How much do you schedule your days?

[Great Satchmo]

As I'm starting a new semester, I'm filling out my Google calendar and I'm thinking it may be time to consider further scheduling.

Right now I schedule classes (obviously), work/volunteer stuff, and social events I am committed to (sports events, concerts, birthdays, and things of significance that would result in flack were I to flake out).

However, I'm realizing that my efficiency is lagging and this semester I need to be particularly efficient. I'm thinking about starting to schedule workouts (type, time, and duration), as well as possibly even meals and studying time (being open-ended at the end of the night to allow for longer assignments).


I feel like this may border on a obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, but on the other hand I realize I've become someone that is chronically late to things (including social events) and I've been procrastinating a lot since the end of last semester.


Anyone else schedule out most things in their day? If so, to what extent do you schedule and what results did you find?

 

[IamKris]

I make a list of things to do in the day but I never set times for each of the items. Works for me that way.

 

[godofcoffee]

I used to try to do this, but for most people it's better to have a to-do list and progressively knock items off of it. I make up a list of things to do every morning, which makes me much less likely to procrastinate.

 

[globetrotter]

I have most of my day scheduled - literally for months in advance. but, here is the thing - I am flexible with it - so I have a time slot down every week for going over my teams expense reports, for instance, but I will very often chose to use that time slot for a meeting is something comes up. or I have scheduled all the various exercise classes I might take in a week, but I will only use part of them.

 

[JayJay]

My days are fully scheduled, and often not by me. Multiple assistants add items to my calendar. In addition, I keep a "to do" list that only I control.

 

[GeorgeCowley]

Hmm. I don't schedule anything, although obviously I know when I'm due at work. Maybe you should, you know, just get on with your day instead of wasting time on the internet.

 

[forStyle]

everything with others gets scheduled with a time, ie classes, work.

everything by myself is on a to do list with a deadline, ie hw, eat, sleep.

The schedule I have memorized and the to do list is short. It's too much micromanaging to write it down.

maybe write it down if you cannot keep it all in your head (ie first week of classes), or if it changes weekly (ie meeting various clients at work).

 

[oDD_LotS]

I schedule meetings, classes, holidays, birthdays, webinars, due dates (for work and school), and other things that must be done at a specific time in my iPhone. That's mostly to ensure I actually show up on time and don't double book. For things like regular homework, one-time tasks without a specific time, errands and workouts I try to just have to-do lists (on paper, mostly). I usually have anywhere between 3 and 12 to-do lists at any time (not including super longterm ones like home renovations). I'd love to be able to stick to a tightly regimented schedule, but outside of occasional high-stress days that have to be to-the-minute scheduled, I find I'm much more likely to stay on course and get stuff done with the system I mentioned above.

 

[cumingenomeproject]

I do my best to micromanage 12 hours of the day and get as much done then as possible. then the other four or five (not including sleeping) I basically get to do whatever I want. it works out pretty well.

 

[christinedaae]

i spend 1 hour a day scheduling the next day. day is scheduled down to 2 mintue intervals i bull **** you not. I can send you the excel document lol. works for me, i stay busy and I get a shitload done. lol, I can spend another 7 mintues on this site.

 

[fwiffo]

My work days are scheduled - even if I am sitting at my desk trying to figure something out on paper without looking at the computer, I block it off. I check my e-mail three times a day so unless it's my boss or boss' boss, I don't read the e-mail until the appointed time. People know they can always call me if it's an emergency.

I block off work days on my work Outlook with the word Personal and an out of office indicator. I schedule the rest on my personal Outlook (currently hooked up to Live or Hotmail) so all my dinners, errands, shows, lectures, places I have to be, I'll have there.

I haven't gotten around to using tasks and scheduling things like cleaning my place, taking out the trash or doing my laundry yet. I have those in the back of my mind. I figure I'm young enough to still pull that off.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

I work on site for a day and then go home to write the report up, this takes at least two days for each one.

I am also studying, researching for my Doctorate so I have to stick to a daily list. I don't schedule items specifically but getting up at 6.30am allows me time for coffee, listen to a half hour of news and then exercise and make sure I am at my desk it by 9am. ( today probably not)

I work on things, till I start to wander, or get bored and allow myself time for distractions, five or ten minutes each hour and it helps me focus back on the task at hand. And I usually break for half an hour for lunch.

So long as I complete the tasks I set for my self each day it works.

It can be a real pain when work is slow, which it is at present, but I just then focus in on other tasks which need doing. So essentially I don't schedule my days I look at from the perspective of these particular tasks have to be completed by 5pm.

I do use time management to prioritise my work load and that's because I have to strict deadlines in terms of submitting reports to clients, the editing is the hardest part I find just going over the completed document to make sure there are no mistakes, that takes time and you need to clear headed to do it.

 

[aphextwin07]

i schedule the one or two major tasks i have for a day ahead of time, and just improvise the rest. i would seriously question the need to schedule gym time (let alone some of the other mundane things you mentioned) on a calendar... i mean, i could understand if you were some important exec or perhaps of the age where your memory retention is near zero, but as it sounds you're a student and you're seriously thinking about this? no offense, but it sounds characteristic of someone that will die an early death from being over stressed (ie heart failure).

 

[christinedaae]

to the above poster.. it's not about remembering, it's about being as efficient as possible and getting the most out of my day. the more you can get out of your day the better person you can become.
Most people I know are "too busy" to go to the gym. I spend 90 minutes a day give or take in the gym, yet still find time to run a company, read, play the piano, have a social life/go on dates, go to basketball and football games, regularly go to AA meetings (at least 1 a day 6 days a week) l,earn a new language (Italian)go to the race track 1 or 2 times a week and watch races everyday, and still get 7 hours of sleep

you will be surprised at how much time is wasted. I HATE wasting time doodling and not knowing what is going on and what needs to be done.

 

[Stokely]

I want to ask a question. If you can't organize your schedule, should you be participating in a style forum? I waste a ton of time here, but I've earned it. Ask yourself if you have. I jest. It's grown ass man bidness. Get a planner, or hell, you probably have an Iphone. Use it. Or do what you have to, then do what you want to. If that doesn't help, find a mentor.