Don’t you wish you had a little more control over your life?
Well, the great news is – you can!
By finding systems that work for you and by sticking to them, you feel more in control, and when you feel more in control, you feel happier and more fulfilled!
We’ve all had our experiences with planning and if you're anything like me, you have an overabundance of wasted journals and diaries piled up in a cupboard along with your lost hopes and dreams of being an organised person.
But guess what?
It's not too late to try again.
So whether you’re a student, a working mom, a recovering perfectionist or as Brene Brown would put it - an aspiring “good enoughist” - I'm sure there will be something in here for you.
Part 1: The 7 Fundamentals of Planning
1. Know your priorities. Knowing what’s important to you the first step is so you know what you’re saying yes to and what you’re saying no to. What do you value? Prioritize it!
2. There are many ways to get this right. There isn’t just one way to do this, find a way that works for you. And stick to it.
3. Balance is what will sustain you. You are a whole being - meaning you need to take your of all your needs to remain balanced. And if you have balance, you can sustain what you do for longer.
4. If you don’t know where the target is, you’ll miss it. Without a goal and without a plan, you will end up nowhere. Kind of like playing darts with a blindfold on - not really going to work. You need something to aim at. Even if you miss it, you’re at least headed in the right direction.
5. You have more control than you think. You may not have full control over things that happen to you, but it’s a myth that you have NO control. Make decisions, take responsibility and don’t be a spectator to your own life.
6. We all need routine to thrive. Routine helps us feel secure and when we feel secure, we can focus on the important things. Knowing what to expect from every day eliminates a lot of stress.
7. Stay flexible. Change is inevitable – life happens. Be flexible enough to change your systems when you need to. Be honest about what isn’t working and just try something else.
Part 2: 6 Practical Tips for Planning
Tip #1: Get a diary. Write it down. Find a system to write down tasks. Whether it’s an app, an online calendar, or a physical diary.
Tip #2: Set up a routine that works for you. It acts as a foundation to build your week on.
Tip #3: Time Block: Instead of sticking to a minute-by-minute schedule, set aside chunks of time to focus on projects to give yourself room for flexibility.
Tip #4: Plan ahead of time. The rule is – plan the day the night before. And plan the week, the weekend before. And even the month the month before. Don’t go into your day or week without knowing what to expect. Always be one step ahead!
Tip #5: Set deadlines & rewards. Hold yourself accountable by setting deadlines and then reward yourself for reaching those deadlines. Rewards like an ice cream (if you’re a kid like me), or a night off etc. Rewards are a great motivator!
Tip #6: Set weekly goals: Decide at the beginning of the week what your 3 goals for the week are. That way you will have a clear idea of what you’re working towards. Keep it simple.
Part 3: How to stop wasting time
1. Stop saying yes to things that you shouldn’t. Saying yes to one thing, means saying no to something else.
2. Stop trying to multitask – you think you can, but I promise, it doesn’t work. It takes longer with poorer results. Close those 72 tabs. Focus fully on the task at hand.
3. Stop going with the flow. Don’t just wait around for life to happen to you. Be intentional with your time
4. Stop wasting time trying to get it perfect. Perfectionism causes us to procrastinate. There is no such thing as perfect either. Just take that first step and you will learn along the way. Your best is good enough.
5. Stop responding to every incoming distraction. Give yourself distraction free productive time where you turn off your emails and WhatsApp.
6. Schedule fun. There is a place for play, so instead of feeling bad about it, schedule time for it so you can maintain balance.
Part 4: Healthy Habits
Your body needs to sustain your brain. Yes, it's cheesy, but it's also true. Your brain can't operate as it should if it's not being taken care of.
You know the basics, and because I'm not your mom I won't tell you to eat healthy food, go to bed at a decent hour and keep active.
I will however, talk to you about boundaries. Boundaries aren't there to spoil your fun, but to protect you from the habits that derail your dreams. They are there so you can become the person you want to be.
So take some time to reflect on these important questions:
What are some unhelpful habits that keep you from being who you want to be? What keeps distracting you from doing what you know you should be doing?
Who are the people that make you feel a little more negative about life? Are you possibly spending too much time with them?
What is your capacity like and how could you be creating space for yourself to thrive?
A few more habits that are super important to me and also help reduce stress are:
Take regular breaks: Work for 45 min, rest for 15 min
Take a short walk, go outside
Limit screen time, especially before bed - rather read a book
Practice breathing & meditation
Create room in your schedule to process life
Take control of other areas of your life – maybe financial stress or relational stress is affecting the rest of your life.
Use positive language - be aware of how you talk to yourself. Tell yourself you can do this!
Be compassionate towards yourself – you are doing your best.
If you can implement a few of these principles, you will start to see a lot of change in your life. The key is consistency! The ultimate goal is to move you closer to your goal.
Planning and managing your time well, is way of eliminating unnecessary stress from your life so that you can achieve the things you want to and become the person you want to be!
What's the first thing you're going to implement today?
Do you need someone to sit with you and help you reorganise the "mess"?
I'd be happy to! Contact me to arrange a 60-minute session x
And because I'm excited to share the joy of planning with you, here is a FREE download of my weekly and monthly planner! Happy Planning!
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