As with many of us, my life can become hectic at the drop of a hat.  I need to plan daily and it’s not because I think my life is super complicated.  It is for the focus, being aware that complications are a real possibility and compensating for it each day.

A set list of tasks helps to keep me focused on what is important despite new information and attention seekers that come out of the woodwork during the day.

My daily planning usually occurs the night before or in the morning. I find this planning time relaxing. It helps me to not feel overwhelmed.  If I have a very busy week for example looking at the week view constantly is too much.  My brain tends to skip around and lose focus thinking about everything that needs to be accomplished. Knowing that I am able to narrow my focus to only a single day’s tasks is the first step to managing my life.

People incorporate daily planning in many different ways. There is just putting down your appointments and important events.  These become your anchor tasks and the framework around which all other tasks are completed.

Hourly planning is another form of daily planning.  This is a method where everything is scheduled – appointments,  important events and tasks.  Basically,  for each hour of the day,  there is a plan in place for how it will proceed. This option is normally favoured by people who are accountable only to themselves and funnily enough people who have a large number of obligations to others, whether it is family or work.

A combination of the two previous planning styles is one that most people use to organize and structure their lives. It can be seen as making the most of your day.

Personally I look at my daily view as a focused workload.  I feel like I am in a race when I use hourly planning,  so I do not include a time breakdown as part of my daily schedule. Normally I have two or three tasks that I want to accomplish.  Everything else will fit in around my core tasks. Some refer to these core tasks as their top priorities.  For me,  it helps my focus to think of these core tasks as my fundamental plan for each day.

Once you find a planning structure that works for you,  it becomes easier to organize each day. Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that any structure that works for you now will work for you in six months.  You should make sure that you are adapting to your changing life situations as they occur, if you need to do so.