How to add glitter to your to-do list

All 24-hours of my day are completely scheduled.

Balancing competing priorities is nothing new to me, but as life becomes more robust I find myself craving schedule and structure.

The article Effective Scheduling, Planning to Make the Best Use of Your Time published on MindTools (sidenote: MindTools is a fantastic resource) supports my desire for scheduling. Mind Tools shares:

"Scheduling is the art of planning your activities so that you can achieve your goals and priorities in the time you have available. When it's done effectively, it helps you:

• Understand what you can realistically achieve with your time.

• Make sure you have enough time for essential tasks.

• Add contingency time for "the unexpected."

• Avoid taking on more than you can handle.

• Work steadily toward your personal and career goals.

• Have enough time for family and friends, exercise and hobbies.

• Achieve a good work-life balance.

• Time is the one resource that we can't buy, but we often waste it or use it ineffectively.

Scheduling helps you think about what you want to achieve in a day, week or month, and it keeps you on track to accomplish your goals."

I have an hour-by-hour action plan for my day including time scheduled for Netflix, relaxing and self-care.

How can you prepare your schedule? MindTools encourages you to:

1. Identify the time you have available.

2. Block in the essential tasks you must carry out to succeed in your job.

3. Schedule high-priority urgent tasks and vital "housekeeping" activities.

4. Block in appropriate contingency time to handle unpredictable events and interruptions.

5. Schedule the activities that address your priorities and personal goals in the time that remains.

6. Analyze your activities to identify tasks that can be delegated, outsourced or cut altogether.

It's important that your schedule makes time for your professional and personal goals. If you have little or no discretionary time left when you reach step five, revisit your tasks to see if you can do them differently – otherwise, your work-life balance will suffer.

Now that you realize the vital importance of scheduling, you may be wondering how to best organize your weekly tasks so you can schedule time for personal goals and self care.

To create effective lists and prioritize weekly tasks, I encourage you to use Listly!

Listly allows users to publish interactive lists, add to lists of others, and embed lists in other applications such as blogs, calendars, etc.

Listly is an aesthetically pleasing website that includes Google Chrome extensions, smartphone application integration, and much more!

Check out this SlideShare presentation (hello social media curation!) on Getting Started With Listly - A Beginners Guide to Social List Making for tips on how to set up your profile and begin curating lists!

Interested in seeing a list in action?

Check out the #EME6414 Listly I created that details Web 2.0 weekly action items!

You can also add to the #EME6414 Listly.

Add action items I forgot to help fellow classmates!

Do you see yourself using Listly for your personal schedule? Perhaps in the classroom? Applications for Listly are bountiful! Share your thoughts and what you may use Listly for in the comments below!

XO,

Michelle