Are You Set Up for Success
One of the very fist things I do as a dietitian is to help clients set their schedule up for success. We start by identifying your goals. If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, how can you expect to get there? Whether you are traing for the the CrossFit Games or just to be a healthy parent, priotitizing your time is paramount. When it comes time for setting up your schedule and planning out how much time each task will take, this will help keep everything on track.
It’s also important that your goals are realistic and achievable; otherwise, they’ll just become another thing on your list of things that never got done. Make sure that whatever goal(s) or project(s) in mind are something that can actually be completed within the allotted time frame given by yourself or others (if applicable).
Create a Master Schedule
- Schedule in time for work, leisure and rest.
- Adjust as necessary. Consider your energy levels and the demands of your schedule. If you’re feeling tired or overworked, maybe it’s time to cut back on something else that isn’t essential (like watching TV) so you can get more sleep or take an evening off from work.
- Consider how much flexibility your schedule has room for–and if there are any areas where it would benefit from being less rigidly structured–such as having one day each week where everyone gets home at 5pm instead of 6pm because that’s when everyone needs dinner ready anyway!
Establish a Morning Routine
- Establish a morning routine.
- Set aside time for personal tasks, such as exercising and meditating.
- Plan for a healthy breakfast (if you’re not already eating one).
- Get moving!
Set Aside Time for Self-Care
- Schedule in time for exercise. If you’re not already exercising regularly, this can be a difficult step to take. But it’s important–and if you don’t do it, your schedule will quickly become overwhelmed with other tasks that are more urgent but less important.
- Plan for social activities. Having friends and family around makes us feel loved and supported, which helps us deal with stress better than we otherwise would (and even boosts our immune systems). So make sure that there’s room in your schedule for them!
- Allocate time for relaxation every day–even if it’s just five minutes after work before dinner or on the weekend when everyone else is relaxing too; this will help prevent burnout later on down the line when things get more hectic again
Be Flexible
Flexibility is key to making your schedule work. There will be times when you have to adjust for unexpected events, or even just for a change of plans with friends. Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go exactly as planned–it’s not the end of the world!
Prioritize Your Tasks
To ensure your schedule is set up for success, you need to prioritize your tasks.
Focus on the most important tasks first. It’s tempting to start with all of the small things that can be done quickly or easily–but if you do this, you’ll end up spending more time than necessary on less important things. Instead, start with the big stuff and work your way down from there. This will help keep you focused and prevent procrastination from creeping into your day-to-day activities.*
Break down large tasks into smaller ones if necessary.* Delegate when possible (and appropriate). If someone else has a skill set or knowledge base that would be useful in completing a project or task at hand–whether it’s writing an article about how to use social media effectively or setting up an email marketing campaign–you should consider delegating those responsibilities so that they can get done efficiently without taking away from other important projects on which they may need time spent working as well
Be Realistic About Time
- Allow for extra time for unexpected delays.
- Focus on one task at a time, and don’t multitask.
- Give yourself a break!
Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is an important part of setting your schedule up for success. When you’re working on a project, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget about yourself. It can be tempting to agree to every request that comes your way, but if you don’t set limits on how much time you’ll spend on each task or commitment, then it will quickly become overwhelming and stressful.
Setting firm boundaries means saying “no” when necessary; however, this doesn’t mean being rude! Instead of rejecting requests outright (which may make people feel rejected), consider giving them an alternative solution: “I’m sorry I can’t attend this event with you because I have another commitment at that time.” Or perhaps simply explain why something won’t work: “I would love nothing more than spending all day Saturday watching movies together; however my schedule won’t allow me any free time until Sunday afternoon.”
Take Breaks
Taking breaks is an important part of setting up your schedule for success. You need to step away from your work area and take a walk or meditate, for example. This will help you stay focused on the task at hand and not get distracted by other things that might be going on in your life.
Review and Adjust
Once you’ve established your schedule, it’s important to review it on a regular basis. You may need to make changes as the year progresses and your priorities change. For example, if you’re taking on new responsibilities at work or school and find yourself with less time for socializing, consider cutting back on some of those activities (or scheduling them for times when you know you’ll be less busy).
If something isn’t working out as well as expected–for example, if one class is proving more difficult than another–consider changing things up by switching around some of the times when classes are held or adding extra study time before exams. Don’t be afraid to try something new!
Ready to adjust your schedule to better fit your new healthy lifestyle?
Check out my nutrition services here
Brit Bailey, MSNHP, RDN, LDN
