Planning isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. We have all heard Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” but what does that really mean? Well, if you just take things head-on as they come without planning for a specific outcome, chances are you won’t be adequately prepared to handle every endeavour, whatever they are.
While many of us realise the importance of planning, we don’t always implement it. Sure, we plan for big events or an upcoming trip, but often we overlook planning for the most important thing — our day. This is where this blog post comes in, it will highlight the importance of how to plan your day, things you need to keep in mind and some helpful tips to get you started. Let’s dive in and make planning an effortless part of your routine.
Build The Habit
First things first, you want to build the habit of planning your day, and like any habit, that takes time and consistency. The truth is that some days this will feel effortless — you might even feel like your to-do list is calling to you. On other days, you might struggle to get out of bed. While that is perfectly normal, those are the days that it truly matters the most.
The goal is to make daily planning a part of your morning routine, no matter how small. Taking a few minutes to plan can change the whole tone of your day. It can even save you more time. As Brian Tracy writes in Eat That Frog, spending around 10 minutes on planning can free up as much as 2 hours in your day.
You can use planning tools like Forzeit to help you organise all your daily tasks. As you become more used to the process with every planning session, it will start to feel like second nature. Eventually, you will reach the point where you can’t start your day before having your planning session.
Have a Brain Dump
Sometimes when we feel like the walls are starting to close in, it is often because we have too much going on upstairs. Meaning, that we have so many duties that we need to get to that our mind can’t make sense of it all, hench we start to feel boxed in. Now the best way to avoid this and set your day up for success is to have a brain dump.
This is where you write down all your obligations on a piece of paper or utilise a digital format so that you can start to visualise everything in front of you. Often, this simple act alone is enough to make you feel calmer. The idea of this is to get rid of all the mental clutter that is slowing you down.
This approach allows you to identify what is important and what is simply not worth the effort. From here you can start focusing on the tasks that will have the biggest impact. A morning brain dump can free up mental space, allowing you to prioritise your more essential duties with ease.
Learn How to Prioritise Your Daily Tasks
Not all duties hold the same level of importance. Some tasks are crucial to your goals while others are simply routine to-dos. Learning to prioritise what is worth your effort is the real secret to having your day run smoothly. It allows you to tackle the obligations that have the biggest impact, helping you to only spend your time on the things that matter.
Many people prefer to use a productivity method such as the Eisenhower Matrix or the Eat That Frog principle. With the Eisenhower Matrix technique, you focus on two factors — the urgency and the importance of your tasks. Essentially it breaks all tasks down into 4 groups or quadrants:
Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important – Requires immediate attention
Quadrant 2: Not urgent but important – Schedule it
Quadrant 3: Urgent but not important – Delegate if possible
Quadrant 4: Neither urgent nor important – Remove or do them last
Assessing what tasks are urgent and important is crucial for the Eisenhower Matrix. It is a great way to organise your priorities and enables you to figure out what tasks you should spend your time on. On the other hand, the Eat That Frog principle is all about doing your most important tasks first.
It gets its name from the fact that we often avoid doing a task that seems daunting or time-consuming even though it is important — which in this case represents the frog. By using these methods, you can identify what truly requires your attention.
Whether you use the Eisenhower Matrix or the Eat That Frog Principle, both are designed to help you tackle the most essential duties first. Both these approaches allow you to have better time management skills and use your energy levels more productively.
Create Your Tasks Around Your Goals
Have you ever felt that you are getting things done, but you are still no closer to reaching your goals? If so, you most likely need to take a second look at your personal tasks to ensure they are getting you closer to the bigger picture. In other words, base your daily to-dos on your long-term goals.
This ensures that you are working towards the things that actually matter, helping you have a more productive day. In reality, not all tasks that you need to accomplish will contribute to your goals. However, try to create a balanced workflow where you focus on both goal-contributing tasks and other necessary daily duties.
Break Down Your Duties Into Smaller Parts
Many times we look at our daily schedule and feel overwhelmed because we have no idea where to start. To help make your daily tasks more manageable, break them down into smaller steps. This process makes large and daunting tasks feel a lot more doable. In addition, focus on the step that you are busy with and don’t worry about what is yet to come.
Often we worry so much about something we haven’t even started with, that we abandon the entire thing. In other words, if you are on step 1, focus on that and forget about the rest. Don’t think about the next three steps while you are still busy with the first one. Single-task, don’t multi-task. Staying present with each part of the task helps prevent feeling paralysed by the bigger picture and lets you progress one step at a time.
Implement Time Blocking
Time blocking involves dedicating specific blocks of time for different daily tasks. This allows you to minimise distractions and focus all your time on one task. Time blocking can help you stay on track and allow you to tackle priorities one by one quickly. You can even take time blocking a step further with the Parkinson’s Law principle.
Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion”. Meaning, even if you could have completed the task in two hours, it will still take the amount of time you assigned to it.
While you want to provide yourself with a realistic time frame, you also don’t want to give yourself too much time to procrastinate. When implemented correctly, both of these techniques can help you handle your daily demands effectively.
Find Your Daily Planning Tool
To help make planning your day easier, you need the right planner for your lifestyle. Consider whether you prefer a digital, physical or even hybrid approach and go from there. If you do decide to go digital, look for one that has features available that suit your needs and goals.
Having the right planner that works for you is the key to making your days run smoother. Try a few options to see which one best complements your workflow and helps you stay focused.
With the right planner and a few effective strategies, setting your day up for success becomes a straightforward process. Remember to focus on consistency as this will make planning your day feel effortless, helping you stay productive with your daily obligations.