A Productivity Tool to Reveal and Shape Your True Priorities .
"Don't tell me your priorities, show me your calendar", is a game I play with my clients. The way we allocate time in our lives tells us everything we need to know about what our current priorities actually are versus what we say they are.
You should see their little faces and the look of disappointment on them when I talk about sharing with them a powerful productivity tool and then I introduce them to... their calendar!
There’s beauty and efficiency to be found in scheduling. Laying out your tasks visually breaks them down, and allows us to dedicate time and space to our high impact, high contribution, high value activities. It gives an instant perspective that shows you where you're commitments to your work and personal life sit over a snapshot of time.
Allocating time blocks for individual tasks encourages deep focus and ultimately, effectiveness. Designating a period to work intensively on one task without distractions is an incredible productivity booster. Further, scheduling breaks not only recharges your mental energy, but also ensures you're not overworking, meaning you’re more likely to maintain productivity in the long term.
What's more, a well-structured calendar presents an elevated sense of control. It brings out the discipline in you, urging you to respect the time you've blocked for each task and helping you to avoid procrastination or get lost in detours. This propels you towards safeguarding your time, ensuring that you use it only for your most important commitments.
Of course, all this is not to say that life should become a rigid schedule with no room for spontaneity. Flexibility is crucial, for we all know that life can throw at us unpredictable turns. The real power of utilising your calendar as a productivity tool lies in striking a balance between planning and adaptability. Unexpected tasks will invariably crop up, but having a scheduled plan in the first place will allow you to swiftly realign your priorities and manage these surprises effectively.
This was a wake up call for me. It taught me a lot about myself. What about you, are you living your priorities?