How to Create a Daily Work Schedule

Select a calendar. Make sure it provides enough space for you to list your tasks. Some calendars are designed to plan weekly, daily, or hourly. Alternatively, you can use a notebook. Choose the one that best fits your preferences and needs. Regardless of your choice, focus on sticking with it. Don’t use separate calendars for work, school, etc. Everything should be recorded in one calendar.

• There are also many types of electronic calendars available for phones or laptops that sync with your devices, allowing you to access your schedule from anywhere. Additionally, several apps assist in creating daily schedules, featuring reminders and alarms.
• You might prefer choosing either a digital or paper calendar with extra space for notes next to your schedule. This helps you not only track what you’ve done but also how you did it or your feelings about the task. For example, under the “Go to the gym” task on your schedule, you might want to add a note like: "Ran an extra 2km today and felt amazing!" Writing these notes can help you better monitor your attitude toward tasks.
• If you're transitioning from paper to digital scheduling, you might be excited for a few days, but it could take some time to get accustomed to the new method. Try using both systems for a few days and double-check to avoid any overlap or missing tasks.

Organizing Tasks. The digital calendar allows you to color-code different tasks. For example, you can use red for work-related tasks, blue for school activities, green for household chores, orange for vacations, and pink for exercise. You can easily do this with a paper planner or notebook as well, simply by using colored pens or highlighters. Once you have categorized the various tasks to schedule, you can assess the priority of what to tackle first.

• Color-coding your tasks also helps you visualize and understand how much of your time is spent on different activities. For instance, if you see a lot of red (work) and green (household chores) in your calendar, but very little pink (exercise), it will encourage you to allocate more time for physical activities.

Prioritizing Tasks.

It's crucial to determine which task is most urgent and cannot wait. Let’s consider an example to understand what prioritizing means. Imagine you have two exams, a lab report, and an essay all due within the same week. What should you do?

• Ask yourself a few questions to identify which task needs to be done first and how long it will take: Which task has the earliest deadline? Which task requires the most time to complete? Which task carries the most weight in terms of importance? For example, how much do the exams, lab report, essay, and presentation contribute to your final grade? Which task is the most difficult?
• Ultimately, you need to decide what your priorities are: deadlines, completion time, or task value. You know yourself and your capabilities best, so choose the prioritization method that works for you.

Marking Priority Tasks. After deciding which tasks should be prioritized, mark them on your calendar. You can view your entire daily schedule and write an "A" next to the most important tasks that need to be done first, a "B" for tasks that must be completed by the following day, a "C" for tasks that should be finished by Friday, and so on.

Setting Deadlines for Each Task. Write down the time you plan to allocate for each task. For example, you might schedule 2 hours for studying, 1 hour for exercise, 30 minutes for writing two emails, and 30 minutes for walking the dog. The key is to allocate enough time for each task; over-scheduling or unrealistic time estimates will only cause stress.

• Don't forget to factor in travel time when planning your schedule. For example, do you need to bike from the library, where you're studying, to the gym?

Including Breaks in Your Schedule. Most people tend to underestimate the time needed for tasks. Accounting for all the time spent preparing for and wrapping up tasks will help you create a more accurate daily schedule.

• Try to add a few extra minutes for each task. For example, if something takes 4 minutes to complete, schedule 5 minutes for it. If a task takes 8 minutes, schedule 10 minutes, and so on. These extra minutes will act as buffer time to help you avoid delays or being late.
• Ask yourself if there are any smaller tasks, besides the main ones, that need to be included in your schedule. For instance, do you need to shower after exercising? Do you often spend 15 minutes chatting with friends in the locker room? Most people schedule exercise for 1 hour, but it often takes more like 2 hours.

Leaving Gaps in Your Schedule. Keep some open time slots at the end of your schedule for lower-priority tasks or unforeseen activities that arise later in the week. If you find yourself with extra time today or at some point during the week, you can plan to tackle these tasks as a form of preparation. These additional tasks may include things like cleaning out the storage closet or organizing your home tax system. These are lower-priority tasks that still need to be completed but aren't urgent or time-sensitive.

Reviewing Your Schedule. Make it a habit to check your schedule every morning and evening in preparation for the following day. Each day, spend a few minutes—perhaps after your morning coffee or while commuting—reviewing what needs to be done, adding new tasks, or marking off completed ones.

• Spending a few minutes reviewing and editing your schedule before diving into tasks can be an excellent way to motivate yourself to start your workday!
• Use the timer on your phone or computer to remind you of tasks or appointments. For example, many doctor or dentist appointments are scheduled well in advance. Setting a reminder a week ahead can be helpful, allowing you to plan your work accordingly.

Completing Tasks in Order of Priority. Having determined your priority task list in your schedule, make sure to tackle each task one by one.

Adjusting Your Schedule When Necessary. While it's important to stick to your schedule as much as possible, sometimes things happen that require you to make adjustments. If urgent matters come up or conflicts arise, shift flexible or lower-priority tasks to another day.

• However, be careful not to let tasks pile up or frequently get moved to the next day. If this happens often, consider allocating more time for each task in your daily schedule instead of pushing things further back.

Mark off the tasks you've completed. For many, this feels like a reward in itself! Don't forget to carry over the tasks that remain unfinished today to your schedule for tomorrow.

Reward yourself! It's important to give yourself positive reinforcement after completing your tasks and sticking to your schedule. Once your day’s work is done, treat yourself to a relaxing bath, watch your favorite TV show, or enjoy a sweet treat. You'll feel complete and deserving of the rewards you've earned.

Evaluate and adjust if necessary. It's essential to regularly check if your schedule is still working for you. One way to do this is by looking at your calendar and reflecting on your emotions and thoughts. Do you find most tasks checked off and feel positive and productive? If so, your schedule is likely a good fit for you! However, if you're consistently carrying tasks over to the next day (and the next), feeling discouraged, it might be time to tweak your routine. Identify the areas causing issues by reviewing your calendar and seeing which tasks are slowing down. Perhaps re-prioritize tasks, especially if some are critical (like exercise). Also, reconsider the time allocated for each task. For example, instead of spending two hours preparing in the morning, consider cutting it down to one hour three times a week, using the extra time for a 30-minute run. Keep in mind, changing your schedule is normal and part of the process of finding the perfect routine. It takes time to develop the ideal daily schedule for yourself.

• Time is money. Sticking to your schedule will help you make the most of the time you have.
• Maintaining a schedule can help you spot lifestyle habits that may go unnoticed. For example, you might notice that you're feeling tired on Thursdays due to staying out late with friends after work on Wednesdays. By identifying this pattern, you can adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Instead of socializing every week, try every other week to still have fun with your colleagues but avoid the fatigue on Thursdays.
• Keeping a schedule and sticking to it can make you more efficient and productive because it attaches your tasks to a set deadline. This means you'll be able to avoid the excuse, “I don’t have enough time!”

• Don't procrastinate. Doing so will only make you extremely stressed, disorganized, and irritable.