THE SCIENCE BEHIND SUCCESSFUL PLANNING AND HOW YOU CAN DO IT TOO (Plus a special Worksheet download )

Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS)

7 years ago

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SUCCESSFUL PLANNING AND HOW YOU CAN DO IT TOO

Did you know a significant part of your happiness is influenced by how well you manage time?
Even with all your multitasking it’s an uphill task managing time .

I am sure all of you have at least one moment every day when all the juggling causes you scream inside(you know what I mean right!)

The science of successful effective planning has been a topic of interest for all busy people.As the new year approaches I thought the best way to get prepared for it was to have a blueprint for it.That’s where this post came from .

Before I forget I have a Thanksgiving gift for you( this is from both me and Jenna of Jlynndesignery ).See the bottom of the post for this or get it right now.

[emaillocker id=104192]CLARITY worksheet download + VIP Resources [/emaillocker]

Wasting time is a sure shot method of increasing stress in your life.
I have explored 32 ways of relaxation .But today I will be discussing not how to relax after stressing, but how to prevent stress from entering your life,

Rushing around like a headless chicken trying to get stuff done was becoming a regular irritation. Like all moms and wannabe mompreneurs one of my favourite pinterest board is the time management /productivity board.

But I too was guilty of promptly forgetting all my good intentions as soon as I pinned it!

PLANNING PSYCHOLOGY

So I decided to research the psychology of successful planning.I learnt the “if then – what” solution , where you make a pact with yourself. Its something like a timer in your brain.If it’s 8 pm you will exercise.Your brain is good at understanding this.

If you have a plan about when/where (if of the situation ) it’s more likely your brain remembers to do the action, work (the then)which you have promised yourself.

[Tweet theme=”basic-full”] “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”Henry Ford[/Tweet]

HOW TO PLAN LIKE A SUPER STRATEGIST

Most work in your life may be put into one of these 4 categories

1)Urgent and very important.Such as payment of bills and all work with deadlines.

2)Not Urgent but Important:
Like discussing an investment plan with your partner .

3)Appears urgent but not important
Your email/facebook/twitter/Instagram notifications .

4)Absolutely not urgent and never important.You know it, I know it we still do it.This accounts for most of the time you waste when nothing productive gets done.
Like chatting with your BFF for 10 min about nonsense when you have a deadline to meet.Randomly checking your twitter feed, Facebook updates and opening the inbox to check random mails umpteen times a day.Seriously we are all guilty of this.

Checking on emails, who followed you,who liked your picture is so much more fun than paying your bills or writing a budget or for that matter it’s more fun than most chores.

Unfortunately like me, you must have read many articles on productivity. But promptly forgotten the very next minute .
So since I am guilty of all the crimes of a time waster, this was my self-healing exercise.

I actually have, tried out the tips I am outlining and they work!

3 THINGS THAT WILL MAKE ALL YOUR PLANS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL

1)Don’t multitask

Getting something done from scratch till its finished decreases wastage of time and increases productivity .You totally avoid checking, cross checking earlier work .This stops you from second guessing about all possible things you might have forgotten.
This is supremely important and if you remember one thing from this post remember “NO MULTITASKING.”

Mindfulness increases productivity like nothing else.The less you multitask ,the more likely you will get everything on your list done.The main thing that you should concentrate on is to avoid distractions.

[Tweet theme=”basic-full”]MULTITASKING KILLS PRODUCTIVITY [/Tweet]

HOW TO AVOID DISTRACTIONS QUICKLY

Switch of the television
Switch off Social media notifications on your computer
Switch off your phone

Get the work done!

2)Every Sunday plan your week.

Write all that you need to get done in a Planner.
Highlight the chores in your personal and professional life which cannot be done without you actively doing them.These are your Urgent and very important work for the week.The rest you categorize according to the 4 categories I described.

At the end of every day before you go to bed quickly write down 3 things you must get done the next day. Exercise should be in the list of daily must do .Never forget to exercise even when you are super busy. Nothings worth anything if you are not healthy.Read this article here by Michael Simmons .

3)Learn to delegate.

I know it’s difficult to delegate when you are a control freak.I am one too.But delegating helps you relax, take a deep breath,relax and get more important things done…faster .

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR AND ONE WHO’S JUST DOING OKAY?

The difference is how they plan their day/week/month /year.
Planning effectively means your plan shouldn’t paralyse.
It should be flexible, so that a little bit off the plan doesn’t totally derail your work.

When we write something down ,and tick it off after its done.You get a rush of positivity which random work seldom gives.

While planning your day , housework,writing a book ,starting a business all experts tell you to have a step by step action plan.Break down the impossible to the nitty-gritty makes it a definite do able chunks.

This requires a blueprint , a map.

A planner is essentially a map to help you in your journey. To keep you updated about the course of your journey.Whether you are off track or doing great, your planner is a quick reflection of your work.

When you know how much you have achieved that’s a great boost to your morale.You can then chart the next part of your journey.

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I love planning and planners are something I simply can’t resist.Interestingly adult ADHD has a well known technique of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy where a Daily planner is used.

Writing tasks in the Daily Planner helps to break down large chores into do able chunks.That makes it so much easier.

But like all good habits , entries into your Daily Planner needs to be regular to make a difference.

[Tweet theme=”basic-full”]Brian Tracy’s 6 P formula famously says “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”[/Tweet]

Even though we all have the same 24 hours in a day,our productivity varies radically. Planning your day actually help you do your work faster, get more done with much less headache and definitely avoid procrastination!

Jenna of Jlynndesignery has designed a planner which is customizable on her Etsy shop according to your needs.The Planner has 2 awesome design to choose from:Striped and Marbled.

The Refresh Weekly Planner is designed to help you find clarity in your week at work and at home. With a weekly layout, monthly layout and yearly overview, this planner gives you all the space you need to write down your appointments, meetings, and to do’s every day of the year.

The second half of the planner gives you the opportunity to choose two custom Planner Add-ons that reflect your unique lifestyle. Together, the Refresh Weekly Planner is more than just a calendar; it’s a lifestyle organizational tool designed to help you lead a life of clarity, simplicity and joy.

Planner Features & Brilliant Little Details

+ 2016 yearly overview
+ Two-page spread for every month
+ Two-page spread for every week
+ Holidays on monthly and weekly layouts
+ Inspirational quote on every weekly layout
+ Notes pages before every month
+ Tabbed divider pages to separate months
+ Beautiful gold wire binding
+ Protective plastic cover to keep pages and tabs protected
+ Tons of space for your notes, stickers, etc.

+ Your choice of TWO Planner Add-ons which are mini planners too

(Meal Planner | Workout Planner | Blog Planner | Christian Planner | Lined Pages)

Jenna is a friend and I love the planner design so much ,I had to share with you.(The links are not affiliate links and I make no money ,even if you buy through these links )

I have a clear favourite.Totally love the golden spiral binding and the inspirational quotes.

Inspirational quotes on your planner pages to lift up your spirit

Research shows planning your life helps you not only beat stress but do your work upto 25% faster.
Chronic stress is a silent disease and is responsible for majority of lifestyle disease like obesity, hypertension, anxiety, depression.
Planning your life is an important first step to live life stress free.

If you love making to do lists , you will love this planner about which Jenna has a lot more to say. Just head over to Jlynndesignery and check out the awesomeness.

I have a clear favourite.Comment below to let me know which one of the planner design is your favourite.

Now for the Clarity worksheet Giveaway.

Just sign up below and you will get it now!

[wysija_form id=”1″]

[emaillocker id=104192]CLARITY worksheet download + VIP Resources [/emaillocker]

Takeaway message

1)NO MULTITASKING.

2)Plan in such a way that it doesn’t paralyze you.
3)Plan with specific time chunks associated with each chore.This helps you be more productive, less rushed and practical.
4 )Start with the 3 things which you must get done .

5)Stop thinking start doing

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
— H. Jackson Brown

[Tweet theme=”basic-full”]Plan the 24 hours like it’s money in the bank [/Tweet].

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