Organize Your Week to Achieve Your Goals
As an entrepreneur without a set work schedule, it can be hard to organize your week consistently. But organization is key to success. At Cydcor, we want you to enjoy your work and be successful at it, so here are some tips to go about getting your week organized and meeting your goals.
Schedule tomorrow today. The most successful leaders sit down at the end of their day and figure out what needs to be done the next day. Instead of thinking of nebulous goals—as in “This is what I need to do tomorrow, and I’ll try to get it done”—they use their calendar to schedule specific times to accomplish those tasks.
Know what times of day are best for you. If you’re the most creative early in the morning, it makes sense to stick to rituals that require a novel approach in the morning. If, on the other hand, it takes you a while to get into work mode, take the time to get some exercise and get your brain in gear for the day. You’ll be the most successful at meeting your goals when your energy level is high and you feel the most confident, so schedule your most important tasks for that time of the day.
Work with the week’s natural rhythm. Research suggests that there is a natural energy flow related to the workweek. Instead of fighting it, go with that flow for maximum productivity. On Monday, instead of having that big team meeting, schedule low-demand tasks. Set your goals, plan your appointments and organize your office. On Tuesday and Wednesday, during the peak of energy, take on the most difficult projects, brainstorm, and write. On Thursday, hold meetings as energy begins to ebb. Then, on Friday, when energy level is lowest, do your long-term planning, relationship building, and other open-ended projects.
Make time for creative tasks. Jeremiah Dillon, head of product marketing at Google Apps for Work, suggests that you build “Make Time” -which is the time to implement your creative processes- into your calendar. Make Time is critical when you’re doing creative tasks or doing some serious thinking before you start building. It’s as important as any meeting or sales call. Be sure to enter those Make Time blocks in your calendar so your colleagues don’t disturb you during this process.
Use the right tools to get organized. The calendar associated with your email client can be your best friend. Software like Evernote can be used for “brain dumps,” and help you set your annual, quarterly, and weekly goals. Use Google Keep, Asana, or Wunderlist for your to-do list; it feels great to check off items that have been accomplished.
What tips do you have for organizing your workweek? Share them with Cydcor on Twitter @Cydcor.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services located in Agoura Hills, CA. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.