Manage Your Monday in 20 Minutes
Monday is often considered the most challenging day of the week. People tend to dread Mondays. After a weekend of rest and relaxation, it can be tough to get back into the swing of things. However, with a little bit of planning and effort, you can manage your Monday in just twenty minutes. Here’s how:
Step 1:
Set a timer for twenty minutes. Really—just twenty minutes! Keeping yourself to a short block of time will ensure that you stay focused and efficient in your planning.
Step 2:
Open your planner. This could be a physical planner or a digital one, whichever you prefer (though I do have to recommend our Week on One Page Planner). You’ll want to take a look at the weekly view. Make a note of all the appointments, meetings, and events that you have scheduled. If you have busy days, transferring items to a Day on One Page Planner or notepad might be helpful.
Step 3:
Make your to-do list. This means writing down anything you need to do, get, or prepare. For example, if you have a meeting on Wednesday and you need to give a report, make sure preparing the report is on your to-do list. Is there a field trip form that needs to be signed or a soccer jersey that needs to be washed? Write it down. Having guests for dinner and need to plan what you’ll cook? Write it down!
Step 4:
Timeblock. Treat your tasks like appointments and block off dedicated time on your calendar for them. This is also a great time to batch tasks. If you have three errands to run in close proximity to each other, go ahead and plan to do them all at once. If you know that report for your Wednesday meeting will take two hours to prepare, go ahead and dedicate two hours on your calendar to it. If you have a handful of quick tasks, like signing forms, paying bills, and throwing the soccer jersey in the washing machine, find a thirty minute time block and dedicate that time to checking off as many of those tasks as possible.
That’s it!
These four simple steps will help you easily manage your Monday—and we all know that a good start to the week helps set the tone for the rest of it! Spending just twenty minutes on Monday morning planning out your week will save you time and stress throughout the week. You’ll feel more in control of your schedule, and be more productive and efficient in your work.
Do you have any Monday planning tips you live by? Leave a comment and let me know!
