Templates Make the Workday Easier

Maybe I’m lazy, I’ll admit it.  However, I think most of us who are “into” organization are to some degree.  Organization makes things a little bit easier.  Finding what I need quickly, and getting the important things done makes me feel better.

I love roadmaps.

I like having my weeks mapped out so I know what I’m doing each day.  It helps me stay on task and minimizes the chance that I’ll forget something.  That’s why I love templates.  They make my schedule and tasks brain dead simple.   It helps me stay on task and work each day with a purpose.

Templates are basic plans which can be used over and over again.  They can be set up once and then used and revamped as needed.

How I use templates. Here are some working examples…

• Recurring tasks: I map out the year with my enewsletter publishing days, tax preparation, marketing review periods and administration tasks.  You know they will get done, as you’ve written them down on a calendar and gotten them out of their head.  This is particularly helpful with those tasks which are not exactly favorites.
• Projects:  An example of this is my current podcast, The O Myth (and upcoming NEW podcast on my current site!).  We have a template for our show, with small changes for content and guests.  We use the template over and over again, and the show outline is ready to go in about 15-30 minutes.  With two of us hosting the show, this helps us focus and get the work done quickly so we can get on with the fun stuff.  Like producing the actual show!
• The daily grind: Have you ever come to the end of the day and thought, “Doh!  I forgot to do that again!”  With a daily list of things I need to do on a clipboard on my desk, I make sure the important things get done.

How could you use templates in your work day?