What's So Good About Planning Ahead? What You Weren't Taught at School.

 

As the year marches on, here's a timely reminder:

"Planning effectively and simply has so many positive impacts on your life!"

Like...

• An Increased Feeling of Clarity: Planning empowers you to take charge of your life, providing a sense of clarity, control and autonomy 
• Reduced Stress and Anxiety (yay!): Taking even a little time to break down your dreams & goals into do-able tasks helps reduce stress and anxiety.
• Increased Likelihood of Achieving Your Dreams & Goals: Planning improves your productivity and increases your chances of achieving dreams & goals.
• Improved Decision-Making: Helps you make well considered and informed decisions - aligned to your dreams & goals.
• Heightened Optimism & Motivation: The planning process fuels optimism, self-belief and motivation.

 

Which all add up to feeling good about life!

But planning isn't something we're taught at school, so we evolve our own approaches in our own ways. Good & not so good(!)

I've spent years experimenting with what works best and developing and sharing a brilliant and simple process (I've created a Video Workshop explaining it here and a specific Journal for it here), and in this podcast episode, I share and explain 10 Tips for Planning Your Next 6 Months - so you can experience more of these positives. Listen here...

 

In summary, the 10 Tips for Planning Your Next 6 Months are:

1. Reflect on the past six months:

Take time to evaluate what worked and what didn't.

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." - Alan Watts

2. Learn from challenges:

Identify the main obstacles faced and develop strategies to overcome them in the future.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill

3. Celebrate achievements:

Recognise your key accomplishments in areas such as work, health, relationships, and personal growth.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer

4. Clarify your dreams and goals:

Clearly define your top three dreams or goals for the year and the upcoming quarter.

 "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

5. Understand your "Why":

Write a document explaining why these dreams and goals are important to you, as a reminder during challenging times.

"When your why is strong enough, you will find a way to make it happen." - Unknown

6. Keep your dreams and goals visible:

Display your top three dreams and goals in places you'll see them every day, like your phone, bedroom, or bathroom mirror.

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

7. Establish a morning ritual:

Create a ritual that supports your dream life and helps you start each day positively. This is where you can start...

"Morning is an important time of day because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have." - Lemony Snicket

8. Evaluate your habits:

Identify habits that hinder your progress and consider adding new ones that align with your dreams and goals.

9. Prioritise health and well-being:

Take care of your physical and mental health by exercising, eating well, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.

10. Take consistent action:

Work on your dreams and goals every day, scheduling dedicated time in your calendar and staying committed to your progress.

"The distance between dreams and reality is called action." - Unknown

Remember, effective planning, consistent action, and support from like-minded individuals can lead you closer to living your dream life.

 

 

PS: Check out our simple guided approach to planning that has taken us over 20 years to perfect - and thousands are now using and loving it. 

Often the simplest approaches to planning are the best. Like our Quarterly Planning  / Daily Progress Journal.

It's the perfect way to use paper & pen - for important high level planning that connects you physically and gets the best out of your brain.