How do you structure your work schedule template so you need less relaxation time?

If you’re needing a huge amount of downtime or relaxation time at the end of your day or week, there are two questions to ask yourself concerning your work schedule template: am I taking on too much? Or am I not working efficiently enough? In either case, procrastination may be an issue as well.

If you’re the sort of person who just can’t say ‘no’ when someone asks you to do them a favour, then you will have a problem at work. The issue with being too nice and always taking on other work is that pretty soon it becomes the norm and you become the person everyone dumps extra work on because they know you will do it. This causes havoc with your own priorities and you will find it hard to get everything done much less find relaxation time.

You just have to learn to say ‘no’, or at least, ‘can it wait until I’ve finished my work?’ If this doesn’t work and you have extra work simply because it’s busy, then you need to ask for help.

On the other hand, if you’re just not getting everything done that needs to get done, you need to look at your time management skills.

Start by writing a ‘to do’ list. Actually, start by making a “remember” list throughout the day and then build that into a ‘to-do’ list at the end of the day. Make sure you prioritise and do the toughest tasks first. 

Write a ‘stop doing’ list. Write a list of what you’re doing each week that you want to stop doing. Are you involved in activities that you don’t enjoy? Are you always helping someone out, and never getting any time-saving favours in return? Remember, you have the power to say ‘No.’ The choice is yours. 

Give yourself an hour. With everything going on in a given day, it’s no wonder that people schedule time for a million things, but never schedule time for themselves. Give yourself a minimum of an hour a day. Use this time to read, meditate, have lunch, take a walk in the park–whatever it is that you love to do. And whatever you do, don’t break that appointment with yourself. 

Take short energy breaks. Research tells us that most people can’t concentrate for more than 45-50 minutes, so in order to get the most out of your day, it’s important to feel energetic. If you’re hungry or you are feeling light-headed, take a short break and have a snack–something nutritious. Feeling a little bit stressed? Take a 10 minute nap, or an invigorating 10 minute walk. 

Eliminate interruptions. It’s difficult to get things done when you are being interrupted. Are co-workers constantly stopping by your office to chat? Is your phone always ringing off the hook, and interrupting the projects you are working on? If you really need to get something done, it’s important to focus. And the only way to focus is to eliminate interruptions. Close your office door. Have your voicemail, answering machine, or assistant take your calls for you. 

While planning your day, scheduling appointments, etc. is highly recommended; keep in mind that you certainly do not have to schedule ‘every moment’ of your day to be organized. ‘Scheduling is the fine art of packing every day just full enough of the most useful activities.’ Never overload it. Your work schedule template should always allow you time for spontaneity.

The truth is, it takes a lot less time and effort to be organized than it does to be disorganized. Disorganization takes more time than you can imagine, and ensures that huge obstacles are always directly in the path of ‘getting things done.’ Getting and staying organized is not rocket-science. It can take as little as ten minutes every day and once learned, applied and practiced, can become as simple as brushing your teeth or combing your hair.