Are You Running Your Schedule or Your Schedule Running You?

How Accountability Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

Do you ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? Despite our best intentions, it seems like there's always something else to do, something else to add to our to-do list. But what if I told you that by keeping a great schedule, you could actually increase your productivity and achieve your goals more efficiently? That's the power of accountability – and it all starts with the discipline of scheduling.

Adding Extra Time for Self-Care: One of the most important things to remember when building a schedule is the importance of self-care. It's all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of work and forget to take care of ourselves. That's why I recently learned to add an extra 30 minutes to my schedule during certain times of day – namely, meal times and the end of the workday – to give myself time to decompress and gather my thoughts. These brief breaks help me recharge my batteries and approach my work with renewed focus.

The Benefits of Concise Meetings: Another way that scheduling can help you achieve your goals is by making your meetings more efficient. When you're concise with your time, you're better able to think on your feet and communicate your ideas clearly. This not only helps you achieve your goals more quickly, but it also helps build trust with your colleagues, clients, or customers. Taking control of your schedule can help you take control of your professional relationships, too.

Building Referral Business Through Mutual Help: Scheduling also helps to build mutual trust and support when it comes to building referral business. By being transparent about the other items on your schedule, you can exemplify your dedication to your work and to your colleagues' needs. In turn, they may be more likely to reciprocate by referring clients or customers to you. Scheduling can help you build relationships that are beneficial to your professional goals and increase your chances of success.

Don't Overdo It: Setting Limits to Achieve Balance: Of course, it's important not to overdo it with your scheduling. As much as you want to achieve your goals, it's important to rest and recharge so that you can be fresh and focused when it counts. That's why I set a meeting from the meeting: I take the time to reflect on what I've accomplished and plan for the time ahead. By knowing what's going on ahead of time, I'm better able to schedule down time, vacation time, and date time, which helps me be present and engaged in all aspects of my life.

Accountability Builds Strong Relationships: Finally, I've found that honing my scheduling skills has also helped me build stronger relationships with my spouse and close friends. By being accountable to my schedule, I'm also being accountable to them. They're the ones who will notice if I'm overworking or neglecting myself in other ways. By sharing my scheduling techniques with them, I'm inviting them to hold me accountable and support me in my goals. The power of accountability extends beyond the workplace – and it all starts with scheduling.

In conclusion, the power of scheduling cannot be understated. By building a great schedule and sticking to it, you can increase your productivity, achieve your goals more efficiently, and build stronger relationships with the people around you. Whether you're working on building referral business or simply striving to be the best you can be, taking control of your schedule can help you get there. So get organized, stay disciplined, and watch your productivity skyrocket – you might just surprise yourself with what you're capable of.