planning-your-dayIt is easy to get overwhelmed by the large amount of tasks we have to finish day to day. We all have had those days where there seems to be a hundred things to get done in a short amount of time. Sometimes, we have so many projects and tasks going on at once it is like throwing a bunch of balls in the air and trying to choose which ones to catch. We might catch the wrong ones and loose the potentially great paying clients!

Have you had this feeling recently? I know I have, you seem like you can barely keep you head above water while you are drowning in what has to be done! I want to lay out a few things that will help you stay organized and efficient with your daily tasks.

1. The Power of a to Do List!

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” ― Benjamin Franklin

The to do list is the easiest way to keep your daily tasks organized. Created a to do list makes everything seem much more manageable. When you can clearly see an outline of what you need to accomplish it helps you mentally stay focused!

Crossing out items on your to-do list provides a feeling a progress and accomplishment that motivates you to attack the rest of your day. If you are just rushing from task to task like a chicken with head your cut off you can miss that feeling of control and progress.

So each morning let me encourage you to create a to do list for you day. You can modify at you go but a basic outline of your day will do more than you think. One study showed that fifteen minutes spent planning could save an hour of execution time!

2. Focus on what matters the most first!

“Don’t forget to keep the main thing, the main thing”

After you have your to do list ready, now it is time to review the list and prioritize the most important tasks. Don’t waste time on less important things when there are important matters that need your attention! One study, conducted by the Harvard Business Review, showed that 90% of managers wasted valuable time through poor time management.

We can easily get sidetracked by distractions coming from all directions. How often have you been working on a project and then starting thinking about the next 3 projects you need to finish? Try to remember that you have a to list for a reason. You won’t forget what else needs done today. Focusing your attention on the project at hand will help you finishing faster and better so you can get to your other projects quicker!