Ep 74 Stay Organized with My Task-Tracking Google Sheet 

[00:00:00] VO Artist: Welcome to Your Creative Chord Podcast, where host Jenny Leigh Hodgins, author and educator, shares unique insights dedicated to empowering your creative flow and inspired living. Through solo reflections and dialogues with creators and wellness experts, Jenny Leigh shares holistic wisdom influenced by her Buddhist practice, alongside poetic insights and practical strategies for living authentically.This podcast helps you overcome challenges and unlock your full creative potential.

[00:00:43] Jenny Leigh: Hi, I'm Jenny Leigh, and welcome to this episode of Your Creative Chord Podcast. In today's episode, I'm excited to share with you a simple yet powerful tool I use to stay organized, avoid overwhelm, and stay on track toward my goals, specifically in my podcast and workflow. But here's the cool part. This method I'm going to share today can be adapted to any project or goal that involves tasks and deadlines.

It just helps you break things down into small manageable chunks. 

I'll be walking you through how I've set up my Task-Tracking Google Sheet to manage everything from podcast creation to my social media posts and emails and even my YouTube versions of this podcast.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a big project or struggled with staying on top of your to do list? Well, then my friend, this episode will give you a simple, customizable solution.

Before we start, if you'd like to follow along visually, grab the link to download the Google Sheet template in the show notes at YourCreativeChord.com/GSheet. 

And if you're more of a visual learner, no worries, I'll be sharing a video version of this episode, episode 74, Stay Organized With My Task-Tracking Google Sheet on my YouTube channel next Friday. So just look for Your Creative Chord on YouTube.

In that video, I'll walk you through my Google Sheet formula step by step, so be sure to check it out. 

 So, to start, let me explain a little bit about my Task-Tracking Google Sheet.

I've created a system that breaks down my podcast workflow into very clear, color coded categories. There are tabs for each key area of my process for podcast creation. For example, I have a tab for podcast tasks. I have a tab for social media creation, and I have a tab for email creation. This sheet acts as a centralized hub, allowing me to track everything seamlessly from episode planning and promotional social media posts to coordinating emails and final delivery.

YouTube viewers are going to be seeing me walk through this setup of my Task-Tracking Google Sheet. And this will give you a better idea of how I use it to stay organized.

But remember, the real power comes when you adapt it to your own projects or goals. 

And if you're just listening on the podcast, don't worry. I'll explain everything clearly so you can still follow along. And also, if you'd like to see a visual walkthrough of my Task-Tracking Google Sheet, the YouTube version of this episode, episode 74 will be available next Friday, May 9.

 You can grab the link to download the template in the show notes at YourCreativeChord.com/GSheet where you can customize it for your own projects or goals. And if you grab that now, you can just pause this episode, go download it, and then you can walk along with me visually. Just follow along on your own template.

 So here's a breakdown of the structure on my Google Sheet for my podcast creation. The podcast tab is where I track all the steps involved in creating my podcast episodes.

From writing the outlines, or the script, to recording, to editing, and post production. I've color coded it dark purple for recording specific tasks, light purple for podcast audio only editing, blue for the visual editing of the YouTube version, and yellow for writing tasks, whether that's creating the outline, creating a description, creating the social media text or the email text.

So these colors are universal across all of my tabs in my Google Sheets, so I know what I'm looking at task wise. 

I also have a social media tab, and this tab tracks everything related to promoting each episode on social media.

It includes the episode number, the title of the episode, the date the episode airs, task descriptions, text descriptions for each social media platform, and the links or the URLs for each post. And I also use this, social media tab to note any sound bites or quotes specific to that episode in the little notes section. That way I know exactly what goes with each episode and which platform it goes out on and which quote I'm talking about.

So I can use all this for my social media posts, and track the status of each task in creating social media promotions using a drop down menu. And actually this drop down menu applies to every tab. So as I go through each task, you'll see the different sections of it.

For example, if it's Not Applicable, it'll say N/A, and I don't need to do that task, so I just choose the drop down menu and select that.

If I haven't started it, it's all in red, Not Started, so I know I have to do it. And there are different drop downs like Editing, Recording, Scripted. Completed. That's my favorite one. So I know I'm done with that task. In the email tab, that's where I track everything related to my bimonthly email newsletters, as well as my lead magnet promotion emails and any podcast highlights or specific products or course or program announcements or sales or discounts.

 For each social media and email campaign, I have its own row with columns very similar to the other tabs for each specific task and the drop down menu to help me see when I'm done with each task. 

 Let's talk about how this system could be adapted.

My Google sheet is tailored specifically to my podcast workflow. But the beauty of this system is it can be adapted to any goal you're working toward. Whether you're launching a new product, managing a creative project, or even working on personal goals,

you can break down your tasks into categories, use color coding to differentiate those categories, track your specific tasks, ensure you're staying on track toward completing them.

By using this color coded, tabbed structure, you will be able to focus on specific task types without feeling overwhelmed by the bigger picture.

Here's a story that I use to emphasize this approach. I heard this on Wiser Than Me podcast with Julie Louis Dreyfus, who I just love, and she described a situation when she was in the ocean with her husband and he told her very gently and calmly just to swim to the boat quickly because there was a shark nearby.

And so Julia said she stayed ultra focused on one thing, swimming to the boat. She later used that same mindset to navigate her earlier battle with cancer. 

For those of us who get overwhelmed, procrastinate, or are blindsided by perfectionism, using my Google Sheet approach is like staying in your lane or swimming to the boat.

It really keeps you focused on what's right in front of you so you can reach your goal. Having a clear visual of where everything stands helps you stay motivated. and on target toward your goals and dreams.

A side benefit is that checking things off is research scientifically proven to boost dopamine and help us motivate ourselves to keep doing it.

So what's one task or project that's been feeling overwhelming for you lately? How will you use my Google sheet to track your progress?

What other ways do you keep yourself on point?

Please let me know in the comments if you're watching on YouTube or when you leave a review for this episode. Or if you're in my Creative Flow and Inspired Living Facebook group, share a post with your comments and refer to episode 74 with your thoughts and ideas. I'd love to hear them. And if you're not in the group yet, you can join us at facebook.com/groups/CreativeFlowInspiredLiving. And that link is in the show notes. And I really look forward to connecting with you there.

 So whether you're looking to streamline a podcasting workflow like mine, or simply find a way to organize your personal goals, this Task-Tracking Google Sheet is a free great place to start.

You can adapt it to suit any project. Later, when you have some funds, you can drop some money down for an organizing app like Trello or Asana or something like that. But this is a free version and it's. very well organized and it works for me.

To get your hands on this tool, head over to YourCreativeChord.com/GSheet, again, that link's in the show notes, where I'll share the template and additional tips for making your own customized task tracker. And if you're looking for more personalized support to stay on track with your creative journey, check out my Creative Empowerment Coaching Program at YourCreativeChord.com/WorkWithMe. I'd love to help you stay focused, inspired, and empowered as you work toward your goals. So thanks for listening to today's episode. The benefits of my Google sheet system include greater organization, reduced overwhelm, and clearer progress towards your goals. And if you found this helpful, please share it with a friend or a fellow creative who could benefit from this workflow tool.

 Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more tips on staying organized, inspired, and empowered. So take care, and I will see you next time on Your Creative Chord Podcast, where we empower your creative flow and inspired living. 

[00:10:57] VO Artist: Thank you for listening to Your Creative Chord Podcast. If you found inspiration in today's episode, please leave a review and subscribe to the show. Your support helps spread the message of creativity and inspired living. Stay connected with Jenny Leigh and a vibrant community of creatives and curious minds.

Visit YourCreativeChord.com for more resources. Remember daily life is where your creative flow begins. Embrace the journey.