Days are very busy and sometimes you feel like you just have to dive in (like this dog) and get stuff done. There are so many things screaming at you from your to do list that rather than taking time to plan it feels better to just start checking things off the list.
The problem with doing so is that usually you do the easiest items first instead of the most important. Peak energy is given to the items tackled first and by the time you get to the tasks that may be more important and/or more challenging, the best part of the day is used up. Willpower — and brainpower — has flagged and that makes doing the hard stuff even harder.
The answer is taking time to plan your day before you do anything else. No matter how busy you are, take just ten minutes to look at your schedule for the day along with your to do list and carve out time to handle your most pressing tasks.
But I have no time…
If you’re tempted to say you don’t have time to plan, look at it this way. If you spend even ten minutes doing any of these things on a given day, then you have time to plan.
- Watching TV
- Reading a magazine
- Surfing the web
- Gossiping
- Shopping online
- Playing a game on the computer or smart phone
- Snacking
- Complaining about work, another person or life in general
- Going to the mall
- Looking up an old frienemy/boyfriend/girlfriend on Facebook
If taking time to plan is a new idea for you, just commit to doing it for three days. Take ten minutes to plan and prioritize your tasks three days in a row. Once you’ve planned three days in a row, note whether your mental state was different on those days, and whether you got more of the right stuff done.