First, I keep a "Master To-do List" on which is listed everything I have to do. This list is broken down into categories (Dissertation, Home, Self, Blog, Teaching, Standard, To Call, To Email, etc.), and I update it every Sunday night. This is not the to-do list I work from; it would be far too overwhelming. It is, however, a good reference to return to throughout the week as I make my daily plans.
After I've updated this Master list on Sunday, I make a rough plan for the week. In pencil (a key element), I set goals for what I will accomplish each day, and I outline how I need to spend my time each day in order to accomplish those goals. Often, I get overly ambitious as to what I can accomplish each day, so being able to plot out my days helps me see if my goals are, indeed, realistic. I still often overestimate my abilities, but at least this way I tend to get a little closer to reality. Every night, I try to revisit this schedule to see if the next day's plans are still relevant and realistic (this is where that writing in pencil comes in handy). I find this works much better if I do this step the night before and not first thing in the morning. I tend to have trouble getting started in the morning, but I'm much more efficient if I wake up with a clear picture of what needs to be done and plan for how to tackle it.
My newest ally in this system are Oasis Scheduler Pads from Levenger. The pads are large, and for each weekday, they have both a place to make an hourly schedule and a place to take notes. (There is also a column for Saturday and Sunday). I had been trying to design myself a similar document for a couple months now, but I hadn't come up with something as perfect as this. Even on sale, these were a total splurge, but they are totally worth it!
This makes me sound far more efficient than I actually am. I don't always live up to my to-do lists, but this systems gets me to a point where them become manageable.
How do you organize your days?
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