I really, really love to plan. I got better at it during my years as a student, when I had to juggle a couple of jobs and school. Doing many things at once makes me more productive for some reason. Planning out my days and weeks is one of my favorite things to do now. I like how planning gives me piece of mind, because I know exactly what to do. That’s why I thought it would be fun to share how I plan my week. I’m pretty sure there are more planning addicts like me, so let’s go!
My favorite planner
I have to give a shout out to my Moleskine weekly planner. I think this is my fourth or fifth Moleskine planner because they’re simply amazing. I personally prefer really simple planners without too many illustrations and such. I find illustrations, stickers and what not to be really distracting. That’s why you’ll never see me with a bullet journal. That’s too much work and decorating just takes away from your time to actual do what you want to do.
The Moleskine weekly planner has all the days of the week on the left and space for notes on the right. I like being able to see my appointments and tasks next to each other. I also really use the note section a lot, as I write down my tasks there for a good overview. This helps me see the important things with just one look. The Moleskine weekly planner also has a lot of extra information in it like holidays and important events. Which is very handy when you have to create a lot of marketing and PR strategies like me.
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Timing is everything
Now that you know which planner I use, it’s time to tell you how I plan my week. I know everybody has their own way of planning and mine is very simple. My brain really likes it that way. I always start off with knowing how much I work, which is every work day from 09.00 to 17.00. This gives me a good timeframe to work with. I do really hold myself to these business hours, because I think it’s very important to have enough rest as well. So, I give myself seven hours to complete all my tasks for the day.
Timing is everything so I tend to put reoccurring tasks first. Things like checking mail in the morning, client calls and creating content get done in the mornings. I usually use afternoons for clients and the work that my team and I have to do for them. I’ve noticed I like working in time blocks. For example, I use mornings and afternoons for two different types of tasks. Which means I use two blocks of four hours for these different tasks. I really like how that gives me an overview of what every day will look like.
To do lists
I have two to do lists. One for my company and one for client work. I always need to make sure my business is run properly in order to get my clients good results. That’s why I use my Moleskine note section for two to do lists. I usually put business tasks on top and I use the bottom half of the page for client work. This helps me plan my week better because I know which tasks are for clients and my business. If I were to just write down all the tasks randomly, I’d probably work less efficient.
Jumping from one thing to another usually doesn’t work for me. My to do lists are also pretty detailed. I won’t just write down send out mails. I will usually specify what type of email, to whom and why. This helps me create an overview for what’s actually been done. This way I also know exactly which clients I’ve helped, how and why. Punctuality is very important when it comes to working with clients. I like to be very detailed with my to do lists so I don’t forget a thing!
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How I plan my week
I always start with Monday which is the day I use for all the reoccurring tasks like emails and creating new content. I make a lot of content, so I have to get it out of the way first, because it takes the most time out of everything I do. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually for clients and appointments. Thursdays and Fridays are usually the days where I get a lot of work done. Last minute assignments get done and I also work on generating leads, also known as new clients for my company.
I really like this weekly rhythm because it works really well for me. It took me a while to figure out what suits me best, but this way of planning is really nice. Doing the most important tasks on Monday creates space for more fun things during the rest of the week. Which is very important, because keeping work fun and easy is a good goal to have. Weekends are for fun only! I only blog or vlog, but that’s not really work to me. I also use my weekend to spend time with the most important people in my life.
I have a lot more to tell about how I plan my week. But this is a pretty good start. I am always looking for better planning tools, so let me know what awesome tools you use.
Let’s plan together,
Kaya-Quintana
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