Planning an event can be both stressful and difficult! This is especially so if you have a problem properly managing your time. If you are not careful, you might find yourself stuck in a time rut and unable to extricate yourself from it. Here are five tricks to help you manage your time more efficiently.
Make a List
As simple as it seems, making a list of what needs to be done can make a big difference. This is simply because it gives you a visual representation of the tasks at hand. With all your tasks listed, you have the opportunity to tick off what you complete. It gives you the opportunity to have a good look at what you have been accomplishing. Apart from this, a list of tasks can allow you to figure out the timeline you need to plan for the event. You will get to know exactly what you have to do in readiness for the big day. (I use Wunderlist for my lists)
Make a Schedule
If you are the only one working on the event, ensure you make a schedule of the tasks that need to be achieved within particular timelines. However, you have the latitude to decide what you want to do whenever you want to do it. If you find yourself planning for an event as part of a team, you should split up the schedule to incorporate everyone. Don’t allow for any member of the team to be left out. Get everyone involved and you will free yourself of the burden of having to plan for the entire event. (Wunderlist can also help you schedule each task)
Avoid Spreading Yourself Thin
It might seem that you have to contact everyone involved in planning for that event in one day. You don’t have to do that! Stretching yourself thin on time can only leave you tired and stressed. So ensure you schedule one or two things at most in one day. This will ensure you are not crunched for time and that you get the task fully completed instead of doing it halfway simply because you are rushing to the next appointment. It can be very stressful if your event is to happen in a large city where traffic is a big problem, especially if you have to use public transport.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
It’s the small details that often get many event planners down, which usually is from micro managing. Hire the right people for for the jobs and trust in their expertise. Having the bigger matters under control is all that should matter. Focussing on the big picture instead of focussing on every small thing will save you lots of time.
Use Technology
Event planning technology can save you both money and time. When planning for a large-scale corporate or school event, you can lose a lot of time if there isn’t clear communication. You can also lose time trying to arrange for meetings and notify key players of any changes. Trying to accomplish these tasks manually can take you a lot of time, money, and energy. However, if you set your team up with the right communication you can use your time more efficiently.