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The best way to make a daily plan and stick to it

Whether you’re a student, employee, or stay-at-home parent, keeping a schedule can help you manage your time and be productive. Thankfully, making and keeping a schedule isn’t hard to do! With a few scribbles in your planner or tabs on your screen, you can have an efficient plan for the day in no time. Keep reading to learn how to schedule your day and be as productive as possible.

[Edit]Things You Should Know

Write down everything you must do for the day on a piece of paper or in a notes app before making your schedule.
Schedule your day using time slots to stay on task. Plan each hour of your day to get started, allowing extra time for tasks so you don't fall behind.
Prioritize tasks or events that have deadlines or fixed times. For instance, schedule your day around work meetings, homework assignments, or appointments.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Making a Daily Schedule

Pick a calendar or planner to use that meets your daily needs. There are plenty of calendars or planners on the market for you to choose from! Opt for one with a daily to-do spread if you want to focus more on daily tasks, or pick one with monthly and weekly spreads to help you plan ahead. Ultimately, choose whatever best suits your needs and lifestyle.^[1]
- If physical planners and calendars aren’t your thing, there are a ton of scheduling apps you can use on your phone. Stick with your phone’s calendar or notes app, or try one like TimeTree or Any.do.
- Consider using a bullet journal to create your own calendar and to-do list spread to perfectly match your needs.
Write down everything you need to accomplish for the day. Think about what you need to do today (or even for the whole week). Put every task or goal on a piece of paper or in a notes app on your phone. Now, you can see everything you need to do for the day in front of you.^[2]
- Your list make look similar to this:
  - Laundry
  - Finish module 3
  - Stretching and jogging
  - Zoom meeting
Color-code your tasks so your schedule is easier to read at a glance. Look at your list of things you need to do. Then, categorize each type of task to a color. For instance, daily chores may be green, exercise yellow, and homework or work assignments orange. This way, you can easily look at your daily (or evenly weekly) schedule and see what’s on the agenda.
- Use a colored pen, marker, or highlighter to help organize your tasks in a physical calendar or planner.
- Type in different text colors on a digital calendar or create each task with a different colored label.
Prioritize each task on a number scale to determine what’s important. It’s more effective if you know what needs to be done first when making a daily schedule. So, number your tasks from what needs to be done first to what doesn’t have to get done today. This way, you can easily look at your schedule and know what you must do.^[3]
- Try asking yourself these questions to determine what task(s) are of the highest priority:
  - Which task is due first or has a deadline?
  - Which task takes the longest time to complete?
  - Is one task more important than the others?
  - Which task will be the most challenging?
Note if any tasks are time-sensitive. If you have a homework assignment due, a work meeting, or a yoga class at a specific time, write that down as well. The last thing you want to do is complete a task too late or miss an event! Noting when a task is or needs to be finished will help you as you continue planning your day.^[4]
Schedule a time for each task based on importance and relevance. Now it’s time to transfer your notes into your calendar or planner. Make a timetable of your day, and give each time slot a task. Fill in tasks or events with time constraints first, then squeeze in the most important remaining ones. Write how long you expect to spend on each task, too.^[5]
- For example, you may schedule time to study (2 hours), work out (1 hour), write emails (30 minutes), and walk the dog (30 minutes).
- Remember to incorporate travel time into your scheduling. For example, do you need to drive to the gym from the library where you're studying? If so, it may take an hour and a half of your time rather than just an hour.
  - Always overestimate how long something will take by a few minutes. Add 25% to the time you allot for tasks in your schedule (for instance, schedule something that takes an hour for an hour and 15 minutes0. This extra time add up and provides a cushion to help you avoid being late or falling behind.
- There may be some overlap with tasks of high importance and time restraints, and that’s okay! More often than not, the tasks that need to get done have a designated time they must be completed by.
Leave space in your schedule for flexibility. Try to avoid fully booking up your day when you can. Keeping some free space in your schedule can help you relax or schedule unexpected, low-priority tasks throughout the day. Plus, how can you stay motivated without taking a break every now and then?^[6]
- For example, you could schedule 2 hours of free time between dinner and bedtime to chat with friends, catch a movie, or read a book.

[Edit]Keeping to Your Schedule

Check your calendar or planner throughout the day. Make it a habit to check your calendar every morning and night to stay on task and prepare for the day ahead. This way, you can always be on top of the game and know what’s to come—it’s a great way to stay motivated!^[7]
- Schedule in a few minutes in the morning each day or evening to write out your schedule or to-do list. This way, you can go into the day knowing what’s on the agenda.^[8]
- Schedule alarms on your phone or computer to remind you of certain tasks or appointments. This way, you won’t miss a thing (even if your physical planner isn’t on hand).
Cross off tasks as you complete them. When you complete a task or event, cross it off your to-do list with a pen or pencil. Not only is this super motivating, but it also helps you stay on schedule.
- If you’re using a digital planner or calendar, use a text strikethrough or italic formatting option to show you’ve completed a task.
- If you don’t complete a task on time, don’t sweat it! If it’s low priority, you can always schedule it for tomorrow. If it’s high priority, try to squeeze it in somewhere else on your schedule.
Adjust your schedule as needed. Although you should try sticking to your schedule as much as possible, things happen, and adjustments may be needed. Don’t hesitate to move flexible or low-priority items to other time slots or days. Not everything has to get done in one day—you’re only human! Focus on high-priority or timely items, and worry about the rest later.^[9]
- Even so, be careful not to let your tasks pile up and spill over into the next day too frequently. If you find this happening a lot, try giving yourself more time for each task rather than rearranging the next few days.
Reward yourself when you’ve completed your tasks. Who says you have to be strict all of the time? If you’ve completed all your tasks for the day, don’t hesitate to reward yourself! Not only is this positive reinforcement to keep you motivated, but it also gives you time to rest and recharge (especially after a busy day).^[10]
- Reward yourself by soaking in the tub, watching your favorite TV show, or splurging on a sweet treat.

[Edit]Daily Schedule Examples

{endbold} In this example, a college student is scheduling their day around a math exam and Spanish study group, which have fixed times. They want to make sure they still have time to hang out with friends, do their homework, and take care of their daily needs:
- 8 AM: Wake up
- 8:30 AM: Have breakfast
- 9 AM: Feed and walk the dog
- 10 AM: Get dressed
- 11 AM: Math exam
- 12 PM: Lunch with friends
- 1 PM: Work on sociology essay
- 3 PM: Spanish study group
- 5 PM: Pilates
- 7 PM: Dinner
- 9 PM: Journal before bed
{endbold} Take a look at this example of a 9 to 5 commuter. Their day revolves around making it to the office on time and completing work tasks outside of the home. While they have a few tasks that are time sensitive, they also want to make sure they take enough breaks throughout the work day to stay alert:
- 7 AM: Wake up
- 7:30 AM: Eat breakfast
- 8 AM: Get dressed
- 8:30 AM: Commute to office
- 9 AM: Emails and admin work
- 10 AM: Coffee break
- 10:30 AM: Schedule interview with expert candidate
- 12:30 PM: Lunch break
- 1:30 PM: Team meeting
- 3 PM: Work on administrative project
- 5:30 PM: Commute home
- 6 PM: Exercise
- 7PM: Eat dinner
- 9:30 PM: Take a bath
{endbold} Here’s an example featuring a remote worker’s ideal day. They have a team meeting and work tasks that need to get done at a timely manner, but they also want to make sure they tidy up the house and indulge in some self care:
- MORNING (7 a.m. to 11 a.m.)
  - Stretch
  - Have breakfast
  - Make bed
  - Walk dog
  - Answer emails
- AFTERNOON (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
  - Make work phone calls
  - Team meeting 12:30 p.m.
  - Have lunch
  - Write 500 words
  - Finish team project
- EVENING (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
  - Make dinner
  - Watch TV show
  - Clean kitchen
  - Do laundry
  - Read chapter of a book

[Edit]Daily Schedule Template

Sample Daily Schedule Template

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Related wikiHows

[Edit]Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about planning, check out our in-depth with [v161237_b01].

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

↑ [v161428_b01]. 26 May 2020.
↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
↑ [v161441_b01]. 18 June 2020.
↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/04/23/working-from-home-eight-tips-to-schedule-your-day-for-maximum-productivity/?sh=6651a98470e0M
↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
↑ [v161237_b01]. 31 December 2019.
↑ [v161237_b01]. 31 December 2019.
↑ https://www.bowdoin.edu/baldwin-center/pdf/handout-self-rewards.pdf

[_note-1] [v161428_b01]. 26 May 2020.

[_note-2] ttps://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing

[_note-3] [v161441_b01]. 18 June 2020.

[_note-4] ttps://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing

[_note-5] ttps://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing

[_note-6] ttps://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/04/23/working-from-home-eight-tips-to-schedule-your-day-for-maximum-productivity/?sh=6651a98470e0M

[_note-7] ttps://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing

[_note-8] [v161237_b01]. 31 December 2019.

[_note-9] [v161237_b01]. 31 December 2019.

[_note-10] ttps://www.bowdoin.edu/baldwin-center/pdf/handout-self-rewards.pdf

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