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CAREER and PRODUCTIVITY Career Plan

How to Plan Your Work Week | A Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Guide from a Working Girl in Makati

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Starting today I want to avoid becoming that person who just long for the weekend. I love my job but with all the work and the pressure I get these days when I just wish weekend will be nearer/closer. 



Getting things done is my motorcycle. It makes me feel right whenever I know that I'm productive. And so my quest to a better time management is never over. I still search for the best way to improve my habits. And in my quest I found out a solid Monday to Friday productivity plan for people (who like me) juggle different roles in life and best hope to fit everything in their 8am to 6pm job.

How to Plan Your Work Week?

Before I jump to a Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Guide I first want to talk about the 4 Simple Rules You Need to Follow About Planning Your Week. All it takes is a good 10-20 minutes of your life to plan and sort out everything. Sunday evening is the best day and time for this one.

1. Make a List

On a notebook or paper write down all the tasks that you need to accomplish for the coming week. Just get everything written. From the papers you need to pass, to the meeting you have to attend and even that email you have to write for your boss...just dump it all out.

2. Prioritize

Once you have the list done you can now schedule and prioritize everything. Highlight the tasks that are needed on a specific day and time and have the rest follow a certain schedule. My boss always remind me about the value of Service Level Agreement. It states that in every task we shouldn't just say "yes" or "noted" we should also have a specific time or date perhaps when the service will be met. So its not just enough that you make your to do list. You should also create a priority list.

3. Do It

With your priorities all laid out the only step you missing is taking action. Do not let your list become a wish list. Try your hardest to check as many things to do as possible. Work will feel much lighter when you have a solid plan to base.

4. Take a Break/Reward Yourself

Just last week I tried the Pomodoro Technique using my iPhone. I downlaoded the app and use it as a timer whenever I work. I still not used to it but I can see the benefits. I set the timer for all of my tasks at work so I can avoid wasting it on things that doesn't add value. Once the task is done I will have a 5-minute break and I try to go out of my work station to unwind. Rewarding yourself after a productive work is a good habit. 

Now Here's How You Can Revolutionize Your Monday to Friday

MONDAY

Monday's top priority task is to arrive at work earlier than usual. Set at least 30 minutes early arrival at work so you will have a moment to relax, take a deep breath and plan for what will happen for the rest of the work week. Monday morning is the best time to review your calendar, check your to-do lists, re-read your goals in life and have a closer look in your new week's inbox.

TUESDAY

Tuesday is the most productive day of the week. Well it's this is true in my case. It is a good day to get things done and to block off your schedule for bigger projects. If ever you miss a must-do on Monday you can easily count on Tuesday to get things done. Try to have a lunch out with your team or your friend during this day or a dinner with your special someone to rebuild your social and personal life.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday is the middle day of the week and most often a day where you can tackle your special projects. I believe it is important for us to have a hobby that we can call ours. Whether it be blogging, creating YouTube videos, playing instrument or photography. A hobby can definitely motivate you in life. Don't mix it up  during working hours though instead find time to insert before the day ends. It doesn't matter whether its only an hour or two as long as you get to do what you really want. 

THURSDAY

Thursday for me is the most underrated day of the week. We even forget that it's a Thursday sometimes, right? Thursday for me is when I have my last sprint of productivity. It is when you try your hardest to complete all the deadlines and commit to your work projects. Align any backlogs that you have and make sure that everything that you do is aligned to your short term and long term goals.

FRIDAY

Finally we arrived on Friday! I love Fridays for it is the shortest working hour of the week. Instead of 8am-6pm shift our end time is an hour early which means an extra one hour to spend. Friday is for social time, try make a dinner reservation with people who matter in your life. Friday is for relaxation, so try to spend the evening with a relaxing night routine. 

Remember

READ: Applying Michael Hyatt's Ideal Week
Follow Systems and Processes

It is all about creating systems and processes in what you do. Last weekend I had this four-page entry on my bullet journal where I detailed how I want my process to be in accomplishing my tasks at work and my tasks as a blogger. Having clear knowledge on the system that you will following is important so you know exactly how to deal with the day to day work. You will surely feel getting things done easier. 

Review your week

On my personal blog I created A Week in Review. It is when I’ll review my week based on Personal, Work, Blog Tasks, To Write Articles, Quote of the Week and Random Notes. A review is important so you can evaluate how you're spending your time. Treat this review as an essential task that will prepare yourself for the coming week. 

Its all about the alarms

For November I included the Pomodoro Technique on my process. I write the task set the alarm to 25 minutes and do everything to complete the task. That's 25 minutes without distraction like constant checking of Facebook, watching YouTube videos and such. I am not that good committing to the no distraction thing but so far I am enjoying the benefits of setting alarms. It is a good way to set focus in what you  do and again getting as much things done.

Be realistic on your to do lists

I'm guilty of making my to do lists a wishlist. But overtime I realized that I need to spread the task over a week and allot specific times for specific things. I am not a super woman and I can't do five blog posts on SavingsPinay and five blogposts on IzzaGlino while juggling my work as Technical Writer/Content Strategist. So try to be as realistic as possible once you create your to do list. Write stuff that needs to get done within the day. 

At the end of the day

YOU hold your own time and if you want to live life more intentional you just have to use your time wisely. We are not perfect anyway and there will days when you feel lazy to even do a simple activity. But you just have to fight the laziness. You can do it. We can both do it. One day at a time.


Hope you learn something from this post!

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