My #1 Key to Having a Productive Day

Do you have too much to do every day? Are you feeling overwelmed? Do you get to the end of your day and ask yourself where the time went? Do you feel like you worked all day but got nothing done? If you are not already doing this tip, start today...start right now! This will change your life INSTANTLY!

Schedule Out Your Day - to the minute!

Most people make todo lists, but they are usually general and not specific enough. I have always been a “ list girl” and pretty good at being organized and getting things done. With this one little change, I am more productive than EVER!

HERE IT IS! I now schedule out my daily todo list to the minute!

This may seem silly or excessive, but JUST DO IT! You will likely be shocked to see where your time goes throughout your day. If you’re a busy mom like me, you will need to stay on track so your kids aren’t waiting on the curb for you because you got stuck looking at Pinterest (oh...you know you’ve done it!) or you’ve run out of time to pick up dog food because you were having a 4-hour lunch with your girlfriends. Yeah...this stuff happens, but it will likely happen less if you know what’s at stake, right? Right!

Here is what I do every day. If I feel the stress coming on or I know I’ve got an extremely busy next day, I like to write out my list the night before, it helps me sleep better.

1. Start by making a list of all the things you must get done for the day.
2. Prioritize your list...what is most important, what MUST get done today?
3. Make a minute by minute schedule of your day.Give yourself a about 5-10 extra minutes for tasks so if something comes up, you have a cushion and don’t start to panic that you are running out of time. Be sure to get the “most important things done FIRST!
4. If you have kids, be sure to add drive time to pick up kids and shuttle them from here to there. As a mom, I know that carpool can be extremely time consuming!
5. Add in the things you do for yourself that take time...working out, showering and getting ready, cooking meals, running errands, etc…
6. Schedule your social media and web surfing time! These can be KILLERS! How often do you go to check out something  on Pinterest and an hour later, you’re like “What the hell?!?!?! How did that happen?!?!?!”
7. Give yourself a 5-10 minute break every couple of hours. This will allow your mind to recharge.
8. Last thing is … Turn OFF all other distractions. I have a POWER HOUR every day - this is where I get my emails done, go through mail, get some paperwork done, etc. I put on my DND (Do Not Disturb) for a minimum of one hour. I know, I know! You’re thinking “I have kids, I can’t possibly turn off my phone!” But you can because most DND features allow in calls if the same caller calls twice within 3 minutes. My family knows this, so if its an emergency...they just have to call right back and they’ll get ahold of me.

Here is an example of one of my daily ToDo Lists...

If these are things you already do, please comment below and let me know what works for you. I’d love to hear your tips and tricks as well!