Prepare Schedule

C-1 Urgent and important: for example, crises, deadline for a work, unexpected opportunities, etc.
C-2 Not urgent but important: for example, planning, doing work, recreation, developing human relations, learning etc.
 C-3 Urgent but not important: for example, unscheduled visitors, interruption from other sources, many types of meetings, etc.
C-4 Not urgent and not important: for example, gossip and similar other activities.

Essentially, all your activities should be focused on C-2 apart from the genuinely unpredictable C-1 events. C-3 activities can be reduced by better planning and time management; C-4 activities must be avoided as these are time wasters. Your schedule should be focused on C-2 activities but to accommodate genuinely unpredictable C-1 events, your schedule must have some flexibility. While your longer-term schedules my have this flexibility. For preparing daily schedule, with some kind of in-built flexibility, classify your activities in three categories – critical activities which must be performed on the same day, important activities which should be performed on the same day later, and less important activities which can be performed on the same day if time permits, postponed for the next day, or delegated to others if possible. This way you can focus on critical and important activities. You should prepare your daily schedule in the early morning. You can keep this schedule in your mind if the number of activities is small. However, if the number of activities is large, it is preferable that you write these on a piece of a paper or diary and keep it always with you.

While preparing your daily schedule or schedule for a longer period, analyse two things – time to be  taken by various activities and  the sequence in which these activities should be performed. Time to be taken by various activities can be estimated by you based on your experience if you have performed similar activities in the past or based on the experience of others if you have not performed such activities earlier. Sequence of activities depends on their interdependence. If they have interdependence preceding activities must be scheduled earlier followed by succeeding activities. If these activities do not have interdependence, you can prepare your schedule according to the importance of various activities.
In performing various activities, perform those activities first which are critical, followed by important or less important in that order if various activities are not interdependent. In the  case of  interdependent activities, perform these activities in the way in which they have  interdependence, that is, perform preceding activities followed by succeeding activities. While performing various activities, keep two things I mind – first, perform an activity before it becomes urgent; second, perform more difficult activities in the first half when you are a comparatively fresh and perform less difficult activities in second half. If possible, review your day’s work at the end of the day to assess your performance. Roy Smith has said:

Each morning puts a man on trial and each evening passes judgment.