Entrepreneurs don’t need a schedule . . . right? Isn’t that why we work for ourselves and start our own businesses, so we don’t need to be on a schedule? This is an interesting question that has come up a couple times with some people I’ve been talking to.

My response was, “Yes, you need a schedule”. The beauty is, it’s not a schedule that someone you are working for creates for you. Additionally, it’s not a schedule that is imposed upon you. It’s a schedule that you create, that fits your lifestyle and family.  You get to choose the hours you work during the week.

• Your calendar can absolutely be your best ally.

Another really important part of creating a schedule, is to really know how much time you should devote to your business with everything else that is going on in your life.

Your Schedule Doesn’t Have to Put You On Lockdown

Yes, I hear you … ”I don’t want to be locked down into a schedule.” However, this schedule is fluid and will shift, depending on what is going on in your life.

My schedule takes a pretty big shift when my children get out of school for the summer. My schedule also shifts a little from month to month depending on my travel schedule.

Scheduling is how you remain productive in your business.

Stay Out of Overwhelm Mode

Without a schedule, things tend to get done haphazardly. It also is a huge cause of overwhelm when you have 100 things to do and no plan as to when they’re going to get done. When you get into overwhelm mode, it freezes you and nothing ends up getting done. This is not good for you, your family, or your business. This is the point when you turn into “cranky pants”.

Here are few tips to create a schedule that works for your life and keeps you productive:

1. Manage your energy, not your time. We hear a lot about time management, but I feel like energy management is more important. Scheduling things to be done, when you have the right energy for it, will get done in less time and be much more effective. I’m not a morning person, so I don’t schedule activities that I need to focus on early in the morning.

2. Put all your commitments in your calendar. Don’t keep a separate calendar for personal and one for business. What you do needs to support your life. Block off personal time, family time, and business time.

3. Calendar blocks of time first. At a recent conference I attended, Charlie Gilkey talked about scheduling in four kinds of time blocks.

• Focus Blocks – These are 90 – 120 minute blocks of time. This is time you are planning or doing activities that require your complete focus without distractions. Tip: Your ability to grow your business will depend on how many focus blocks you have in your schedule.
• Social Blocks – These are 90 – 120 minute blocks of time. This is the time for you to see clients or customer appointments, time spent with other people, time on the phone, etc.
• Admin Blocks – These are 30 – 60 minute blocks of time. This is time to check emails, get with your team, etc.
• Recovery Blocks – These are variable blocks of time. This time is for self-care. Really knowing yourself and what you need to stay fresh. Recovery time may be first thing in the morning when you exercise, a lunch break, a 15-minute walk, a mid-day yoga class. I take a 50-minute yoga class at noon that makes all the difference in my day. This is time for you to take care of you!

4. Color code your blocks of time. This has a couple of purposes. You can glance at your calendar and have a good idea of what your doing at any time. You can also look at your calendar and see if you have too much of any one activity.

5. Calendar your to-do list. Once you have blocks of time scheduled and you know the best time for you to do certain activities, you can get more specific. Break down your projects and tasks and put them into the blocks of time. This will relax you because you’ll know how much time you have and when something is getting done.

“If you don’t plan for success and schedule it in, it will always remain a someday.”

I would love to hear your comments, and if you have anything you are doing that is really working for you!

A warm welcome to this week’s new subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here.