“How do you do so much?” That’s a question people ask me all the time. Usually it’s followed up with a perplexed, “So what is it that you actually do?” That always makes me laugh because from the outside looking in– I certainly do look busy. But what is it that I actually do? And, how do I manage to find balance in my life? I will say this– It wasn’t always easy.

The answer really is all about how I set and prioritize my time every single day — and write things down. I’m a big list maker.

Plans that are not written down can be overwhelming. Just like my bigger goal setting technique, planning my days is no different. I write down the steps to achieving my goals for the day and for the week. It becomes so much more manageable because then it’s not just one big chunk anymore. It is broken down. I’m going to do this. And then after that, this and this. And then guess what? Step by step, it leads you to the big goal and you achieve it! In this case the goal is that you finish your day having achieved everything you set out to achieve. Sometimes I do. And.. sometimes I run out of time. 

Here’s my real world advice for those who feel like they have a LOT on their plate, too. Get out a piece of paper. Make a list and rank your priorities. What is the most important item you want to accomplish in that day? List it all out on paper. When you see what you have to do written down, it’s so much harder to steer away from it than when it is all just floating around in your head. Also, I get such satisfaction crossing things off my todo list. That little shot of dopamine is so satisfying.

Be conscious about your time. Don’t wing it. If you try to wing it (and believe me, I have tried to do this) it’s almost certain something will slip through the cracks.

When you wake up in the morning, take some time to craft your day. Sit down, uninterrupted and focus on your priorities. On Sundays, I take a good look at my week and break it all down. I use THIS planner and I’m telling you- I haven’t found a better one. And, I’m a bit of a planner snob. 

Intentionally living is when you wake up and are clear and focused about how you are shaping your day. Maybe it is even a planned day of rest. That’s important too. (And I need to actually get better at scheduling that in, by the way).

If it feels overwhelming and you really don’t know where to start, think about the most important thing in your life at that moment. Start there and schedule it out in all the steps that it requires.

Another secret to successfully getting everything done in a day? Time blocking. I literally block my time. (Interested in a FREE Worksheet to get you started?)

I don’t just break my day down into steps, but I also break it down into hours. I’m not saying that every moment needs to be blocked with something to do. That’s not the point. What the point is is that you are intentional about the progression of your day and your time is clearly focused on what you want to accomplish. Time blocking on paper also makes it easier to see where there are holes in your time. Maybe those holes don’t need to be filled but maybe if you are pressed for time, they are useful. You can ask, “what is the best way for me to use that available time?”

Zooming out at your week is a good way to get a handle on the big picture. For me, every single week is so different. I’ll look at the whole week and  I’ll think about what I want to accomplish then I prioritize it and plan my days accordingly. I’ll ask myself, what do I need to do each day to have the week that I want to have? How do I want to spend my week?

With so much going on, it’s just a matter of focusing on what is of most immediate importance.
I focus on that first. I filter and organize around that, and just really map it all out, so that in the end, everything important gets done.

Time blocking also helps you get a better sense of how you are spending your time. You lose less time this way. You can see how you spend your days and on what. You’ll have a better sense of what is productive and what is not. You won’t have to just wonder, how much time am I  spending on this or that? You’ll have an amount of time planned instead. Overall, you’ll know what your days look like rather than them just happening to you. Try it. Think about how much time a day you spend on social media. Now go and check on your phone. (Yes, you can do that!) Too scared to look? Now think about all the things you could be doing in that time to move you closer to your goal.

Diligent daily and weekly planning has served me on so many levels on the lanes as well as Beyond the Lanes.

Having specific plans for each hour encourages you to resist any temptation of going and doing something else instead. It’s not fool-proof though. Writing plans down does not guarantee you’ll accomplish any of it. The only thing that will ensure you get it done is your commitment to yourself and your day’s goals. Having a narrow focus is a key to success.

If you find yourself making excuses and falling too far outside your planning, it’s time to start questioning your overall commitment. If you catch yourself lacking the commitment even after writing them down and time blocking, then perhaps it’s time to question the plans themselves too. It’s possible that your lack of commitment is because what you are doing is not aligned to your passion. The fact is that if something really truly means something to you, and if it’s in your heart and you feel that passion, there’s always time to do it. If you don’t feel like there’s time, then you have to ask yourself why. Are you not committed and making excuses because you actually want something else? It’s so easy to not show up when your goals are not clearly aligned to you.

If something truly lives in your heart, is important to you and you want to achieve it, you’ll do what you need to get it done. You’ll fully believe in the journey to get there and it won’t be so hard to prioritize all those steps that get you to it. Make sure what you are doing today really resonates with you on every level. Because today feeds into tomorrow and it’s all part of the bigger picture of your week, your month and your life. 

Don’t forget to DOWNLOAD your FREE Time Blocking Worksheet HERE!