One reason we end up procrastinating and not being as productive as we planned to be, is because we don’t have systems in place that support maximum efficiency. 

And let's be clear; this is not just about maximum efficiency for maximum output, where you still feel totally stressed and overwhelmed. These are structures that are going to enable you to actually do less and create more time for yourself. 

Here is your go-to scheduling hacks to be more productive!

Think about a standard work day in your business, at your job, or in your life.

• Do you wake up not knowing exactly what needs to be done?
• Do you know what tasks will make you money?
• How to do it as effortlessly and efficiently as possible?
• Perhaps you know what you need to be doing, but you spend hours writing a blog post or talking to leads in the DM’s and suddenly the day is done and only half your to-do list is checked off.

Time-management is a highly talked about topic in the world of the entrepreneur; however, there’s more to it than being productive when it comes to the task at hand.

What you really want to be focusing on, is honing in on your time management for your entire week as a whole.

This will not only give you clarity surrounding what needs your attention and what work you need to be prioritising, but it will also give you an overview of how much time you want to and can give to each task.

One of the most effective ways for increasing productivity and efficiency is to create a structure that designates specific tasks for certain days.

Scheduling hack #1: Categorising your Days

The way I streamline my business is exactly what I teach my clients, whether they are entrepreneurs, professionals, or parents. Why? Because it’s simple, and it works.

How does this work: 

First outline all the different types of tasks that are required of you in your business, work, or life.

For me in my business, that includes categories like social media content creation, VIP & group client calls plus prep, blog posts, course planning and curriculum, admin and bookwork.

Second. Break it down.

How many days a week are you working? If you have always wanted to take a three day weekend, now is the time to structure your week around that goal. Maybe you are working 5 or 6 days a week or maybe your business is your side hustle that you work on during weeknight.

Third, designate a day that you will be working on a particular category of tasks.

This is what time blocking my days looks like for me:

Monday: content creation + client calls.
This is when I plan my weekly captions and content, structure new freebies, prepare my “Wisdom Wednesday” topic, and more.

Tuesday: “Sacred Tuesday.”
This is what I work “on” my business. This is when I dive into course curriculums, brainstorming and any other revenue driving projects in the works.

Wednesday – Thursday: client focused days.
I aim to have all my coaching calls within these two days (plus Monday) so that there is consistency and I am in the right mindset and energy for serving my clients on those days.

Wednesday: Outside of client calls, I designate Wednesday as “blog post day.”
Blog posts take me about 30-40 minutes to write plus another 30 minutes to edit and publish. Knowing when I’m going to do this short amount of work and putting it on a day when I have scheduled appointments, encourages me to get it done within the alluded time.

Thursday: Again, client focused and further learning.
This is when I make time for any courses, personal coaching, or webinars that I am working through. Again, having a designated day for this prevents me from constantly adding “watch webinar” to my to-do list day after day, without actually doing it.

Friday: This is my overflow and wrap up day.
Life happens. That is just the truth. Whatever I wasn’t able to get done during the week or ended up needing more time, I give it space on Friday. I also have a weekly wrap up ritual that helps me create my focus for the next week and reflect on all the abundance I received this week.

P.s. This process comes after you have streamlined your tasks. You can get more info on streamlining and decluttering your to-do list here.

Scheduling hack #2: Time Blocking your Tasks 

Now that you know what your daily categories are, you can create a time structure for them.

Each day of the week, my first two hours are taken up by my needle moving activities. These are the actions I do on a daily basis that result in me attracting clients and taking care of my current clients. 

This includes responding to client messages and emails, posting and connecting on Social Media and in Facebook groups, answering leads in the DM’s and reaching out to potential clients.

After I have completed these needle moving tasks within my 2 hour time block, I move on to the daily category tasks.

Here’s what that looks like: 

Monday: 
9.30-11.30 = Needle moving priorities 
11.30-2 = Content creation (whatever is currently at the top of my priority list) 
4-6 = client calls 

Tuesday: 
9.30-11.30 = Needle moving priorities 
12-4 = working “in” my business – admin, bookwork, creation & planning of offers

Wednesday: 
9.30-11.30 = Needle moving priorities 
12-1pm = blog post
1-4 = calls 

Thursday: 
9.30-11.30 = Needle moving priorities 
12-4 = Further learning + calls (in between depending on scheduling)

Friday: 
9.30-11.30 = Needle moving priorities 
12-1 or 2 = wrap up (+ overflow if needed and otherwise I take the afternoon off)

Decide how much time you are willing to spend on each category and then how much time each specific task should need. Give yourself a time limit whether that is in the form of how much time writing the blog post will take or if you want to shut down all work by 4pm. 

This is where it's important that I add a disclaimer! 

When I teach strategies for aligned productivity, it's not just about getting the absolute MOST done in order to feel accomplished because you checked everything off your to-do list. What it's really about is knowing HOW to work in order to be working in alignment and therefore get things done faster and with more ease. 

When it comes to this strategy that I am sharing with you in this blog post, it's not about sticking to it 110% all the time. It's about having a structure such as this that guides you, that you can flow within, as opposed to feeling confined by. So allow for this to be a guide post, and then allow yourself to adjust it if and when necessary. 

Scheduling hack #3: Know your Needle-Moving Priorities

It’s important to note that within each day of the week, I prioritise my needle moving tasks. I do these tasks daily and they take me about 1.5 hours. These tasks are necessary for me to reach my monthly goal, which is tied to revenue and client goals. 

This weekly time blocking structure then allows you to plan the secondary tasks that are still important in your business but might not result in direct ROI.

For instance, content planning is crucial to my business and me showing up online; however, creating a new freebie is secondary to me connecting with leads and potential clients.

How do you structure your day for maximum efficiency? Share with me in the comments below! Do you feel like you are being as productive as possible with your time so you can have and enjoy time off? If the answer is no, fill out this questionnaire to let me know more!