I've always tried to keep things quite
organised for myself, doing an Open University degree while working
full time certainly takes a lot of time management.
Now I'm working part-time, doing
another Open University course, I'm a mum full-time and I'm trying to
work on my writing.
All of this means that I need to be
organised really or I'll be in danger of getting into a proper little
muddle.
I started out by setting specific tasks
for every day. I could then check everything off the list as I went
along. This works brilliantly for boosting your confidence when you
manage to keep up, but if you start missing these self-imposed
deadlines then it can have dire consequences. Once you've missed
one, chances are you'll miss another and before you know it you're
playing three weeks of catch up. It also means competition deadlines
are missed, leaving more unfinished stories and a very negative
feeling over everything you do.
These days I'm taking a much more
relaxed approach. Instead I make one to do list for the whole of the
week. I don't assign tasks to specific days, I just know I have the
whole week to do what's on the list. I can then fit things in as and
when I can and I don't need to feel guilty that I've missed a daily
deadline.
This way I find I'm a lot more chilled
out, I can do the tasks that I fancy at the time rather than doing
things because I'm 'supposed' to that day. This flexibility in
preference also means I do a better job of everything as the
enjoyment is still there.
I must say, I much prefer the new and
improved lifestyle. This week I have managed to complete an OU
assignment, keep up with my A-Zing and I've completed the first draft
of a short story for a competition. Some editing to that one over
the weekend and it'll be ready to go. I've even started an outline
for the next story.
Excellent!
Coming through courtesy of the A to Z hop...
ReplyDeleteGood for you, with the new approach to a schedule! I did something very similar, and I found my productivity increased almost exponentially when I did that!
I'm an artist, and unfortunately I'm very sick. I have a chronic health condition, and I never know what the day will hold for me until it arrives. I could feel fabulous for a whole week at a time, or I could be sick one day and great the next, or I could be out of commission for two weeks or more. It leaves me at the whims of my health, and makes production very difficult. If I missed doing something one day, I would feel guilty and do even less the next day!
Giving myself the window of a week is wonderful. If I have a daily goal, I make sure that it's small, something that takes less than ten minutes or requires little movement. I save my bigger projects for the weekly goal, or in some cases the monthly goal, and I couldn't be happier with the results!
Keep on going. Good luck. And I'm glad I stopped by! <3
*~* Julia *~* http://beautifullywhimsical.blogspot.com *~*
Thank you for the comment, and the encouragement. Knowing that particular methods work for other people is a good way to keep yourself going. You know it works for you, you know it works for others so keep going!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Keeping up isn't easy but we have to believe it will the journey easier. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI think it does get easier over time. It's just hard getting started and keeping going. I guess it's like the pain barrier, once you break through it's less of a struggle.
DeleteYeah, I can't do a day by day list. I have a master To Do, and just whittle it down (or ignore it till everything is a crisis)! I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, good luck getting to everyone!
DeleteThat's what I do too. I have a to-do list for the week, without specific deadlines so I don't feel too pressurized.
ReplyDeleteIt's the only way to go I think, otherwise you just become you're own worst enemy.
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