Here are some of my tools and life hacks that help me stay on top of work, home, social and other responsibilities. I hope they help you too!
Daily to-do list
I swear by this. I even make a tiny square next to each item so I can check it off and feel the satisfaction of completing the task. I make my list the night before and that allows me to sleep peacefully. New additions or requests get tagged on to the bottom of the list and if they are important, I will prioritize, otherwise, I don't kill myself trying to complete someone else's last minute task for me.
Minimizing interruptions
I try to check email mornings, midday and end of day. I wish I could say I was as good at doing this with social media (LinkedIn and Twitter are my big addictions because I've curated a list of influencers whose posts and articles inspire me, so they're very hard to resist.) But I truly believe interruptions are productivity killers, so I try to minimize them. I try to work with a closed door, I try to lump similar items together to maintain flow, and don't answer my phone when I'm in the middle of something important.
Make it fun
When I'm building a powerpoint deck, or I'm lost in excel reports and intricate formulas, I try to listen to music so that I don't get bored and start looking for distractions. I am tempted by snacks and human interaction for distractions - and I know that about myself. But if I'm actually in a groove and enjoying the process of typing out Vlookup formulas in time to an upbeat Muse song, that is kind of a happy place for me.
Take breaks
All work and no play makes me cranky. I discovered this about myself once I became an adult (parent, mortgage owner, employee) and my life suddenly included a lot more responsibilities than fun. So I purposefully schedule in fun activities for myself. I go for lunch with friends. I do classes relating to my hobbies in the evenings. I schedule salon or massage appointments. I build in reading, Netflix and self-care time. Whatever it takes for me not to feel resentful about all the duties I am fulfilling. I think of it as rewarding myself for a job well done and that in turn motivates me to work better and faster.
Meeting notes
An awful lot of time is spent rehashing what you did last week. To minimize the amount of time I spend recalling what was said or who was supposed to do what, I just write it all down. I generally have my to-do list on the page on the right side of my notebook. That leaves the left side page open for meeting notes, reminders and thoughts.
Calendar
I'm religious about my calendar. After school activities, trips, appointments, dinners out with friends - EVERYTHING goes in the calendar. Time and location. If it involves others, I send them an invite. This way, I'm not wasting time rescheduling because something didn't work, and I'm not double booking and wasting other people's time. I can also see, at a glance, which weeks are busier and shouldn't have anything added on and which weeks are wide open and could use some social activities. People have said to me on occasion, but doesn't this take all the spontaneity out of life? What if something great comes up last minute and you've already made other plans? I think that's a valid point. So what do I do?
I use the Heck Yes rule.
If something is a Heck Yes, I want to do that - it goes in the calendar. If it's not, then it's a Sorry, No. That way, if something "better" comes along, I can honour my previous commitment without regret knowing it's a Heck Yes. I will make exceptions (out of town visitors, limited time events, etc) but for the most part, I find this rule makes me more dependable to others. It also forces me to evaluate my choices before promising or over-committing because I hate disappointing others and creating false expectations. I wish people used this tool more than any of the other tips on this list because if they do, you'll know exactly where you stand with them. And I'm all about being authentic.
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