BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Self Development How do you Plan your Week?

Most time management books I've read say that the ideal time period for planning is a week. That way if something happens on Monday, it's fine, because you can just do the task on Tuesday. It reduces stress and gives you more flexibility.

Certainly sometimes things like a doctor's appointment have a set date and time, but they're talking about discretionary activities.

How do you plan out your week's activities? Do you use computer software, a notepad, a smart phone app?

I go through phases with what I use. Right now it's notes on index cards.

Follow the OATS formula..........
O--Objectives
A--Activities
T--Time
S--Schedule

It's either in my head or written down (all or some) on paper or on a notepad of my computer.

I've tried various systems over the years. What works for me on a week-level is to have three months of calendars hanging immediately by my desk. I can look and see at a glance exactly everything that is coming up, all right there visually. It keeps me on track at a week level.

Isn't it funny that with all the technology at our disposal, it’s still so useful to have physical paper in our view. I use an old-fashioned 12-month ‘paper’ diary with a week-to-a-view and use it in the following way.

I only write on each day things that must get done on those days, such as meetings and urgent actions. If something is not essential for that day, it’s written on a sticker that I can move from week to week, or from month to month, and then throw in the bin once actioned.

The main advantage of a diary like that is that it gives me access to 12 months at a time, and allows me to flick to any day, week or month within a second or two.