It feels like there are never enough hours in the day to complete everything on your to-do list. Finding ways to be more productive, such as making a one-page productivity planner, allows you to maximize the time you do have and get ahead at work or in your personal life.
Creating a simple one-page productivity planner is a quick way to get more organized. Think of it as a to-do list on steroids. There are several things to consider when creating a planner for personal or professional use.
You could certainly take a sheet of paper and create a one-page planner, but why would you? There are so many wonderful tools online that allow you to create productivity planners in mere minutes.
There are dozens of templates and apps you can use as your productivity planner, or you can buy a hard-copy planner at your local office supply store.
You might be wondering what types of things you should include in a productivity planner. Include both small and big tasks, but you can also break large projects into smaller day-to-day tasks you need to finish.
Essentially, you’ll want to write out anything you tend to forget. It’s easy to get so caught up in the busyness of the day that you forget your best friend’s birthday or fail to pick up the dry cleaning. Putting it in writing serves as a useful reminder.
Once you have the basics in your planner, you’ll want to add in things that inspire and motivate you to be even better than you were the day before.
Once you get used to writing down the basic tasks, it’s time to add these elements and take your productivity one step further.
Workers in the top 10 percent of productivity leaders take frequent breaks, working for 52 minutes and then taking a 17-minute break. It might sound like those workers are not doing all they can do, but taking frequent breaks helps refresh you and gain perspective on your work. That allows you to focus more fully on the task at hand during those minutes you are working. Plan some breaks into your workday.
Getting in the habit of regular routines and getting organized helps you be more productive. A one-page productivity planner is a fast way to make sure you aren’t forgetting important tasks and keep you focused on the work at hand.