“So many people have big goals for the future. I think it’s better to know what your perfect day looks like. Then you can ask yourself with each opportunity and choice: Is this getting me closer or further away?”

When it comes to our daily schedule, most people fall into one of two camps:<ul><li>The Overscheduler: Their days are determined from the moment they wake up to their evening routine.</li><li>The Minimalist: They’ve got one or two recurring events, but a whole lot of white space so they’re “free” (at least on paper) for long stretches of work.</li></ul>

Scheduling styles

Do this to clear out dead time and to find:<ul><li>The time you spend on each project</li><li>How your time is divided between meetings </li><li>The time you spend for each area of your work (for example, managing vs building).</li></ul>

Do a calendar audit

A good daily schedule is a blueprint for a successful life. Knowing what we’re doing and when empowers us with a sense of purpose, meaning, and focus.

Scheduling your day

<ul><li>Task flow: Our brains take time to get into the flow of a task. But once they’re warmed up, it’s easier to keep going and stay motivated. So chunk your day by activities.</li><li>Energy flow: Our energy has a natural ebb and flow throughout the day, which we can use to our advantage. If we schedule it right.</li></ul>

Be mindful of your flow 

The most successful people consistently get their most important work done first.Build recurring time for your most important work in the morning, before you start anything else. Your energy levels are naturally higher in the morning, but completing a meaningful task first thing has also a domino effect that pushes you through the day.

Your most important work

Bring all your commitments together on the same calendar (personal and professional) so you know how much time you’re actually working with.You can use color coding to differentiate between activities if you’d like.

All your time commitments in one place

When it comes to our daily schedule, most people fall into one of two camps: The Overscheduler: Their calendars look like a kindergartener's finger painting. Meetings overlap meetings while reminders for events, breaks, tasks, and more meetings are going off like it's New Year's Eve.

RYAN HOLIDAY

Similar ideas

Practice self-evaluation

If the answer is “no” or “maybe”

Create space in your schedule