One of the downsides to being creative is having many ideas and executing little to nothing.
I know this because I’ve been in the same position.
And if there’s something I can admittedly say has helped me go from “Many ideas, Do nothing about it” to “Write down ideas, execute them. Next!”
It is Planning.
Planning can save you from wasting your youthful years.
One thing I am certain about and I’m sure you already know is that time is always going.
Time does not wait for anyone.
7 years ago when I started my blog, there were not as many blogs as we have today and it was easier to rank on the first page of google.
But I was not actively blogging. I only posted once in a while when I felt like writing or posting.
7 years have passed and now I’m here, trying to meet up with the lost years.
But something has changed and I will tell you what!
Consistency.
I’ve been more consistent on my blog than I’ve ever been in the past 7 years.
Why is this? Because I decided to start adding my blog writing to my daily plan.
I created a plan, added the date and day, and whenever it’s time to write and publish on my blog, I get up and get it done.
And one thing that has changed between then and now is that I decided to plan.
6 reasons why you don’t plan
Let me explain 6 reasons why you don’t plan your day, activities, or goals.
- You think it’s not necessary.
You think you already know your plans and you don’t need to write them down.
- As a man, you think planning is a “girl thing” and a “man” should not be planning.
- You don’t believe in writing things down. You think it’s a waste of time.
- You think planning is complicating things and it’s easier to just get things done.
- You are waiting for the right book, app, digital tool, or environment before you plan.
- You don’t know why you should plan.
Here are 6 reasons you should plan:
Why you should plan
- You don’t completely know what to do in a day. You might think you have an idea of all the things you want to do but when you start writing them down, you will see that you don’t have it all figured out.
- You might forget the things you want to do in the course of your day.
But, when you have it planned/written out, it will serve as a reminder.
- Planning is not gender based.
Planning is essential for everyone who wants to get things done.
If you want to execute your ideas and start achieving your long term goal, you should plan.
- There are many benefits of writing things down.
When you write down your plans, you remember them.
You get ideas on how to execute your plans as you write.
Writing down your plans is the first step to achieving them.
To know more about writing things down, read the powerful benefits of writing things down here.
- Waiting to have the right tools, apps, and books is just another excuse for not planning.
You can plan with a plain book or a simple jotter.
Your phone notepad, your phone alarm, your computer microsoft word or Google docs, etc., are free tools you can plan with.
Also read: Things You Never Knew Your Phone Alarm System Could Do
And if you’re looking for a more focused app that is specifically built for planning goals and getting things done, then I’d recommend Todoist.
I did a review of it here.
You may also like: June 2022 in Review: How 6 Months of Consistency can Change your Life
Sign up on Todoist today and you can say goodbye to all your planning worries.
With Todoist, you can plan your year, month, week, and day.
Download the app here for your iPhone and Android.
- Planning is the first step to executing your ideas.
If you execute your ideas, you should plan.
Here are 10 Tips that will help you plan your day effectively:
10 Tips on How to Plan your Day Effectively
Create time to plan
You might desire to plan but forget to plan.
To avoid excuses for not planning, create time to plan.
It is also important to put a “Plan for the day or plan for the next day” in your plans.
Creating time to plan is being intentional about your goals and plans.
Find a place in or outside your home where you can think and focus well, get your planning tools and write out your plan for the day or the next day.
Editor’s pick: How to Plan a Productive Month
Plan the day before
Another way to make sure you plan effectively is to plan the day before.
Especially if you have a job you need to prepare for early in the morning or if you have a busy schedule during the day.
Plan for the next day before you go to sleep at night. So, when you wake up, you will start your day as planned.
Focus on the why
When planning, don’t think of the work you have to do…
It wears you out and makes you feel anxious.
Focusing on the tasks makes you scared of your responsibilities even before you start.
Instead, focus on why you’re doing all these.
What do you stand to gain?
What will be the result?
What will be the outcome?
Is it
“Have a healthy skin or body”
“Get 5000 blog subscribers at the end of the month”
“Make $50,000 at the end of the year?”
Understand why you’re planning and why you need to do those tasks.
You’re carrying out these tasks because you want to achieve something. So, focus on what you want to achieve instead of the tasks.
This will excite you to carry out your tasks and you won’t be overwhelmed.
Start with a dump
When you first start planning, you might feel the need to write all your tasks and your goals perfectly but it might not work that way for you.
Instead, do an activity or goal dump.
Write down all your goals and all the tasks you need to do first.
When you’re done, you can pick out the important ones and keep the less important and less urgent for later.
Set priorities
If you read my blog, you will know I talk about priorities a lot.
When you plan, ensure you set priorities.
Take a look at your listed tasks to do today, which of these do you need to do first?
Which of these tasks is the most important?
Do that one first.
When you block time (let’s say, 3-4 hours or less) to get it done, you can now decide to do the other tasks on your list.
Even if you don’t finish all the tasks on your list, doing the most important tasks will make you feel fulfilled at the end of the day.
You may also like: Time Blocking for Busy but Unproductive People
Know your limits
What I will always tell my productivity coaching clients is that it’s okay to have only 2-3 goals for the day.
It’s better to have just 2-3 goals in a day than to have 20 goals you can’t get yourself to start because you’re overwhelmed by how much you have to do.
Know what works for you
What works for your friend might not work for you. What works for me might not work for you.
This is why in my productivity coaching service, I create a specialized goal and todo list tracker for my clients.
This tracker is personalized for each client and it is also unique to the client too.
It is made based on an understanding of their limits, their level of self-discipline, how many goals they have, and how much they want to achieve in a year.
The importance of this tracker is to clearly define to my client that what works for someone else might not work for them because each of us are unique in our own ways.
This is why you need a productivity coach that understand your uniqueness and can create an effective planning system that is unique to you.
Plan with a reminder
There’s this new thing I started doing and I believe it will help you too. I always plan with my planner note or jotter but I realized if I’m far away from my notebook, I don’t know what to do next on my task list or when to do it until I get my book.
This was affecting my productivity.
Then I got a solution! My phone alarm!!
After writing my plans in my planner note, I open my phone alarm and outline all my plans in it.
When it’s time to do a particular task, my alarm rings and I get up to do it.
This has helped me remember to carry out my plans.
Get planning tools
While you should not wait to have the right tools to start planning, that should also not stop you from getting the right tools.
If you like digital planning tools and apps, you should definitely get Todoist. And if you like physical books and planners, then you should get my weekly goals printable planner.
It is a 5-page printable that carefully outlines the space you need to plan your day and achieve your goals.
If you have been struggling to plan your daily activities, this is the solution you need.
With this weekly goal planner, you have all you need to finally get things done.
It comprises a yearly goal/resolution page, monthly goals page, weekly goals, and daily goals pages.
It was inspired by the productivity coaching tracker I reserve primarily for my coaching clients.
You can get it from;
The Avid Digital Planner Shop @ $9
My Etsy Shop @ $10.50
My Selar Shop @ N1000 (Recommended for Nigerians).
Reward yourself
The last and most important tip for effective planning is to reward yourself.
It could be something little or big, but ensure to appreciate yourself for how hard you have worked.
Each time you hit a milestone in your goals and tasks or when you go a whole week without procrastinating or skipping tasks.
Reward yourself.
When you reward yourself, you will be delighted to do more.
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Today is a good day to start planning.
Plan your goals, your daily activities, your weeks, months, etc.
The more you plan, the more you get things done.
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Need a productivity coach?
Do you struggle with achieving your goals or completing your daily tasks!
Do you struggle with overwhelm, too many tasks on your to-do list, or balancing your work and life?
Did this article describe your current need and struggle?
I can help you!
As a productivity coach, I have helped my clients achieve their goals, held them accountable to get their tasks done, and helped them plan and actualize a more flexible, yet productive life.
I have helped several creatives who battle anxiety as a result of numerous unfinished tasks and feelings of inadequacy to go from underachiever to high-achiever.
Let me help you too!
Read more about how to start, here.
Reach out to me today to take my coaching sessions.
The first session is free! Schedule a free call now!
This call helps me understand what you’re struggling with and what aspect of productivity coaching you need.
In 30 mins, I will give you quick problem solving tips to implement for a more productive life.
I’d love to hear from you!
