FINDING IT HARD TO PRIORITIZE YOUR DAY?

When you have a busy schedule with lots of things to do and places to be, it can get complicated and difficult to decide how to prioritize your day.  How will you ever get everything accomplished!?!

Let’s be honest for a moment. If you would have asked me a year ago to write a post on prioritizing I probably would have laughed at you and said “ME?” Write a post on how to prioritize? No WAY! Not this Girl! To say I have learned a lot this year is an understatement. We have grown our business so much and so fast and with all that growth you absolutely HAVE to learn to prioritize. If you don’t, you will fall into the burned out category and none of us want that in the middle of our busiest season.  It is not a easy all the time but I have defiantly found ways to stay focused on what has to be done.

These are my top tips for making PRIORITIES A PRIORITY 

 

Plan Your Day

It is key to plan your day and in doing this, do not schedule yourself to 100%.  If you max yourself out on your timeline, you do not allow any wiggle room in your day.  Schedule your workload at about 70%.  This gives you a manageable goal for the day and some time for the unexpected.  Sit down and take some time to put things in order from most important to least important.  Things like photo shoots and time sensitive orders should take priority.

Make a tangible list

What do I mean by that? Pull out the old fashioned pen and paper! I  know that sound so “Old School” with all the latest things out there like Trello and other cool ways to organize and prioritize. The list you write with your own pen on your cute little notepad is the one that will hold you most accountable for your actions. Seriously give it a try this week and you will soon realize that every time you physically cross another task off that list you will feel a bigger sense of achievement!

 

Focus On One Thing at a Time

Be sure to focus on one thing at a time. One of the most powerful things I learned this year from a great productivity book, “Eat That Frog”, is to tackle your most challenging, most daunting task first! Once you do, everything else in your day is easier than the “frog” you had to eat first on your list. When you have editing to do, email responses, orders to fill, a shoot to get to, and a hundred other work things on top of a household to run, this can be very difficult.  With so many things to do, it is easy to bounce around from one project to the next but it is much more productive to put your full focus on one task, cross it off and move on to the next.

Minimize Distractions

 

Minimize your unnecessary distractions.  I turn off all Instagram notifications and Social Media.  There are apps that will help you with this if you find it too difficult to remove yourself from the ability to be in the constant know on your own.  If you need assistance in this area, download one of the apps to keep you on track!

1. Self-Control – Block out distracting websites for a set amount of time.

2. TrackTime – See how you’re spending your time on your computer.

8. Anti-Social – Block the social websites that are killing your focus vibe,

Check out some of my favorite books to boost your productivity:

Eat That Frog: 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: And Two Other Short Guides to Achieving More at Work and at Home

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours

Are you finding it hard to prioritize your day? These are a couple tips and ideas to help organize your day and quiet your mind. Want more delivered right to your inbox? We have that covered! Click here to sign up!

We would love to hear from you! Tell us some tips you have that have helped you along in your prioritizing journey! I truly believe in helping and sharing knowledge with like-minded creatives. Comment below!