Working without a scheduled plan can leave an employee or employer missing out on certain tasks. Experts say that you can’t devote the right amount of attention to your work if you’re not organised and lack a plan. Having a schedule of your daily activities is known to boost your productivity. Establishing a routine takes development and sticking to a schedule, as this will result into discipline, that way, you can handle any uncertainty or confusion, which can lead to stress. Although you may want to achieve your goals, you need to allocate time to urgent tasks and understand the steps to attain your goals. If it takes offering more time to the most important and difficult projects or tasks, then do so. Anything that lacks a plan is hard to manage. You have perhaps seen some people who always run late, submit tasks late and miss out on deadlines even when they were given enough time to prepare, they are disorganised. Such people give their bosses a reason not to trust them. Employees that are disorganised in most cases are overwhelmed by tasks and don’t know how to handle, as they haven’t planned their daily activities. Failure to jot down what tasks you have to execute on a daily basis breeds forgetfulness. For Jean Pierre Gahigi, a communications specialist, planning your work and the period necessary to spend on a certain project, assists you to avoid distractions because you have a target to hit at the end of the day. If your neighbour distracts you, find a comfortable place. If it’s the phone notifications, put them off until you’re done, otherwise, distractions can limit you from finishing your work even when you have planned. “The beauty about having a timetable for your work activities is that you can trace progress, and seek means of reaching your target. If it’s the help that you need, you can request it from colleagues or supervisors,” he says. The communications specialist stresses that it’s very common for workers to jump from one task to another without completing any of them, which is a bad habit, yet inevitable when people lack a timetable. He explains that this isn’t the case when you schedule your programs because that way, you’re guided to first finish one assignment or task, before taking on another. It’s the discipline that comes with time. According to Indeed Career Today, a daily schedule helps you prioritise your wants and needs efficiently and offers you structure to support your productivity. Once established, a daily routine can help you achieve long-term goals by ensuring you’re regularly working towards them. Other benefits of a daily schedule include; scheduling time to meet all daily goals, boosting productivity, limiting procrastination, establishing healthy habits and enjoying a good work-life balance. “In order to create a daily schedule, begin by writing down every task, both personal and professional, you want to accomplish during a normal week. Focus on brainstorming rather than editing or organising. Remember to include tasks that you complete intermittently.” Gahigi is of the view that you ought to allow yourself to make adjustments where necessary as you may experience urgent and unexpected tasks that may require immediate attention. It may take more time to have a routine that is appropriate for both professional and personal needs, he says. He also points out that if you happen to miss out on a task on your timetable especially in the first days of making your plan, push those tasks to another day, but make sure to not make it a habit.
