How not to burn out from operating systems – my most effective planning rules

Give 25 hours a day and 8 days a week. Yes, one more week before vacation… Sound familiar? So for a long time I sadly looked at my calendar and did not understand where all the time was going and why tasks were closed at the last, most pressing moment.

Hello, I'm Anya, and I've decided to settle this issue once and for all. Understanding how to sort things out and make time for what really matters is not just a whim, it is the basis that pushes you towards goals and paints life with bright colors. And if you are the head of a team, this is also a direct path to the success of the entire office.

The principles of personal effectiveness that I have applied in my life also work in business. Clear responsibility, meeting deadlines, direct communication, and feedback are the foundation of my work processes. Agile and Kanban have helped me organize my work so that every hour counts, and my team is constantly developing and reaching new heights.

So, let's start the path to personal effectiveness with a small audit.

At first I analyze where my time goes. This gives me a clear understanding of how much time I actually have and what it is spent on. Such an audit helps to identify “time thieves” and rethink priorities.

Less important tasks make up about 65% of the total list. Although their contribution to achieving final goals is minimal – approximately 15%, they carry the risk of becoming “thieves of time.” For effective time management, it is critical to learn to distinguish these tasks from the key ones and, if necessary, delegate them or even exclude them from the list of priorities.

Further, We set goals for ourselves. I use the SMART methodology to formulate my goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This makes my goals clear and achievable. Understanding what result you want to achieve and in what time frame will allow you to move towards your goal and not lose momentum. We all lose weight by summer, start on Monday and generally really like non-specific plans. Let's put an end to this so as not to create chaos.

Buy a fur coat in the summer – if you want, and make a schedule in advance – by all means.

To prioritize, I keep a daily To do List, where I enter everything that needs to be done today and mark the most important tasks. This helps you focus on what really matters.

I start with distribution of time over short periods, turning my workday into a series of productive intervals. This method, known as the Pomodoro technique, helps me stay focused on one task without being distracted by other things. Each “pomodoro” is not just a period of time, but a chance to aim for results without sacrificing attention.

Moving on to weekly schedule, I lay the foundation for my entire week right inside the task tracker. By the way, I use WEEEK precisely because of weekly planning; I haven’t seen this anywhere else. I recommend it from the bottom of my heart.

Remember school diaries? Ideal load distribution method. The method is familiar from childhood and in my profession I use weekly planning – this is how it happened historically. This gets me back into the habit of systematic planning, making the days ahead less chaotic and more predictable. Important meetings, project deadlines and leisure time are all planned in advance.

Further, “block” time on the calendar — [важно] it's a way to ensure that critical tasks receive the attention they deserve. Reserve time for key tasks [поездка в ашан, др друга или ужин с родителями] ensures that nothing can distract me from my priority goals. It's like I'm putting a fence around my time, protecting it from possible intrusions.

Task tracking – this is the final chord in my time management system. Constantly analyzing how I am progressing towards my goals allows me to quickly adjust plans and, if necessary, make changes to the schedule. Not only does this help me stay on top of my own productivity, but it also ensures that every effort gets me closer to my desired outcome.

In the context planningI strive to achieve three types of goals: tacticalrelated to immediate tasks for the day or month; strategicoriented towards longer-term projects and annual plans; And general vector, which determines the direction of my efforts for several years to come. Each type of goal requires a different approach to planning and execution, but they are all interconnected, forming a comprehensive picture of my aspirations and goals.