3 Ways To Make 2010 the Best Year Ever - Part Three

Okay. You've set your goals. You've plotted them out with a project planning sheet. Now it's time to set things in motion.
First, a wee disclaimer. Managing time is NOT something that comes naturally to me. I really have to work at it. I'm really not an expert, but I am always researching and trying to get better. Here's a few things that I've picked up that help.

✯ What to do with those Project Planning Sheets?
You've filled them out! Awesome. However, they will do you no good at all if you just stuff them in a drawer somewhere.
Start making those projects real by writing onto your calendar the tasks you broke down. It's okay if you don't know how long a task will take. You can always adjust. The important thing is to give them the time and attention they deserve.

✯ Overscheduling:
I am queen of the over schedulers. Maybe you are, too. I finally realized that while there may indeed be a million things that need to get done, it's only physically possible to do a few of them a day. This year, I am trying very hard to keep my to-do list for the day to 5 items or less. If I can get more done, great. If not, that's okay too. It might be nice to feel like I've 'finished' work for the day once in awhile. ^-^

✯ Lists:
Lists are my friend. Oh, how I love lists. However, sometimes things stay on the list forever and never seem to get done.
One thing that seems to help is putting due dates on tasks. Another thing that helps is putting a time estimate on each task. That daunting email/phone call doesn't seem quite so bad when you realize it will only take you 15 minutes.

✯ Stay inspired!
Keep your goals in front of you. Literally. Write/print them out. Make 'em pretty. Tack them up where you can see them every day.

One site that I really find helpful for organizational inspiration is 43 Folders. The aim of the site is to help you to do what you do better, and not waste your time. (That said, of course you can waste hours there. But that's not the point.)

Go forth and be awesome!

3 Ways To Make 2010 the Best Year Ever - Part Two

Yesterday I talked about the Etsy Goal Spreadsheet, and the importance of setting and tracking goals.
Okay, you've got goals. Now what?
If you're anything like me, you probably have more goals and ideas than you know what to do with. And maybe you follow through isn't *ahem* always the best. (Or is that just me?) I've found that simply writing these goals down on my to do list does not get them done. They're too big and overwhelming. So I took a page from traditional project planning but made it less boring and easier. You need to get the goal out of your head, onto paper, and then one more thing. You've got to break it down into do-able steps.
Enter the Project Planning Worksheet. Don't let the capital letters fool you, this is simple.

Here's what you do.
□ In the Project line, write down your goal/project/thing you want to do.
□ In the Description line, write down (briefly) your idea for the end product/effect/what you hope to accomplish.
□ In the Steps section, you start breaking it down. What is the first thing you would need to do to accomplish this? What's the second? And so on. It might help to work your way backwards if you have no idea. (i.e. start from the end project and work your way in steps back to the beginning.) Try to make each step a do-able chunk: something you could put down on your calendar/to-do list and actually accomplish.

Click here to download the Project Planning Worksheet.
When the new window pops up, click on Download (At the top left of the page). Then print it out & use it! As always, feel free to print & share & forward willy nilly, but tell 'em http://chickenpants.net made it.