How to Organize and Prioritize Weekly Projects

Posted on October 21st, 2010 by Todd Smith - View Comments |Click here to print

If I were to make a list of the top 10 reasons for the success I have enjoyed over my 30-year entrepreneurial career, one of the points that would be on that list is the way I plan and schedule my time. In fact, I would guess this point would be on the top of any successful business leader’s list because you cannot be successful over an extended period of time, if you are not productive with how you spend each day.

In today’s lesson I am going to share with you how I plan and schedule my week’s responsibilities.

My Plan for the Upcoming Week

On Saturday or Sunday, I take time to review all my current projects and set priorities for the upcoming week. Here is how I do it:

  • I make a list of all the projects I want to complete during the week. These are things that will require at least one hour of my uninterrupted time. All other items go on my Prioritized Daily To- Do List
  • Beside each entry I write down how much time I expect it will take to complete that project.
  • I then prioritize this list.

Below is the plan I put together for the current week. Since my new book will be released November 15th, most of my priorities this week are part of my “Book Rollout Plan.”

Monday

  • Finalize product pricing with Success Books, my publisher. This includes pricing for the hardcover book, CD audio book, MP3 downloadable version, Kindle and iPad versions, and bulk orders for books and the audio program. Estimated time: 1 ½ hours
  • Write this blog post. Estimated time: 3 hours.
  • Design work. Put together a simple creative brief for my designer to work from in creating the front and back covers for my CD audio program.  Estimated time: 2 hours

Total Time Estimated: 6 ½ hours

Tuesday

  • Write the text for the back of the CD audio program. Estimated time: 1 hour
  • Design work: Put together a simple creative brief outlining the changes that need to be made to LittleThingsMatter.com, so people can learn about and buy the book from my site. Estimated time: 2 hours
  • Write product descriptions. This includes the product descriptions that will appear on LittleThingsMatter.com, YourSuccessStore.com, and Amazon. Estimated time: Estimated time: 3 hours

Total Time Estimated: 6 hours

Wednesday

  • Design work: Put together a simple creative brief for my new Little Things Matter Facebook landing page. (This will be the page people see who have never visited Little Things Matter on Facebook.) Estimated time: 2 hours
  • Meet and strategize with my son-in-law who handles my website and Facebook page. Estimated time: 3 hours
  • Review my LTM website creative brief from Tuesday outlining all changes that need to be made to the site.
  • Review my Facebook landing page creative brief.
  • Review plan and testing deadlines for final rollout November 15th.
  • Design work: Review the creative brief for my audio program design with the designer, including all the approved edited text. Estimated time: 1 hour

Total Time Estimated:  6 hours

Thursday

  • Write next Tuesday’s blog post. Estimated time 3 hours
  • Write the next two weeks’ posts for Facebook and Twitter. Estimated time: 3 hours

Total estimated time: 6 hours

Friday

  • Write next Thursday’s blog post. Estimated time: 3 hours
  • Review and prioritize my marketing strategy with my son Gerrid and son-in-law Josh with Catalyst R.O.I.. Estimated Time: 1 hour
  • Design work: Put together a simple creative brief for a full-color 8 1/2  x 11 flyer promoting my book and audio program. Estimated time: 2 hours

Total estimated time: 6 hours

The Bottom Line

I realize this schedule is unique to me; yours will look totally different. The take-a-way from this lesson is that if you want to be highly productive, you must organize and prioritize how you spend your time. Do not allow interruptions during the windows of time you have blocked out to work on your projects or you will never get them done in the time allotted.

In review, here is my procedure. I list all my projects and estimate the amount of time it will take to complete each one. Then I prioritize my projects and place them into specific days of the week.

Once I finalize my Project To-Do List for the week, I then create my Prioritized Daily To- Do List for Monday. It includes each of the points listed under Monday above, but it also includes other tasks I need to do, such as make phone calls, return emails, schedule appointments, monitor my social media efforts, and drop my daughter off at her friends.

A schedule like this also changes as the week progresses. There are times when I am running ahead of schedule, times when I am behind schedule and times when priorities change.  The bottom line is that I go into each week with a plan and adjust as necessary.

40 Hours a Week is Break Even

If you do the math, you can see that I work more than eight hours on most business days. I also work 4–6 hours on Saturdays.

I have never seen anyone who has achieved any meaningful career goals working only 40 hours a week; 40 hours a week is where you break even. It’s the time you invest beyond 40 hours that gives you the edge in achieving your career and financial goals.

Let me also suggest that you monitor how long every project takes. This will allow you to accurately project how much time you need to allocate to projects in the future.

If you will begin to plan and schedule your time, as I described in this lesson, you will seldom miss deadlines or let others down. You will feel better about yourself and where you’re taking your life. You will experience more peace and less stress and, perhaps most importantly, it will help you achieve your goals.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them In the comments section below this post.

To achieve any meaningful goal, you must have a plan and the discipline to work it.

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 30 years and founder of Little Things Matter. To receive Todd’s lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. (Todd’s podcasts are listed #27 in America’s top 100 podcasts.)

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  • Beauty Swe
    Hi Todd,
    I'm a newcomer to your blog now,, I had always been listening again and again to your chapter on Little Things Matter from your Cycle of Duplication CDs, and always keep thanking you in my heart for making me a better person each day.
    Especially I like to be organized and structured and your lessons are the answers to my prayers
    Sincerely,
    Beauty
    Beauty Swe,MD,
    Internal Medicine,CA
    Beauty
  • Hi Beauty,

    I love that name! It is fitting for who you are.

    Thanks for your kind words. Let me encourage you to click on the "Archives" tab on this site and scan the list of lessons. I am sure you will find several that will catch your eye and bring value to your life.

    Enjoy your weekend.

    Todd
  • Cesar Contreras
    Todd, this post was for me!!! I so needed to read this and learn from you! It is something that has held me back but now I am ready to be more disciplined by living a structured schedule! Thank you!
  • Hi Cesar,

    I did write this just for you. :-)

    Putting together a schedule for each week is a little thing that makes a huge difference in your productivity. The key is being disciplined to work it!

    Todd
  • Okay -- now working on the weekly priority planning as per your article. Question: when daily to-do lists completely overwhelm the weekly projects, what is the answer? Choosing what to let go and ignore is always stressful and frustrating. Usually it is the creative projects (art, writing, music) that succumb to the daily chores ...
  • Hi Janelle,

    Thanks for your question.

    It is all about priorities. The question to ask yourself is, "What is the best use of my time in achieving MY goals?" If you ask that question. it is generally clear how you need to prioritize things.

    The reason you aren't spending as much time doing the things you listed is because they are not as important as the other things you are doing. If they were important, you would be making time to do them and pushing other things off.

    It's always good to review your goals frequently. It makes prioritizing a lot easier.

    Todd
  • Hi Todd,

    interesting take: 40 hours a week is the break-even, the surplus gives you the edge. That reminds me of my former marathon training. During this training, I was supposed to run 35 km/22 miles at once once a week. The last 5 km gave me the edge, but the first 30 km were required anyway.

    A couple of weeks ago, I wrote something similar in one my comments...it's a quote of Alfred Stielau-Pallas, one of my German coaches living in New Zealand. He basically says: Who works 8 hours a day, doesn't have time to reach his goals or to become successful.

    Honestly, I'm still struggling with these contrasting views.

    What do you think ? At the moment, I'm working way more than 40 hours.

    I really admire your precision, like a Swiss clockwork, wow.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Take care

    Oliver
  • Hi Oliver,

    Thanks for your ongoing support.

    Your quote from the German coach makes me think of all the people out there trying to teach people how to build successful careers, but yet have NEVER achieved any meaningful career and financial success themselves. In fact, 90%+ of the people writing books and speaking on personal and professional success have never been successful outside of their writing and speaking business.

    To me this is simple. How many people do you know who have built a successful career working 40 hours a week? How many people do you know who saved enough money to retire comfortably who worked 40 hours a week?

    People think a million dollars is a lot of money, but if you were making 5% on your million, you would only be earning $50,000 a year BEFORE taxes. Knock off taxes and you are likely around $32,000. You can't retire comfortably on that amount of money.

    I try to tell people the real life facts through my teachings.

    Thanks for your comment and your question.

    Todd
  • Hello Todd.

    Thank you for sharing such systematic and meticulous approach to
    planning a process or goal achieving activity.

    Pretty sure your days must be filled with run around and excitement since
    the date for your book getting out is approaching and so close.

    Best wishes with such endeavor.
    Regards
  • Hi Ernesto,

    Glad you enjoyed today's post. I become more convinced by the day that proper planning is critical to goal achievement. Most people (97%) don't take the time to plan and schedule their time and wonder why they aren't more successful.

    As for my book, I am excited, but it is not consuming me. I have created a lot of trainings and tools in my day and you never know how people are going to respond. What I am most anxious about is getting feedback from people who read it. I think it can transform anyone's life, if they put into action the lessons I teach in the book.

    As one of my most loyal followers, you will get a free autographed copy! :-)

    Thanks,

    Todd
  • Bill
    What a great lesson, what you have shared is the essence of living a life by design. Having a plan gives us directon, significence and productivity. Your planning process parallels with my planner(the My Daily Director). Priority management is key. If you put things in order you get expected results.
  • Hey Bill,

    I thought about your planner when I wrote this post.

    As you said, "Priority management is the key."

    Take care,

    Todd
  • Hello Todd,
    Thanks to your many lessons on this subject I’ve made the process a habit with me. I’m just now adding the monitoring review to my actions for the reasons you mentioned.

    I’m excited about the debut of your book. Your time spent in action motivates me to continue to increase my own (currently 60 hours plus).

    "Love It, Learn It, Absorb It, Apply It, Live It, Teach It!" - K.J. Kilroy Was Here!
    ...and in your case Publish It!

    Loving It Always,
    Kevin J, Kilroy
  • Morning Kevin,

    As you can see from many of my lessons, I am organized, structured and have a prioritized plan for what I do. It really has made a big difference in my life.

    Love you quote! :-)

    Todd
  • GLB
    Having a work plan in place has got to be one of the most important prerequisites to productivity. However, I have to take issue with your statements about "working only 40 hours a week." Certainly it would be rare for an entrepreneur to be successful if he/she did not put in substantial extra effort for some number of years to become established. But if that same person feels it is necessary to consistently commit that kind of time throughout their career, then he/she has either not learned to delegate well or may have their priorities out-of-whack. Of course we can make exceptions for those Type A's who thrive on long hours and are not compromising family or other commitments in the process, but aren't they in the minority? How many time-management gurus have extolled the virtues of working smarter, not harder? How much success is enough?
  • Hello GLB,
    Todd is giving you the true keys to success. Only you will decide on how much is enough. I have known too many people who have easily hit their goals because they set them to low.

    In my own first real business I never worked by the clock, I used a calendar to achieve my goals. By applying countless hours of productivity I retired on 12-01-92 at the age of 39 by choice.

    In my life I have always either done nothing or overdid everything. I found myself doing time to time projects with both the same dedication and result.

    Even when I increased my recreational fun pastime of gambling, it was soon pointed out to me that I attacked it like it was just another dedicated business.

    The point here is being truly successful requires extended effort and time. If you are lucky like me you won’t even notice how much time you are investing, because you are concentrating on the prize.

    Much Success To You,
    Kevin J. Kilroy
  • Hi GLB,

    I agree if someone is established and has achieved their goals, then they can cut back and live whatever life they want, working as few hours as they desire. After I achieved my major career and financial goals, I worked less than 20 hours a week for several years.

    I then felt like I was wasting my life and decided to start my blog and write a book. Now that I am pursuing some new goals, I am back to working 50-60 hours a week for this season in my life and loving it.

    I have never seen anyone, met anyone or heard of anyone who has achieved any meaningful career goals working only 40 hours a week. How many people do you know who have achieved any meaningful career or financial goals who worked 40 hours a week?

    Time management is about working smarter. It is NOT about working fewer hours. If people are not highly productive working 40+ hours a week, the odds are stacked against them.

    My views are not based on reading books from time management gurus. Instead it is based on 30 years of working with entrepreneurs and sales people. Over the last 20 years, I have personally worked with hundreds and watched thousands of people try to achieve their career goals. And like I said, in the post and in my comment above, I have never seen anyone get ahead working 40 hours a week. That is a big ZERO out of thousands of people.

    As for how much success is enough, that is up to each person. I am not talking about over the top success where the vault is full of money. I am just talking about getting ahead.

    As for delegating, I am a one man entrepreneur and love not having employees. My side business that I put in less than 10 hours a week generated more than 2 million in sales last month. I put in 60 hours a week building it, but now I could do as you suggested, work 10-20 hours a week and live a great life.

    Todd

  • Janelle Helling
    Thank you for this post, Todd. This lays out the road map to see the concrete application of conceptual discussions. Regarding responsibilities are based on continual interruptions or changing external conditions, I picked up on your statement: "The bottom line is that I go into each week with a plan and adjust as necessary." That would be it in a nutshell. I look forward a more detailed discussion of this in a future blog. A personal example for me is a trip to the dentist yesterday morning. It needed a root canal, and the toothache was terrible. I made phone calls from the dentist's office until I found an endodontist who had a cancellation and I was able to drive directly there and have it done right away. I can assure you that a toothache and root canal were not on my long-term (or short-term) planning lists ... but the other events scheduled this week meant that I needed to get it done. My top priority "goal" for the day became to get the toothache/dental work taken care of, and I did. It feels so much better today, I'm ready to get back to the "regular" lists and plans. If I had stopped at the first one or two phone calls and scheduled the root canal in another week or two, I'd be miserable with a toothache and not feel like accomplishing much at all in the meantime.
  • Hi Janelle,

    Yes, I would agree with you. If I had a toothache, fixing it would take priority over everything you read in this post.

    Todd
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