Before diving into the setup I use, I would like to emphasize that not every setup will work for everyone, even if it is mine or Ankur Wariko’s. This is because..
Time Setups evolves over time.
And it is impossible to replicate someone else’s setup exactly. However, you may find something inspiring in someone else’s setup and incorporate it into your own.
Time is Energy
I tried Ankur’s time management plan, but it didn’t work for me. However, I think he copied one of my concept of time is energy 😂.
He says that you should plan your day in a way that your allocation of time is in line with your energy.
For example, I find it beneficial to take a spiritual break in the middle of the day. I read a self-help book and do a guided meditation for 10–15 minutes.
This is great exercises for me now because I have to completely change my focus from one group of task to others.
How it started
Recently, I moved my setup to Notion (which I will be sharing today). Before that, I used to write it on paper and I had tried moving to Notion many times, but my schedule wasn’t evolved enough to fit with Notion.
I used to have a notebook for journaling and time management. I rarely write my feelings in my journal because I have less interaction with people, so there are no emotional things to write. You could say I have a monk-like life, so it’s more of a work journal.
My setup used to be writing tasks on one side of the page, and then the next day I would do the journaling of it — what I did wrong and how I could improve it — and then the task for the next day next to it. This worked pretty well.
Journaling and writing those tasks was very important for me and for my time. If I missed writing that on any day, I would be lost and my entire next day would be ruined.
Keep Evolving
My setup kept evolving, and I realized that a single task was not enough to help me focus. I encountered distractions while working, so I decided to create a set of guided tasks (shown below).
I would remind myself what task I should be working on and how to deal with any distractions that might arise.
For example, I used to right “It’s very important you don’t open any social media platform before 12 because then you will have the urge to reply someone or may get tensed looking that your client didn’t like your work and want change (These were my findings from my journal)
Current Setup
Many changes occurred along the way, and eventually I was able to manage my time with Notion.
Let me demonstrate how it looks and functions.
This is what my Notion page looks like (Shown Below). I have a main page called “Journal”, and then I have monthly journals within it (since I only started this year, there are only two months).
Now, those monthly journals have a gallery of daily journals, and you can guess what those red, green, and orange dots mean.
When you open those daily journal, you’ll find the template I created, as (shown below).
You can see there is a topic or the main heading of the task ( UX learning time), So this section of the day I will be learning or doing UX stuffs only.
And why there is learning written after the Title? This is because I have made a balance of tasks in between three main Section : Learning, Doing, and Self Help
Learning: such as UX design and trading.
Doing: I’m taking the time to practice what I’ve learned, such as designing on Figma and trading in the live market.
Self Help: Things like meditation, exercises, book reading, or I sometimes do cooking for my self-help
Task
Then you Will find the task Section under the heading, this is where I mention the sub-tasks (as you can see in the image)
Tips
It’s clearly visible in the image, so no further explanation is needed. It’s the things which I should be aware of before starting the task, (My memory sucks, that's why write here).
Journal
I fill this at the end of the day, I write down what mistakes I have made and how I can improve them. This helps me to stay on track and become more productive.
So that’s it? No, See I told you that your setup will evolve over time, so recently I found a way to write down my overall journal off the day in the comments of the page
It’s an overall journal for the day I am not being task specific, I am just describing my day here, I will be writing specific journal under the tasks
Right time show you that I rate my day with three dots 🟢🟠🔴. I guess this doesn’t need explanation.
Important Tips
I have more than one setup
Yes, it’s important for me to have more than one setup. Each has been built on experience and evolution. Sometimes, you need to adjust your setup according to the situation. For example, I have two setups: Day Setup & Night Setup
Day Setup: When there is right condition for me to manage waking up early
Night Setup: In Night setup I sleep late very late because in daytime the conditions or the situations are bad or not in favor.
I Do Not Take Breaks
Here, Not taking breaks means that I do not have fun in my break (Watching YT while having lunch or dinner) but do some work or watch content related to my task or upcoming task.
So I don’t take breaks during the day, but I give myself a full day to relax and enjoy.
But Why No breaks in between? Any break in between or after completion of a task could be dangerous.
This is subjective, maybe you are a more disciplined person than I am, but I have seen my past data that whenever I take breaks in task or after completion of tasks it’s harder for me to point my focus back to the next task.
Sometimes the break can even stretch because you are watching something interesting (Like me watching a tech video) MKBHD has ruined many of my productive days.
So for me, Break Kills * 🚬
I know It's hard not to give yourself a little reward after completing a hard task, but you have to Because
What you do during your breaks will determine who you will become.
You are allowed to take a full day off in a week. It is essential to take that break (Speaking from experience).
Let me share a trick I use. I have a created an YouTube account where I have subscribed to all my entertainment channels and turned on the bell icon. I only open that account on my break day.
Let the X be 0
This is the only thing which I got from school, everything else was bullsh*t.
This concept of letting the x be zero gives you a chance to start again.
At some point(s) in your life, you may find yourself off-schedule. You may not be working or following a routine for weeks or months, but remember: you can always restart. Let the X be zero.
If you get lost, take out a pen and paper. Write down your thoughts and make a list of tasks for the next day. You may be distracted, so observe and improve the schedule for tomorrow. Keep doing this to stay on track.
I hope you found this article insightful, and I wish I have not wasted your time.
So tell me should I turn this setup into something like a book or course and sell it online 😂. I am Just kidding here, I love Ankur Wariko though the ads are still irritating.
Ask your question below and Let's Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zee-bee/
