Planning is a Superpower

Photo by Emma Matthews Digital Content Production on Unsplash

Are you using yours?

It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since I launched. When I started this blog it felt like a hobby. I was still working at WW (albeit virtually by then) and my days definitely did not involve working from home. As the year has passed and my plans for this project have changed and grown, this is my job and needs to be treated as such. Part of that looks like a weekly planning session.

I believe that planning is a superpower. Each person can create their own planning system and no matter the task (planning your meals, your exercise, your week, or your steps in a long term project) the process is the same. Identify goals, understand why you have those goals, and anticipate external and internal obstacles..

Here are the questions I am using now as I plan for work, but you can use them for anything. I answered a few of the ones that I consider most important...

What day/time will I make my plan?
What period of time does the plan cover (daily, weekly, monthly, all three)?
What are my goals this week?
Why are these goals important?
What obstacles may arise? House or family emergencies. Appointments that take longer than expected. Lack of ideas. Simple procrastination. Feeling unfocused/lazy/tired.
How will I deal with said obstacles? Keep going. Do it anyway. Remain flexible. Put something down on paper. Focus on something on the list that is quick and easy. Change scenery.
When will I reflect on my successes and setbacks?
What about the voices in my head that pop up on any given to tell me I need to do more, do better, work harder? Get quiet enough to hear them. Call them out and challenge them. What are they saying? Is it true? What is an alternate way to look at it?

Does every week go according to plan? Of course not. But if you are not clear on what you are moving towards, why you are moving in that direction, and what can get in your way, it is awfully hard to get there.