Working for yourself can be liberating, it enables you to live life on your own terms but then that same freedom can be a breeding ground to laziness and procrastination. We all know that the success of an entrepreneur depends largely on the ability to make plans and stick to it and such plans involves having a schedule and sticking to it.
Sticking to your schedule takes a great deal of strong will and discipline, this is because of minds and bodies have been programmed to work in a certain way, so it will take some time to be able to undo some things and adapt. In creating your schedule, it is important to do what works best for you.
You can research about some successful entrepreneurs' schedule but keep in mind that what works for them might not work for you. If you follow someone else's methods, you might not be as productive as you should be. You can inspired by their methods, but endeavour to create what works for you. That's the whole point of working for yourself, you are not working with your boss' schedule but you are creating and working with yours. So here are few ways to create your schedule:
CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE:
Experts say that we are more productive in the morning because we are refreshed and energized for the day. Note that what you do in the morning sets the course of how the rest of the day goes. Decide what you want to do first thing in a day and wake up a little earlier to do them. It could be meditating, exercising, cooking etc. make it a routine. Once you do that first activity, every thing else comes naturally.. So set your routine and do it everyday.
MAKE A TO DO LIST:
Create a list of your daily tasks, we all know the importance of To do lists. It helps us keep track of we need to do and what we've done.
SET A REMINDER:
We can forget to do some things in a day.. So set a reminder, you can do that with a gmail reminder or your phone's reminder. This will make sure you don't miss a task.
BEGIN WITH THE HUGE TASKS:
It is advice able to start with the huge and hardest tasks, this is because you will do them more effectively when your mind is fresh not when you are worn out by other tasks. After the hardest ones you can move to the smaller ones.
SCHEDULE A LOT EVERYDAY:
Try to put and carry out as much task as possible each day but don't work yourself out so much. Be realistic about what you can do in a day and stick to it.
TAKE A BREAK:
Once in a while, learn to take a break. You don't want to work with a broken body, so once you are feeling stressed take some time off. And if you are stuck in a task, take sometime off, maybe a walk to clear your head and return to work.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS:
Working for yourself attracts distractions a lot. It could be friends, family, social media. Have a time for them, but when it is time for work avoid them. Keep your phone away from you, turn off notifications until you are done. If you need to meet with friends or family, have a different schedule for that.
ALWAYS REFLECT:
At the end of the day, try to reflect on what you've done, how far you've gone.. This will enable you tie up loose ends. It will also enable you know if you are making progress..
Most people are more productive at night, while experts believe that productivity starts in the morning, this is why it is important to know what works for you. Try out other strategies, keep practicing until you are able to perform at your best.
Thanks for reading..