If you are like most people, your work-life balance is more than likely all over the place. Do you start your workday focusing on one task and then switching over to something else and then switching over to something else and so on and on? This sentence encompasses my life before I was introduced to an amazing work schedule workbook by my boss. She explained that we lose 40% of our productivity by jumping from one task to another.
That was so true for me. My time was not being well spent. I was not producing what I knew I was capable of. My boss shared with us a meeting she had with one of her Peer Advisory Board members. She explained a system that her peer was using, and we are now using this amazing tool at People First. It keeps us on track and productive with our time.
It is a simple process where you create a chart for the week. We use an Excel spreadsheet. We set up the chart in increments of ½-hour to 1-hour. Depending on how many hours you work in a day, break down the blocks into categories such as administrative, creative, billable, or other tasks. You simply create blocks of time on your chart according to those times and tasks entered, and then follow that chart throughout your work week. You will be amazed how much this will keep you on track and find you are so much more productive. You can also incorporate your personal time into this schedule so that you ensure that you are keeping your work-life balanced.
Give it a try – you will be so happy that you did!
