Plan Your Week

Plan your week in 30 minutes. Experts say that you need only 30 minutes to plan your entire week. How to do it? First include your family or co-workers in your plan and follow the OATS formula:

O: Objectives What results do you want to see by the end of the week. Write them down and rank them.

A: Activities What do you have to do to achieve your goals? List the necessary activities, and put them in sequence.

T: Time How much time will each activity require? To plan realistically, allow yourself more time than you think you will actually need. This gives you flexibility if unexpected problems develop.

S: Schedule Look at your calendar and decide when you can do each activity. Most people underestimate the power of a schedule, but you won’t get anything accomplished if you don’t schedule time to do it.

Source: "Plan your week in 30 minutes," The Manager’s Intelligence Report, 1998, p. 3.