Unless you’re one of the few that can finish any article without planning in advance…well, you’re pretty awesome.  But for the rest of us who don’t always have that motivation (or the crystal clear memory) to finish all of our assignments on time, having a writing schedule helps us write more while staying motivated.

Jessie Haynes recently explained the deets behind her own writing schedule, so I want to share mine with you: the High/Medium/Low method. It’s great for those who hate strict schedules but love simplicity.

What is the High/Medium/Low Method?

With the High/Medium/Low Method, you simply rank your writing tasks in order, from highest priority to lowest priority. You can choose to keep it in a computer file for easy access–something I love to do–or write it on a separate sheet of paper. This is how it should look:

HIGHEST PRIORITY
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3

MEDIUM PRIORITY
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3

LOWEST PRIORITY
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3

The highest priority tasks are typically your biggest paying or “due today” assignments, or additional emails/papers you need to send to a client. The medium priority tasks are for smaller assignments that aren’t due–but should still be completed relatively soon. The lowest priority is assigned to small, miniscule tasks (such as updating your Facebook fan page) or additional writing assignments you can do once you’re done with everything else.

The advantages: With the High/Medium/Low Method, you get plenty of flexibility. You don’t need to do everything in order or by a certain time–you choose when you want to do it. Once you’re done with the task, cross it off the list and move on to the next task. I typically do my highest priority items first, but if creativity falls short, I’ll switch to a medium or low priority task.

An Example of the High/Medium/Low Method

If you’re still not sure how to use this writing organization method, here’s a “real-life” example–these are all the tasks I have to do tomorrow (5/26):

HIGHEST PRIORITY
Write 5 diet reviews for F
Finish diet blog article for T – send via email

MEDIUM PRIORITY
Finish 1 AC FC Assignment
Follow up with B. about possible writing opp. for his fitness channel

LOWEST PRIORITY
Rewrite one article for Constant Content & submit it
WJR blog post: How real mothers balance writing career and parenting
Start submitting AC non-exclusives to Constant Content for usage rights

As you can see from this list, I have a full plate–six articles are in my “Highest Priority” queue–with additional assignments available for me to complete if I get stuck with my Highest Priority assignments. I am absolutely not required to finish all of the tasks–just the ones listed in the Highest Priority category. And that’s the true beauty of it: not being pressured to complete every single assignment on your list.

Happy writing!