First of all, what on earth is it…?
A Default Diary is a schedule you have in place that details everything you do on a weekly basis, down to the nearest 15 minutes. This includes weekly meetings, work breaks, gym sessions, dog walks, outbound calls, and if you’re not yet utilising your time; Admin. Input anything you do regularly, and the beauty of doing so means you can refine exactly what your precious time is being spent on. This would be the perfect first step in the guidebook for “Working smarter not harder”.
The idea is that, by making the important things your default, you make it as easy as physically possible to live in your ideal week, every week. Once it’s been created, trialed, and tested, this schedule will be what you’ll do week by week when you’re on autopilot. In doing this, you’ll quickly clean up your priorities and form daily habits that eventually become second nature. But the whole point is this: The fewer decisions you have to make throughout the day, the more energy you’re able to put towards the tasks at hand.
The most successful people in the world use a default diary… So now that we’ve established that you need, one where on earth do you find one? Funny you should ask, we have a free digital download ready and waiting for you; it includes a timely breakdown of the day down to the nearest 15mins. All you need to do is send us an email requesting the default diary and follow our steps below to create an efficient & effective default diary.
1. Insert the tasks that are already in your routine
- The times that you start and finish work
- Your regular meetings & appointments
- Any existing commitments
(Anything that can’t be moved)
2. Make a list of anything else that needs to be included, right down to your morning coffee break.
Next to each task, give an estimate of how long per week you would ideally like to spend on each task – don’t forget to schedule time for self-care, learning & exercise!
3. We want to clean up the priorities first, it’s easier to do this using colours – it also engages both sides of your brain!
Highlight all tasks that you should focus on. It could be your goals, marketing, strategic thinking or building strategic partnerships – this is up to you.
4. Now start assigning time slots into the default diary for each task.
Starting with the tasks you’ve just highlighted, ensuring they’re scheduled for your most productive time in the day. Equally, think about when you’re least productive and schedule time for admin, team meetings & self-care.