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2 Plan Every Day in Advance
Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do
something about it now. ALAN LAKEIN
You have heard the old question,
"How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is
"One bite at a time!"
How do you eat your biggest, ugliest frog? The same way: you break it down
into specific step-by-step activities and then you start on the first one.
Your mind, your ability to think, plan, and decide, is your most powerful tool
for overcoming procrastination and increasing your productivity. Your ability to
set goals, make plans, and take action on them determines the course of your
life. The very act of thinking and planning unlocks your mental powers, triggers
your creativity, and increases your mental and physical energies.
Conversely, as Alec Mackenzie wrote,
"Taking action without thinking things
through is a prime source of problems.
"
Your ability to make good plans before you act is a measure of your overall
competence. The better the plan you have, the easier it is for you to overcome
procrastination, to get started, to eat your frog, and then to keep going.
Increase Your Return on Energy
One of your top goals at work should be to get the highest possible return on
your investment of your mental, emotional, and physical energy. The good news
is that every minute spent in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution.
It takes only about 10 to 12 minutes for you to plan your day, but this small
investment of time will save you up to two hours (100 to 120 minutes) in wasted
time and diffuse effort throughout the day.
You may have heard of the Six-P Formula. It says,
"Proper Prior Planning
Prevents Poor Performance.
"
Prevents Poor Performance.
"
When you consider how helpful planning can be in increasing your
productivity and performance, it is amazing how few people practice it every
single day. And planning is really quite simple to do. All you need is a piece of
paper and a pen. The most sophisticated Outlook system, computer app, or time
planner is based on the same principle. It is based on your sitting down and
making a list of everything you have to do before you begin.
Two Extra Hours per Day
Always work from a list. When something new comes up, add it to the list
before you do it. You can increase your productivity and output by 25 percent or
more—about two hours a day—from the first day that you begin working
consistently from a list.
Make your list the night before for the workday ahead. Move everything that
you have not yet accomplished onto your list for the coming day, and then add
everything that you have to do the next day. When you make your list the night
before, your subconscious mind will work on your list all night long while you
sleep. Often you will wake up with great ideas and insights that you can use to
get your job done faster and better than you had initially thought.
The more time you take to make written lists of everything you have to do, in
advance, the more effective and efficient you will be.
Different Lists for Different Purposes
You need different lists for different purposes. First, you should create a master
list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do
sometime in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea and every
new task or responsibility that comes up. You can sort out the items later.
Second, you should have a monthly list that you make at the end of the month
for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list.
Third, you should have a weekly list where you plan your entire week in
advance. This is a list that is under construction as you go through the current
week.
This discipline of systematic time planning can be very helpful to you. Many
people have told me that the habit of taking a couple of hours at the end of each
week to plan the coming week has increased their productivity dramatically and
changed their lives completely. This technique will work for you as well.
Finally, you should transfer items from your monthly and weekly lists onto your daily list. These are the specific activities that you are going to accomplish
the following day.
As you work through the day, tick off the items on your list as you complete
them. This activity gives you a visual picture of accomplishment. It generates a
feeling of success and forward motion. Seeing yourself working progressively
through your list motivates and energizes you. It raises your self-esteem and
self-respect. Steady, visible progress propels you forward and helps you
overcome procrastination.
Planning a Project
When you have a project of any kind, begin by making a list of every step that
you will have to complete to finish the project from beginning to end. Organize
the steps by priority, what is most important, and sequence, which tasks you
must complete in order. Lay out the project in front of you on paper or on a
computer-based project planner so that you can see every step and task. Then go
to work on one task at a time. You will be amazed at how much you get done in
this way.
As you work through your lists, you will feel more and more effective and
powerful. You will feel more in control of your life. You will be naturally
motivated to do even more. You will think better and more creatively, and you
will get more and better insights that enable you to do your work even faster.
As you work steadily through your lists, you will develop a sense of positive
forward momentum that enables you to overcome procrastination. This feeling
of progress gives you more energy and keeps you going throughout the day.
One of the most important rules of personal effectiveness is the 10/90 Rule.
This rule says that the first 10 percent of time that you spend planning and
organizing your work before you begin will save you as much as 90 percent of
the time in getting the job done once you get started. You only have to try this
rule once to prove it to yourself.
When you plan each day in advance, you will find it much easier to get going
and to keep going. The work will go faster and smoother than ever before. You
will feel more powerful and competent. You will get more done faster than you
thought possible. Eventually, you will become unstoppable.
EAT THAT FROG!
1. Begin today to plan every day, week, and month in advance. Take a
notepad or sheet of paper (or use your smartphone) and make a list of
everything you have to do in the next twenty-four hours. Add to your list as
new items come up. Make a list of all your projects, the big multitask jobs
that are important to your future.
2. Lay out all of your major goals, projects, and tasks by priority, what is
most important, and by sequence, what has to be done first, what comes
second, and so forth. Start with the end in mind and work backward.
Think on paper! Always work from a list. You'll be amazed at how
much more productive you become and how much easier it is to eat your
frog.