Here are seven steps to organize a productive week for yourself.

1. Know what tasks need to be completed

Having a to do list is very important, if you want a more productive week. If you don’t know what needs to be done, then it would be very hard to accomplish anything. Make sure you have a list of the tasks that need to be done in the next week. Also, note which tasks will take more time than others. You should make a schedule of how long each tasks will take. This will give you a more realistic time frame of what you need to do that week.

2. Make smaller goals if you need to

If you have more than one project that needs to be done, then you should break it into smaller goals. Each smaller goal can act as a mental note, allowing you to determine how far you have come and how much further you need to go to accomplish your tasks.

3. Actually get organized

If you don’t know where anything is, you are wasting time that you cannot afford to lose. Make sure that everything you need to accomplish your goals and to have a productive week is organized into the correct places.

4. Automate or outsource when you can

Do you find yourself often wasting time on things that you shouldn’t spend any time on? Undoubtably, there are tasks that you can automate by downloading some software or a plugin. Think about any tasks you currently spend time on that you could be outsourcing to others.

5. Accomplish tasks from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest

There is a reasoning for why you would do either. Some choose to accomplish bigger tasks first because they can then clear the way, knowing that only easy tasks are left. Some prefer to get rid of the smaller tasks first because then they can focus more time on the harder items. Whatever method you choose to do, you should definitely complete the urgent tasks right away, just in case an issue arrises and you end up needing more time than you originally thought.

6. Know your progress

If you are working on a rather large project, track your progress and record what you have done. If you have to constantly go back and try to remember what you have done and what you have left out, then you may find yourself wasting many precious minutes.

7. Know when you work best

If you have different tasks that need to be completed throughout the day, you should try to work on different tasks at the time when you work best. For example, if you are a morning person, then you may want to do your sales part of your job in the morning when you know that you are more outgoing. However, if you know that you are not a pleasant person in the mornings, then you will probably want to wait to do any sales tasks until later on. If you know when you work best and actually work during those times, you will have a more organized and productive week. What steps do you take to organize a productive week?