How do you prioritise your day? I used to use a TO DO list, and work through the list, around planned appointments and mark off what I had achieved. However, I have recently changed my planner to include a diary as well, which I have found to be more effective. I now list my priorities for the day, and then allocate a time in my diary to do each task, it is essential you allocate a little more time than you expect the task to take, to allow for interruptions. This has helped ensure that some of the tasks that I put off, don’t sit in the bottom of my intray.

As you know, each day does not always go according to plan, your computer may break down, an urgent phone call may come in, a task may take longer than expected and the list goes on, so although your day is planned, your plan will not always go off without a hitch – you need to allow for a little flexibility. Therefore, my diary contains two columns, one for the plan, and one for the actual, and every task that is missed today I carry over to my priorities for the next day, and ensure these are first on my list.

I have attached a one-day diary page example for you to have a look at, you can use this as your guide, or find a diary that best meets your needs.

Happy planning, and don’t forget to plan some time for yourself!