Make Planning Part of Your Plan
Have you ever noticed how activity and “busyness” drive out thought? It’s hard to think about anything else if you’re reacting to an e-mail that just threw you off course or a phone call that has you running around like crazy for the next hour. And if it’s hard to think, then it’s impossible to plan… or to think about planning!
Being in this reactive mode without being anchored by a plan is what makes your day disappear. It’s a powerful little magic trick you don’t want to practice.
When I work with clients I find that planning rarely enters into their plan. But it should. And I recommend it for you, too, because what you want to do tomorrow, next week and next month should all be part of a bigger plan.
So you’re looking for two things: time to plan and a plan for your time. Sounds confusing, but it’s not. Here’s how to begin…
- First, start with a commitment to an overall vision and a list of goals: What are you trying to do? What do you want your life and business to look like? What are you excited about? What can’t you wait to get started on because you’re so passionate about it?
- From there you decide what projects you’ll undertake to pursue your passion, achieve your goals and make your vision a reality. Prioritize your projects.
- From there you decide what tasks you’ll pursue as part of your larger projects in support of your vision and goals. These tasks start with the very first action step to get your project going and then after that it’s a matter of taking the next action step and then the one after that and so on and so forth.
Now it’s time for you to “get a grip” on everything you’re doing now. Be crystal clear on where your time is going, what you’re doing each day and why. Then get clear on what you really should be or want to be doing.
Knowing these two things will help you put together a really great Task list – one that really reflects how you plan to spend your time from day to day. Having this bird’s-eye view will really help you see more clearly. You’ll know what to pursue and what to let go of. You can be more pro-active instead of reactive and get more excited about what you can do with your time!
When you’re ready to create your Task list – this new plan for all your to-dos – use these 3 steps to bring it all together:
1. Be specific about what you’ll do.
Make sure you’re specific about exactly what you’ll do first or next. Start with a verb. Describe what you’ll do. Remember that vague goals produce vague results and so do vaguely written tasks. Don’t be too short and sweet when you’re typing out your tasks.
2. Assign target dates for taking action on each task.
Even though some dates are flexible, you should have target dates for action on all your tasks. If these tasks don’t have target dates for taking action or the dates have become meaningless, then your ability to reach your goals has lost momentum. They’re connected, remember?
3. Protect time for planning and taking action.
It’s important to block out time on your calendar and protect it to actually think and plan without being interrupted. And it’s equally important to block out time in each day to actually do the tasks you planned.
So to summarize, having a fantastic Task list helps you spend your time wisely and from day to day you’ll know how you plan to spend your time. The action steps noted on your Task list should be getting you one step closer to achieving your projects and goals. Then protecting time on your calendar will allow you to spend some time each week thinking, reflecting and planning your goals and projects on a higher level.
Achievement and success are based on your ability to work your Task list (the plan) and also on planning itself – the time you get to think… and think BIG. Energized by a vision and armed with your Task list you can put your high-altitude plans into action – the ones that are essential to your long term success and happiness.
