Creating an Effective Schedule in 5 Steps
Making a schedule is important in academic and professional success. Whether you are a college student or a CEO of a large company, writing out a schedule of your time will help you to prioritize those tasks that must be done and make time for the things you enjoy doing. If you’re having trouble creating a good schedule, try these five steps.
- Create a Simple Schedule of Available Time
Start off with a simple blocking out of your time. Calendars are particularly useful when creating a schedule because you can see everything at a glance. Write down the times when you have class or work. This will show you what available time you have for projects outside of your job or school. Don’t forget to block out plenty of time for sleep – that’s also important for accomplishing your goals.
- Write Down Priorities
After you’ve narrowed down your available time, write down your priorities. Do you have a big project at work? Is there a test coming up for class? Do you need to meet with a study group? Write down the events that you absolutely cannot miss. Yes, your children’s sporting events likely fall into this category.
- Allow for Emergency Time
Allow yourself a little leeway for emergencies. What if a pipe breaks at home? What if your car breaks down? First, you should know who you need to contact in such a situation if you have to miss work or school. Traffic could also be an emergency. You want to plan out plenty of time to travel to any destinations such as work and school, and extra time would come into play here.
- Set Aside Time for Personal Goals and Activities
Lastly, look over your remaining available time and consider your personal goals and activities. Are you trying to get in shape? Make sure to set aside time for a workout. Do you want to read a new book series? Take a class at the local community center? Make sure you at least a little bit of personal time to do the things you enjoy. Any leftover time can be used as you see fit or to schedule in extra projects or assignments as they come along.
- Review Your Schedule and Make Necessary Adjustments
After creating your schedule, it’s time to try it out. Adhere to it as closely as possible and take note of what works for you and what doesn’t. You may need to adjust your time and priorities as you go along. This is good because it will help you to find the schedule that is most practical for your needs and lifestyle. With an effective schedule in place, it’s now time to enjoy all of the time you now have to accomplish your goals.