7 simple elements of an effective schedule

We all have numerous things to do daily, whether at home or work, school or business. Scheduling our daily activities is sometimes really tasking because we have only 24 hours to do all of them.

Here are five simple things I think you should have in mind when planning your timetable.

By the way, check out my article on how to manage your time effectively and achieve more in 24 hours.

1. Realistic/Practical

This is one ingredient I’ve come to realise its importance in my short experience on this terrestrial ball. When you want to do proper planning of your life and goals, be realistic as to what it’ll take and how long it’ll take. And when you want to accomplish them, have as much faith as possible and push the lid.

You don’t draw a timetable of your daily or monthly activities by faith or by assumption. No. A simple example: you have a plan to read all the books of the Bible. Now, it’ll be unrealistic to assume that you can read the entire Bible in a day even if you played the audio Bible at five times the normal reading speed and read for the whole 24 hours. That’s unrealistic because, at some point, you’ll need to take care of other human needs, like eating, having a shower, resting etc. This can apply to other goals as well.

So, when drawing your plans, be practical, and take into account other aspects of your life, as well as other things that may influence your schedule. Then, when you’re implementing the timetable, you can do so by faith and accomplish more in a shorter time. Plan realistically and work by faith, basically.

2. Clear and Simple

When you look at your schedule, it should quickly give you an idea of how the day should go without overlaps and other complications. A well-planned timetable should highlight the most important items clearly; only important tasks should be keyed in and not every tiny detail. For instance, you can’t include brushing your teeth or combing your hair or cleaning your shoes in your timetable. Of course, they’re part of your daily activities, but adding them in there will only make the timetable clumsy and even demotivating.

3. Deadlines

This element is a must-have if your schedule will be effective. A schedule that doesn’t have a deadline, or a timestamp for ticking the boxes of each item is as good as a fantasy. Deadlines keep you disciplined and focused on the objective, which is essential in achieving any goal. It curbs your wandering mind that is eager to multitask, leaving the main project for things irrelevant. Deadlines also keep you motivated to finish that task.

4. Time for family and loved ones

I’ll talk about this point later when I treat the subject of productivity. But for now, let it suffice for you to know that when your schedule doesn’t include time for your family, it’s bound to fail. Why? Because you’ll either not be focused on what you’re doing (mind distractions), or you’ll completely discard your schedule to face the family (physical distractions). So, it’s best to map out time for your family, and when you should attend to them. This will go a long way in helping them allow you space to face your work when it’s time. It also helps to take care of the guilt you’ll feel for not being with them when they need you; it doesn’t eliminate it, but it sure reduces it. So, designate a time for your family and add it to your schedule.

5. Time for Rest

There is a saying that health is wealth. Your body is the single most important thing you have on earth. When your body breaks down, it affects every aspect of your life, including whatever you had planned to accomplish. So, provision must be made in your timetable for adequate rest. It must be spelt out. Also, rest helps reinvigorate you; whenever you become tired, your productivity and the quality of your output diminish. That’s physiological. But when you rest for a couple of hours, your physical and mental faculties are renewed, and you’re able to accomplish more.

6. Time for Exercise

Just like the point above, the body is what will carry out whatever plans you have. So, physical exercises that keep the body organs sound helps you to function optimally. There is a quote in the Bible that reads thus, “If the axe is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.” The wisdom to apply here is to train the body which is the tool (axe) you need for your work.

Therefore, for efficiency and longevity, a time must be clearly mapped out in your schedule for proper body exercise.

7. Feed your Spirit

We are spiritual beings in physical bodies. Therefore, attention must be given to our essence. Whether in reading the Bible or deep moments of fellowship with God in prayers, these help to revitalise our spirit and nourish our bodies. So, include a time for spiritual exercises in your daily schedule as these feed your spirit.

A living spirit can help a weak body, but a strong body can do nothing for a weak spirit. However, when both are healthy, what a terrific combination!