plan the day
plan lunch and the day will fall into place
That’s my motto anyway. So how do I plan the day? It goes something like this.
The first thing I do is the morning pages. That’s a kind of stream of consciousness writing exercise that I’ve been doing for about 7 or 8 years now and it takes me around 40 minutes. Then I check the post and make myself a cup of tea. I usually catch the end of the “Today” programme on Radio 4 and decide what to have for breakfast. It’s usually tea and toast, but sometimes I’ll have scrambled eggs as well. That will take me up to 0930 or perhaps 1000. So most days will start about then.
I don’t plan every day. Some days I only partly plan because there are many fixed and repeating events already in place. And a day off has to be unplanned to be a day off, but it actually goes better if it is planned funnily enough.
After breakfast I will take a clean sheet of paper (typically the plain side of an invoice or something, recycling) and write the date at the top. Then I make a list of all the things that need to be accomplished that day. The first thing will be to look in my pda and check for events. Then I look in the tasks list. This is a long list generated on Sunday afternoons during my “Plan the Week” session. I pick a handful of tasks and put them on the list. Then something urgent or new. The list will usually comprise of about 10 to 15 items.
Now one of the things that I tend to do with repeating tasks such as bike maintenance is to time how long it takes. Then I have an idea of its duration. This is usually noted in the note field next to the task in the pda task manager. You can decide when you plan the day if you are going to have enough time to complete it. So I will write down an idea of the task duration next to the list item on the paper.
I then draw a horizontal line across the page under the list. I write the list in two columns which makes something like 6 or 7 items in each column and it doesn’t come very far down the page. I then draw a margin on the lower blank area on the left hand side of the page. This will be for times of day. It’s already around 10.00 so the first thing is not going to start till 10.30 or whatever.
Ok, so let’s see what we have so far. A list of tasks and events for the day and a rough idea of how long each one will take. And some space ready to write a schedule for the day. So what should be the first thing to go onto that schedule? Unless there is an appointment such as yoga class at 5.00 pm then it’s lunch. So the first thing I do is to plan lunch. It’s one of those invisible elements that isn’t on the list, at least not written down. You can write it down of course. So what time should I have lunch and for how long?
Lunch is a break. As well as nourishing myself it’s a chance to take myself away from whatever I’m doing and leave it alone. That’s partly why I need to plan lunch – otherwise it doesn’t happen. I can get so absorbed in what I’m doing that lunch becomes just a couple of slices of toast or whatever, with no real break. When you are working on your own you need to force yourself to have a break or you won’t.
How long? 45 minutes to an hour. That gives enough time to relax and prepare something and to sit down and eat it. And it breaks up the day so that there is before lunch and after lunch. And you are left with two 3 or 4 hour chunks. So if I have an early breakfast then lunch could be at one or two if I start my day later.
Next comes the Nap. I have already posted an article about the Nap. And if I get up particularly early such as 6.30 in the morning, then the Nap is essential. Some days I will have one anyway. But it also depends on later events. If I have to leave the house at 4.00 pm for a class at 5.00 pm then I won’t have a nap as it will mean that I will be a bit zombified just before I leave. But if I don’t need to leave the house that day, then I will have the Nap. Add another couple of hours for that. I find it better to stay up late and do stuff and then get up early. It leaves me a bit tired, so I have the Nap. You have to find your own cycles.
So I have lunch planned and the Nap, but what about actual tasks? So I go back to the list and see which ones would work better before lunch and which ones would work better after lunch. Is there a difference? Yes. I have an awareness of my state of mind and my state of being before and after lunch. I know my pattern of moods and motivations so it makes sense to match the task with the mood. As that will enhance motivation, creativity and energy. I may have written about a particular task in the morning pages and may have reflected upon it during breakfast. Should I do that first? Perhaps. The weather can have an effect as well. It’s a very well lit room that I live and work in, so the time of day and amount of light does have an impact. So I try and match the tasks with the internal and external weather.
Some tasks I will group together such as e-mails or text messages or phone calls. If I have a task called “Phone Jim” and one called “Phone Lisa”, then I’ll of course do the two in one task or work period. I may group e-mails with online banking as they are short tasks. A longer task such as “design business card” needs to made a bit more specific. This is something that may not be completed in an hour or half hour slot, so it needs to be “chunked down” into more specific tasks. Such as “research business card prices”, “decide on background colour” “resize logo” etc. Then it is much easier to calculate the task length and I don’t get so discouraged if the task is not completed and gets carried over to the following week.
Then it’s just a question of following the days plan. The planning itself may take around 10 minutes and then I don’t have to think about it any more. I can just get on. And when I complete a task I just look at the sheet for the next thing. I usually assign more time than is required for the task which makes for a natural break. Chance for a quick distraction of some sort like fixed gear gallery.
The days schedule is very flexible and can be easily reshuffled should any expected events arise such as a request for a private yoga class during the day. Easy. And phone calls of course from prospective web design clients. You have to give them room or they will sense your impatience.
This is not an imposition or a chore. It is a choice. The day is full of all the things that you want to do. All the things that you enjoy with one or two things that need to be done. If you would rather not do them then you can earn money doing something you enjoy and pay someone to do it. The plan is made of ideas that made up your plan for the year and what you thought you would like to achieve that week as part of that mission.
And do I get it all done? Most of the time a resounding yes, because as I have just said, they are all things that I want to do. Usually 90% of all the things that I put on the list to be scheduled do get completed because I know how long it will take and which time of day would be best to do it.
So that’s my method. What’s yours? If you don’t have one or it’s a bit haphazard or less systematic, then why not try this one for a week or so. It may work for you too with a few adjustments to fit your temperament.