can create a cycle that can improve all aspects of your life.<\/p>\n

If I don\u2019t take the time to plan out my day and I just try to \u201cwing it,\u201d I always find myself wasting time, whether it\u2019s by getting too caught up in a task that isn\u2019t important or realizing I don\u2019t know where to start, so I try to do too many things at once.<\/p>\n

And let me tell you, there are few things as aggravating than feeling like you\u2019re busy running around all day but realizing you\u2019ve actually been completely unproductive.<\/p>\n

I have learned that by taking 7 minutes to plan my day, I end up saving so much time in the end\u2013and I reduce the amount of stress and pressure I feel throughout the day to get things finished.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Planning my day also helps me prioritize, as I can easily recognize the tasks I have on deck\u00a0that actually aren\u2019t that important<\/a>\u00a0and won\u2019t end up making it into my schedule. I can prioritize my time so that only the things that really matter can get my attention throughout the day.<\/p>\n

In this article, I will help you understand the importance of managing your time, as everyone can benefit from using the finite resource of time more effectively.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll give you a simple, step-by-step plan that you can use to schedule your day to create a balance in your life and find the best use for every minute that you have. By being aware of how you\u2019re using your time, you will leave more of it open to spend on the things that you\u00a0want\u00a0<\/em>to spend it on.<\/p>\n

(To learn more about planning your day better,\u00a0here’s an article on how you can set effective daily goals<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at how you can effectively plan your day in just 7 minutes or less\u2026<\/p>\n

Time Required<\/strong>: You only have to do this once, but it may require some trial and error. This step doesn\u2019t count toward the time it will take to perform the daily habit of planning your day.<\/p>\n

Before we start talking about how to plan your day, it\u2019s important to mention that you need to have the tools that will make planning the easiest for\u00a0you<\/em>. Everyone is different here, so something that you find helpful might not be the right fit for the person across the hall from you in the office. Whatever you find works best for you, you will use this tool to keep track of your scheduled appointments, tasks, goals, important dates, etc.<\/p>\n

Depending on which you find to be more helpful and accessible, you can use a digital or physical planner. Some prefer a plain notebook, while others use more elaborate tools.<\/p>\n

One tool that I have found to be incredibly useful in helping me manage my tasks is the\u00a0<\/strong>Todoist app<\/strong><\/a>. I\u2019ve found this to be especially helpful because it allows me to collaborate with other members of my team and create step-by-step lists for projects that I am working on in any area of my life.<\/p>\n

Personally, I prefer to keep my planning all digital, but some really crave that tangible planner to keep their schedules in order. (Here’s our Todoist tutorial to help you get started.<\/a>) Some also\u00a0use time management worksheets<\/a>\u00a0to make sure you stay on track.<\/p>\n

No matter what you find works for you, it will make planning your day a lot easier.<\/p>\n

Step Two: List Your Fixed Tasks<\/h2>\n

Time Required:\u00a0<\/strong>1 minute<\/p>\n

Before you can add anything to your schedule, you need to block off times for things you can\u2019t change. This includes work, doctor\u2019s appointments, meetings, etc.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re putting these things into your plan for the day, make sure that you account for travel time and any possible buffer time that you may need. If you are going to see that one doctor who is always running an hour late, take that into account.<\/p>\n

You also want to list your tasks by priority. Is there a work deadline coming up that you need to meet? Make a list of the most important things you have that need to be done. Doing so helps you prioritize and can also help clear your mind since you won\u2019t have to remember everything you are supposed to do. More on this below.<\/p>\n

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RELATED<\/strong>: Habits that Stick!<\/p>\n

Want to build a new habit that will stick for the rest of your lifetime? In this video, you will discover a simple 9-step process about building habits that you can immediately implement.<\/p>\n