Organization is important but it shouldn’t be complicated or too time-consuming. Managing your time day in and day out can help you plan and accomplish the things that are most important to you. But every day we get pulled into different directions and distractions (at least I do). New ideas, new plans, opportunities, new headlines to click on, new waves and trends, new hobbies, new “People I May Know” on LinkedIn, and a never-ending cycle of things to get hyped about… I find that setting up a simple system to pull me back on track is an incredibly powerful tool.
For me, it starts with a handwritten to-do list each week and a Google Calendar — those are the two main tools. My to-do list is an old-school piece of paper. I sit down each week, have a cup of tea, make it meditative AF, pen in hand, usually on Sunday and write out the list of things I want to focus on throughout that week.
Looking at the list, I then create sensible time slots on my Google Cal. I’ll use those blocks of time to focus on each project or schedule a time to collaborate with someone. The beauty of Google Cal is that the blocks (or mods) are moveable. You can shift, drag, duplicate and rearrange easily. Things come up, it happens, that’s life, so you’ll need to shift and surf the week. Staying malleable is good for sanity, but it’s also important to keep yourself accountable and not just ignore the time slots. So when the opportunity to run out to a bar in Brickell comes up, I can weigh that against how important it is to get the task done. Also helpful about Google Cal and the time mods, is that when the event comes up, I get a little notification on my email that it’s time to start. My past self, paired with the power of the online tool, pulls me back and reminds me what I need to get done. it’s a beautiful little thing! I usually get so wrapped up in thoughts and daydreams throughout the day that I need to constantly remind myself what I wanted to do.
I also schedule repeating things, even basic tasks like breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a few workouts during the week and routine practice for skills like drawing every day. It’s helped immensely — gone are the days when I forget to eat lunch and start shaking with hanger and chaotic anxiety mid-day. it’s a powerful way to shape better daily habits and pursue long-term goals that require 10,000 mini-steps to improve. For me becoming a storyboard artist or a director at Pixar is one of my long-term goals. But I need to give myself lots of time to practice and get there, putting the daily steps on the calendar helps me stay on a path to get better at drawing, even though there’s so much distance and growth from the present moment and where I need to eventually be.
Here’s a glimpse at one of my week’s to-do lists. I’ll keep this paper in my sight on my desk and review the list throughout the week, maybe a few times during the day to keep my mind on track. And boy does that human mind want to go off track. Going on tangents about starting different businesses, texting girls, and doing whatever else the monkey inside there wants to do. As I work on things throughout the week I give them a check. If it’s done, it gets scratched off. Those little checks and scratches are mentally rewarding and make something in the brain smile. One of the things to do this week was write this blog. So you'll see that scribbled in with some ideas to mention in the bottom. Usually I’ll have other ideas or things that I want to maybe pursue pop in my head. I’ve started writing down those in post it’s or google slide decks to capture them for later consideration. I saw a trending article about Timeboxing Vs. To-Do lists so I wanted to make sure I mentioned that. Timeboxing is essentially the Google Calendar. Blocking out certain areas of time for specific things. I find a balance of both is what works best for me. The key with all of this, is find what works well for you. There are tools out there, use what you gravitate towards.
Here’s a screenshot of my Google Cal for the week. I’ve been using the Google Cal since about March of 2020 and it’s greatly helped me learn, plan and schedule things for myself. When you have the opportunity to manage your own time the right tools can really help.
A few huge tips for staying focused — I use the Freedom App. I paid the lifetime fee of about $70 and I’ll schedule a blocker anytime I notice myself checking LinkedIn impulsively and uncontrollably throughout the day. I also have blocks set for more distracting and time-sucking (and soul-devouring) sources like dating apps, or social media. Only allowing myself to access Dating apps on Sundays and Social Media apps on Saturdays. I should probably plan to do a longer post on this another time. (Mental note: Mark that down for future to-do list!) Also, I should mention that each week I reassess the to-do list. Do I still want to work on that film project? I’ll basically ask myself, “Is this still important after a week?” It’s kinda the Mari Kondo method of to-dos. You’ve got to tidy it up each week. If something isn’t done and I still have the spark for it, I’ll roll it over — if I don’t see the value in it anymore, then it’s something I can forget.
I wasn’t always a disciplined or organized person. If you ask my parents or friends I grew up within the Detroit area, they’ll tell you I was an unreliable train wreck. For the greater portion of my upbringing and until my later years in my 20s it’s when I realized (with a now fully developed brain) that in order to survive and thrive in civilization you need a system to keep you on track. But of course, you need to balance and work in moments of free-thinking play, walks, movement, fun, laughter, spontaneity, inspiration from the right sources, all that goodness that brings light to life and fun. You can’t just live like a bot following your google cal. You’re not a robot. It’s a balance, enjoy the spaces in between. All sorts of lovely things to notice and wonder. I choose to work on these things because they make me happy when I work towards or get them done. I make progress on my passions.
I also balance a full-time job. So I leave lots of open space during the 9-5 areas because projects are always coming in. When they conflict with the mods for personal projects, I adjust. Gotta do what pays the bills and keep the foundation of income coming in.
All of this said I’ve also learned through experience that being impulsive and going for walks or getting out to take a break is a healthy decision. Monitoring your gut and the feelings of overwhelm, you’ll need to take a deep breath and recalibrate once in a while.
Writing is a passion and a skill I like to cultivate. I set out to work on this blog because I want to put information out there, share my process and maybe in the process it helps other people. It helps me become a better writer and contribute what I can to the internet. I hope this helps. This isn’t a set-in-stone process. It’s been something that slowly evolved and flows with my routine. It sure seems to work for me. maybe it’ll inspire your process too. How do you plan your days?