Do you feel like you work hard all week but nothing actually gets done? That by the time Friday rolls around you feel like you got through the whole week with nothing to show for it at all?
I used to be caught in the rat race where every week felt like Groundhog’s Day. And then I got smart, and I started implementing just a few habits that have made a tremendous impact.
I’m going to show you the six steps to organize your Monday so that the rest of your week kicks ass.
I know for a lot of us Mondays are our cherished day off, so if you don’t want to do the exercise on Monday, that’s fine. The important thing is to do it before your work week starts. Not only are your weeks going to actually feel crazy productive, but you’re going to feel more confident and better about yourself.
Step 1: Get the tools
I have a notebook with a weekly schedule in it where I keep all my notes for the year. I share the exact notebook I like best in Thrivers Society, but any organizer that works for you is the best one to use.
Set up your notebook with room to plot out all of your goals: annual, monthly and weekly. Make space to plan out meals and if it calls to you, life planning. I even use mine to write all of my notes when I go to classes.
Some of you like to use iCal or Google Calendar. That’s great so long as you have a system where you can plan out all the things you need.
Step 2: Set goals for the year
Decide where you want your life to be a year from now. Do you want to make more money behind the chair or work one less day a week to spend more time with your family?
Setting those goals makes it very easy when you’re thrown those life curve balls. For example, if you want to spend more time at home, taking on a heavier workload doesn’t make sense. When you are clear about what to work towards, your to-do list becomes super simple.
Break down those huge long-term goals into smaller ones, then by year, month and day so every time you sit down to work on your business, you know exactly what to work on to chip away at your goals.
Step 3: Create a list of monthly to-dos
Once you have your annual goals with your long term projects, make next month’s to-do list at the end of each month. Plot in any specific clients coming in, training’s you have to do, vacations, or whatever helps you make progress on your goals.
Step 4: Create a list of weekly to-dos
You’ve done the prep work, the annual goal setting, and plotted out your month. Now it’s time to sit down on Monday (or before your work week starts) to make your weekly to-do list to so the rest of the week kicks ass.
Write in all the weekly essentials: any standing personal appointments you have, if you need to pick up your kids from school, or team meetings you can’t miss.
Step 5: Make your weekly plan
Start by writing in those weekly to-dos and any monthly to-dos scheduled to happen that week. Then write in your weekly schedule. Block out the days you’re in the salon, your personal obligations like drinks with a girlfriend, and anything else that you have planned for the week.
Once you have your weekly and monthly obligations, take a look at your goal list and decide what projects you’re going to tackle. Pick 1-3 projects to focus on that week and find moments in the ebb and flow of your days to schedule time to work toward your goals.
If you meal plan, look at the layout of the week and decide if it’s realistic to cook a beautiful homemade dinner, or if a leftovers night. I like to meal plan because it means that I never am in a panic at 5:30 driving home, trying to figure out what’s for dinner. There’s always some kind of plan in place, and it takes a lot of pressure off.
Step 6: Review
When you sit down to again to plan the next week, take a moment to review the past week for 30 seconds and see how much you actually got done. Do you feel more productive? Yes. Do you get more work done? Yes. Are you more organized? Absolutely. But the real win is more self-confidence because you can celebrate all of the little successes that happen every single week, not the missed opportunities.
The way you walk into every single week determines how you live your life. Those seven days are going to pass no matter how you tackle them, but with a little bit of planning, we can make your week more organized, more productive and way less stressful. Commit to shifting your energy so that you can feel better about yourself and making every single week more productive.