The Maker/Manager Daily Plan

The Maker/Manager sheet is a unique ninety-day planning tool designed specifically for me, although it should be valuable for all kinds of creatives and entrepreneurs. It breaks down into three elements:

1. Goals  

2. The 4.3.2.1. session. 

3. An hourly schedule. 

This format is designed to help you stay focused, work on the correct things, and ultimately, improve your day-to-day.

Goals 

Every ninety days set one goal in five areas:

1. Work

2. Personal 

3. Freelance

4. Health

5. Money

Then break each goal into thirty-day chunks, making them manageable and measurable. This is not always clean or perfect, but it always provides a trajectory. Assess progress every thirty days and make adjustments as necessary.  

The 4.3.2.1. Session

Each day is broken down into:

• 4 hours on your Focus Task. The focus task is usually something important and not urgent that moves the needle on your goals. Four hours is the ideal; I often schedule an hour or two. 
• 3 smaller tasks
• 2 maintenance tasks
• 1 health task 

***This ensures you do not add too many tasks to your day and helps to prioritize what is most important. It is your day, with purpose. 

An Hourly Schedule

A place for time boxing your tasks. 

Time boxing is deciding what one thing you will focus on during each part of your day. I schedule the mentally challenging things for when I am at my cognitive best. The majority of tasks should aim toward your ninety-day goals. This sheet makes it clear when you are heading off course. 

I start the schedule at 8 am. By default, any work time before this is on the focus task.  Today, I am writing at 5:40 am. Before 8 am I just work on the focus task until the kids wake. 

How to Get Started

If you're a Maker/Manager and ready to simplify your days while making rapid progress on the things that matter: 

1. Download the Maker/Manager sheet 
2. Set your 90-day goals in the five areas: work, personal, freelance, health, and money.
3. Break these goals down into 30-day chunks, creating a clear plan for each. If you like to work on paper like me, I fill out the goals and then make 30 copies.
4. Implement the 4.3.2.1. Session and time box your day.
5. If you decide to try this out, I would love to hear how it goes.