How to Breakdown Your Work Day
Do you find yourself wishing you had a few more hours in your workday? With a long list of to-do’s, a messy desk and that unsettling feeling of “how am I going to get this done, I have meetings all day tomorrow,” you leave the office and hope for the best the next day.
So how do you break down your day? Are you the type of person that takes things as they come, or maybe you like to sit and strategize your week to make sure you get everything checked off the list? Either way, it’s important to find your flow. What works best for you may not work for the next person.
Here are a few suggestions you might find helpful when breaking down your day.
Do something you love first thing in the morning. Whether it’s doing yoga, watching the news or starting up the Keurig, give yourself a reason to get out of bed and get a jump start to your day.
Look ahead at your schedule and make sure you leave yourself some room to breathe. So often we cram our week full of meetings and calls and forget to make time to be in the office doing tasks we need to complete. Think ahead and plan for some in-house time so you don’t have to work as many late nights.
Find a project management tool that fits your team. This can be a lifesaver that will not only help you organize your day, but allow you to know how each task is delegated within the team. No more searching through emails to see where things are in your workflow. Let this tool help you and your team get some time back.
Make a list of projects you need to focus on and allow time to shut your door, put your extension on ‘do not disturb’ and zone in. It’s nice to be able to break up a big project throughout the week so you don’t have to do it last minute and have that feeling you are rushing through it.
End your workday doing something you enjoy. Just like the start of your day, it’s important to give yourself something to look forward to before you leave. Have a blog to write for your website that you’re excited about? End your day with that and get inspired. (hint…the author is currently taking her own advice here)
Whatever you do when approaching your week or your day, make sure you give yourself some grace. I’m reading a good book right now called, Grace not Perfection, by Emily Ley. It’s a helpful reminder when breaking down your days to make sure to challenge yourself while not being scared to ask for help. We too often try to take on so much in our day knowing we aren’t going to be able to get through it all. It’s important to lean on your team to help when things get tough and the lists pile up. Another option is to outsource some of your tasks to keep your projects moving along with perfection. Whether it’s your accounting, taxes, payroll, advertising, IT or PR, outsourcing some of these activities can allow you to spend your time on doing the things you love and breaking down your day in the areas you are an expert in.
Eleven Twenty-Three is a full-service advertising agency in Omaha, NE that specializes in media planning and creative development. We help our client’s find smart solutions for their advertising needs. With capabilities in both traditional and digital media planning, we marry the two and create successful campaigns that see results. Need help growing your customer base? Let’s get the conversation started! Contact us at 402-593-1123 or visit us at http://www.11twentythree.com/
Author: Shana Boyd