Wouldn’t we all love some extra time to re-watch a classic film like Monty Python’s Life of Brian? The reality is that most of us are scheduled within an inch of our lives, with little or no time for folly.
Our work calendars are packed full with urgent tasks, obligatory meetings (that often serve no purpose) and lunch breaks we know we’ll never take, as well as the never-ending schedule of life at home – appointments, bills to pay, house and car maintenance. And for those of us with children, there’s a schedule for each of them as well! Reminders are going off almost constantly on every device we own, reminding us of tasks we’re unlikely to complete.
As if that’s not enough, we’re now scheduling our social media commitments as well. God forbid we should post something at random, completely on a whim!
We add to our social media calendar announcements we might want to make, and images that correlate with how we might be feeling in a week’s time, then we overlay that calendar with other calendars so we can ensure we capture important days, weeks and months of the year dedicated to particular causes.
Feeling stressed yet? Surely it’s time for some sweet relief!
Which brings me back to “What did the Romans ever do for us?” Well, they gave us the calendar, and while it has certainly changed in the many years since the Centurions (or should I say “Centuwions”), so have our lives and the way we go about “managing time”.
Setting aside time to organise our lives more efficiently can indeed be difficult, but the investment really is a stitch in time. For me, there’s a certain pleasure gained from spending 15 minutes looking at the calendar on a Monday morning (or Sunday afternoon) and setting everything up for the week. I can assure you it is possible to cross check six calendars and get things straight!
When it comes to social media calendars, this shouldn’t have to be a huge burden or take many hours out of your day. There are plenty of examples of monthly calendars that give you ideas on what to post each day (check out Pinterest if you’re keen for ideas).
My regular Monday Management session, as I like to call it, really helps to sort out my posts for the week. Once I’ve checked the myriad of calendars, I draft and schedule posts for any events being hosted or attended and any announcements being made during the week. Then on the days remaining I consider appropriate material I have up my sleeve that could be relevant to post. For example, blog posts I haven’t yet shared, videos, relevant quotes, a selfie, or my latest addition that I like to call #smallbizsaturday.
Investing time to consider your schedule not only allows you to line everything up – organise your transport, school drop-offs and pick-ups, meetings and of course, schedule in some time that is purely for yourself.
So in answer to Monty Python’s question “What did the Romans ever do for us?” They gave us the greatest gift of all – a way to keep our crazy lives under control!
