Monday Motivation: The 14 Best Daily Routine Tips for Event Planners

The growing popularity of sites like My Morning Routine (which, by the way, is filled with tons of great examples you can also use for inspiration) prove that more and more professionals are looking for ways to systemize success. Or, at the very least, start or end their days in a way that sets them up for what’s to come. The ideas listed below were created to address the concerns most event planners have in their day to day lives.

14 Best Daily Routines for Event Planners 

Habits are important for long term career success as an event planner because high stress jobs often require an amount of dedication, focus, and commitment that most other areas of life do not. The routines below were chosen based on their practicality, affordable cost, and relevance whatever benefit you’d like to get the most of. 

Morning Routines Event Planners Should Use to Get Organized & Focused

1. If you want to improve your physical health

Ready to follow in the footsteps of Steve Jobs, Tony Robbins, and Oprah? Then take a look at these surprisingly simple morning routine activities they’ve all used. 

• Do some light exercise. Walking, gardening, and even cooking all count as acceptable forms of light exercise, a habit that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is good for your heart at any age. 

• Stretch your body. Try one (or all ten) of these great good morning stretches to increase energy. 

• Drink something besides coffee. The healthiest morning beverages include fresh mint tea (made with hot water and fresh, organic mint leaves) and bone broth. 

2. If you want to improve your mental health

Most event planners actively look for new ways to reduce stress, cope with change better and feel more in control. These healthy habits will help you do all that and more. 

• Meditate to clear your head. If you’re new to meditation, try doing it for 2 minutes then increase it by 5 minute intervals every week until you’ve reached your goal. 

• Have some Me time. Scandanavians call it gokotta, which means to wake up extra early and listen to the birds sing. It’s a concept Americans have adopted in response to our toxic always on culture. It doesn’t matter what you do during this time as long as it makes you happy and isn’t work related. 

• Review your core values. Core values (which can include things like philanthropy and community) are fantastic decision making tools. Having 1-3 main core values can help you figure out what to do no matter how stressful or bleak the situation looks. Read them every morning so you’ll remember them as you go about your business. 

3. If you want to dominate your to do list

Did you know that working more than 40 hours a week can drastically decrease your productivity over time? Use these tactics to remain resilient when you’re knee deep in event planning. 

• Schedule your day in 30 minute intervals. Or if 30 minutes doesn’t feel like it’ll work for you, try one of these 5 daily scheduling methods to promote better concentration and productivity. 

• Eliminate any possible distractions. Three quick and easy ways to do this right now include powering down your phone (update your voicemail to let clients know you’ll return their call after a specific time later in the day), installing a free distraction blocking app, and – if you don’t need the internet for what you’re doing – temporarily disconnecting your computer from WiFi. 

• Review your big picture goals for the week, the month, and your entire career. Use a digital goal setting tool like this one, or a great journal (like this productivity guide that turns your goals into a hero’s quest, complete with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dragons). 

4. If you have too much on your plate

Time management is all about being realistic about your energy, how long things actually take, and whether or not your plan will be executed perfectly every time (hint: it won’t, so be prepared). 

• Delegate or erase at least two tasks from your list. If it’s been on your to do list for over a month now, it probably wasn’t that urgent or important. 

• Reschedule nonurgent meetings or self-imposed deadlines. Here’s the most polite way to phrase your email if you need to reschedule an appointment. 

• Do some breathing exercises. Google offers a simple yet effective 1 minute version. 

5. If it’s the week or day of your event

No matter what type of event you’re doing, these routine items will help prevent possible issues and get you more prepared. 

• Do a quick check in with key stakeholders and partners. Send them all a group message to let them know you’re excited about today and how they can reach you or your team should they need to. 

• Get your mindset right. Focus on what’s going right, now what’s going wrong by writing an event-focused gratitude list. 

• Review or update your event planning checklist. Clean off old items, take stock of what still needs to be done, and update key stakeholders if anything is amiss. 

Daily Home Office Routines Event Planning Business Owners Adopt to Maximize Productivity

1. If you need to build your client roster

Time and patience is key, so be consistent with these tips and you’ll be fully booked in no time! 

• Review the newest headlines on your top 3 favorite event planning blogs. Start with any of these. 

• Connect with 5 new potential clients in your industry on LinkedIn. While you’re at it, be sure to join these groups to form organic relationships before you send that request. 

• Cold email 2 event planning prospects. Or get in the habit of doing any of these strategies for getting corporate clients. 

2. If you keep getting interrupted

Work interruptions can cost you an average of up to 6 productive hours per day. 

• Block out work time on your public calendar. While you’re at it, consider using one of these calendar time blocking tips. 
• Put your phone in time out. If you can, put it in a drawer in another room entirely so if you have the urge to pick it up, you’ll have time to rethink that decision as you walk over to get it. 

• Consider going to a coworking space. Here’s how to choose the best one. 

3. If you fall behind on deadlines often

We’ve all been there. But if this has become a habit of yours, here are some ways to fix it ASAP. 

• Update your clients and event stakeholders on your progress. If you already use event software, sending out a quick update or giving them access to your long term event timeline should will help build trust. 

• Clean up your calendar. Event planners are perfectionists by nature so make sure to reduce tasks that don’t need to be highly detailed or eliminate ones that aren’t required to meet today or tomorrow’s deadline. 

• Spend 5 minutes clearing your physical and digital workspace. This expert guide will help you clean your tech like a pro. 

4. If you have an in-person meeting 

New client, old client, doesn’t matter. These great habits will help prepare you even on your busiest days. 

• Review all previous emails and messages between you both. A quick glance at your subject lines should remind you of everything need to know in regards to who they are, what you’ve discussed before, and what you should expect in today’s meeting. 

• Prep any relevant paperwork like contracts. Put each of these 6 clauses into your template to cover all your bases. 

• Schedule time afterwards to do a self check in and follow up with promised materials (or just to say thank you). If you mentioned scheduling another meeting or if they said they’d get back to you in the future, add a reminder to your calendar if you don’t hear from them within a week or so. 

5. If you’re juggling event planning and another career 

A lot of beginning event planners start their businesses while they’re still transitioning out of their survival jobs or old careers. Here are some event planning daily routine tips to help you juggle it all. 

• Plan your schedule out at least a week ahead of time. Start with your non-negotiables, remember to include some work breaks, and (after you’ve stepped away from your draft for a bit) review it all to make sure it looks realistic. 

• Check in with one close friend or family member. It’s key for stress management. Spending time in person is best but a video call is great too. 

• Eat a healthy snack and drink a glass of water. Sounds pretty obvious but it’s one of the first things to go when you start getting overwhelmed. Check out these other tips on how to work two jobs without losing your mind. 

Evening Routines Event Planners Should Implement to Wind Down & Regroup

1. If you want to improve your time management skills 

An ounce of prevention! 

• Review how today went versus how you wanted it to go. You might be surprised what you’ll learn about yourself, your habits, and your health all from this small 5 minute habit. Here’s how to make it stick when you’re first trying to add it to the routine. 

• Write out your schedule for tomorrow. Here’s a step by step guide to more effective scheduling. 

• Visualize completing all the next day’s tasks. Here are 7 creative ways to do it. 

2. If you want to learn and grow more in your career 

Every event planner wants to break into that next level. Time and consistency is key. 

• Read one article or watch one new video on event planning. Start with this great list of event planning videos. 

• Invite one experienced event planner out for a cup of coffee (or a 15 minute phone conversation). Ask them one question about their work on a specific event, how they got started, or what they would tell their younger self about event planning. 

• Review and critique your own event planning work that day. It’s not as cringey as it sounds. If you have a hard time taking an honest look at your own performance, ask a trusted colleague to help go over what you did to see if there is room for improvement. 

3. If you have big picture goals you’re working on 

When it’s about more than just getting that next paycheck, you have to consider the long haul. 

• Create or review your goals for the year, quarter, and month. Here’s how to set goals for your event planning career as a whole. 

• Write down positive affirmations associated with your goal. Jack Canfield has some you can adapt to fit your needs. 

• Focus on how amazing it feels to already have achieved your goal. This tactic popularized by the Law of Attraction movement also affects your behavior, making it more likely for you to succeed. 

4. If you tend to hit snooze once or twice in the morning 

Technically this action disrupts your REM sleep but then again Arianna Huffington did tell us all about how she didn’t become successful until after she started prioritizing sleep so there you go. 

• Pack your bag and lunch. Yep, just like when you were in school. These adult lunch box ideas are tasty, healthy, and affordable. 

• Plug all of your business related electronics in to charge. This includes the camera you use for live streaming, your tablet, phone, smart watch, and portable backup battery. 

• Use a relaxation trigger. It’ll help you fall asleep faster. Use any one of these to get better quality sleep. 

You’re only one habit away from creating the work experience you’ve always wanted!

Now it’s time to get moving on your next event calendar, upgrade your event communication tools, and learn some new ways to prevent burnout.