Author: Kim

Consider: “Do More Better”

Published on by Kim

Tim Challies has produced Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity in 119 pages of valuable principles and practical helps. Here are some brief snippets from this resource:

Productivity is not what will bring purpose to your life, but what will enable you to excel in living out your existing purpose.

Productivity is effectively stewarding my gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God.

A productivity system is a set of methods, habits, and routines that enable you to be most effective in knowing what to do and in actually doing it. … To be productive, you need a system.

And the book details systems — and tools — that can help.

In addition, Ligonier Connect has an online course available on this book, for more structured study individually or as a group.

 

These books are set here as possibilities for you to explore. Posts and links are not endorsements or paid publicity.

My Planner

Published on by Kim

In my role as time management coach, people occasionally ask what my planner looks like. So today we’ll look at it. Please keep in mind that what works for me may not be the best tool for you. So take a peek and use what you can.

My planner is paper. This was a change a couple of years ago when my days became more mobile. A binder, that is small enough to hold easily, can come with me from place to place and be where I need it. In addition to the calendar, it also holds coupons and shopping lists. I’m not a huge fan of paper in general, so having every bit of paper I need in one place is helpful.

The calendar is a week per spread. This is the right balance for my days — enough room to write various appointments and details but still small enough to see the whole week at once. A monthly option isn’t quite enough room, and a page per day leaves too much empty space unfilled.

The days contain appointments and tasks. One side of the sheet is marked hourly, so I can put appointments and commitments at the right times. The other side is for a to-do list, so I can keep track of tasks for each day and the week. Having them side-by-side is important for my success. Both parts work together to map out the day.

The pages are plain. Color-coding can be useful, but I don’t get enough benefit from it. I use whatever pen is handy (one on my desk or the one in the planner loop) to write what is needed. It just needs to be legible until it’s past or crossed off.

It’s simple, but it works.