If one of the reasons you may feel uncomfortable about planning is because you get stressed just by thinking that you will sit down and think of the things you want and need to accomplish, then this post is for you.
We understand that planning is not for everyone.
However, the benefit that planning offers makes us believe that if you know how to make planning stress-free, you might be more than interested in handling the pressure and get so much more from this productive practice.
Here are five practical pieces of advice you can use to make your planning process stress-free from the point when you begin to the moment when you start gaining the benefits of your efforts.
ONE: Take things one-step-at-a-time
If it is your first-time taking planning seriously, you need to start easy. It would help if you didn't put too much pressure on finishing everything fast.
The truth is, if you do not sift through your current situation, you cannot draw from this point to the next one effectively.
AS you begin, you may want to establish a few hours to a few days to help you develop a good plan for the week, for the month, and the whole year, if you want to go that far. When you want to establish a good strategy for a short or long-time outline of the goals you want to develop for yourself, you ought to carefully put your strengths and limitations into the mix.
It would help if you were realistic about yourself and your current situation. This strategy will help you be more realistic with your expectations as well. Finally, putting your resources into the picture, your plan will reflect a better pattern of possible accomplishments that will help you see the reality of your project.
A good planner daily organizer could help you achieve your goals by correctly listing tasks.
TWO: Focus: Try not to Overthink
Often, when you sit down in front of pen and paper to write down your plans, it may feel overwhelming if you have no specific target to look into at the moment. This is the reason why a lot of individuals tend to overthink everything.
So, to avoid overthinking, it is best to create a clear list.
You can decide to categorize your goals between urgent, not-so-urgent, or can-wait.
These categories will give you a better sense of which of your goals you will need to attend to immediately and which ones could be set aside for the meantime. This way, you can draw the guideline of the procedures that you ought to follow to achieve the smaller tasks to reach the larger goals.
Focusing on what needs to be done now will help you achieve more in the process. In addition, the satisfaction that you get from these accomplishments, from the smallest to the most significant developments of your plan, will surely motivate you to do more each day.
THREE: Give Yourself Some Space to Breathe
One of the worst planning strategies is to put everything down on paper and hope that everything will be accomplished precisely as planned. Not only will this bring you to the point of frustration, but some also stop planning all at once out of disappointment.
This is why you need to plan a particular time dedicated to breaks. First, you must consider giving yourself enough space to breathe and move around your limitations. Remember that everyone has limits, and respecting these limitations will make it easier for you to engage in satisfying experiences that help you reach your goals one step at a time. With enough space, you can make adjustments to your plan as much as necessary.
FOUR: Take Breaks When Necessary
If, for example, you decide to start your planning schedule for at least two hours, you ought to consider at least taking three to four times of at least five to ten minutes each. You may choose to have small stretches or perhaps a few minutes walking around.
These breaks will help you refresh your mind and get it going again for the next phase of your planning process.
FIVE: Pat Yourself on the Back When You're Done
Did you complete your plan? Great Job!
Whether you have written your plan in a dated planner or an undated business planner, the fact that you finished your planning process is a cause for celebration.
Make sure to pat yourself on the back as you prepare yourself to engage in the tasks you have scheduled to reach through your set goals.
The desire to become more capable of achieving something more is essential as you go through your plans and go from point-one to point-to onwards.
We hope that this post will get you interested and ready to set your plans for the next few days, the following weeks, and the whole year as you find necessary.