How to Plan for More Time and Have Time for More Planning
It is important to realize that the title of this article could
have been written the other way around, and while at the surface
it may seem as stating the same thing, this is the illusion that
most people are deceived by and hence therefore are doing less
with more, instead of more with less.
Now let me clarify, this to another level. Most people complain
about "Well if I had more time, then I could really plan my
days!" Yet this approach will never allow you to have that time,
therefore no planning as well. Only one of these is in our
control, and time is out of hands, yet we can take hold of it
only when we know what we want to do with it.
When I was in school, the more hours of classes I took and the
more jobs I worked the more I was able to do in less and less
time. I made better grades as well. Everyone has the same 168
hours a week, however, how we use those hours can mean the
difference between you getting the next promotion or one of your
colleagues instead.
So since planning is under your control then this is where you
must start. I heard an interview with Mark McCormack the best
selling author of "What They Still Don't Teach You At Harvard
Business School" and he mentioned that one of the things that
made him such a success was that he plans his day, everyday! He
spends one hour everyday planning the next 23 hours. And that
one hour a day is the smartest investment anyone can make for
themselves.
Spend a few hours to design a system for yourself, any system,
and stick to it. And as you continue to use it, notice where and
when it works and where and when it doesn't, and change it
appropriately. Most people get stuck in the "ready, aim, fire"
mentality, and unfortunately these same people never get passed
getting ready and taking aim. So taking a "ready, fire, aim"
approach may be more useful, as long as you are paying attention
to know where and when to make changes.
The key is to create a plan and put it in writing. A philosophy,
I always have lived by is that "the shortest pencil is better
than the longest memory." And besides, our mind will record
everything unconsciously anyway, so why not keep the conscious
clutter to a minimum.
If you can, imagine, just stop and consider for a moment, step
back from yourself for a bit, so that you can take a look at
your whole life up to now and all the things that have yet to
have happened; notice the things you want to do. If you don't
know yet, then come up with something and plug it in the
appropriate place in time for it to happen.
And at the same time, pay attention to mistakes you've made in
the past, and as you can see them now with greater clarity to
gain some useful learnings, make a note to do things differently
in the future. If you ignore the past, you will miss
opportunities to learn. So it is important to see what has
happened in just the right angle as well as see what is to come
ahead before you come face-to-face with it. Now this is only
useful at certain times such as when you are planning. While at
other times, it is best to be really in the moment, that is when
you really have fun.
And it is just as important to be in a fun, resourceful state
when planning, especially when you are making important life
decisions. It would be ridiculous to come home one day and be
thinking "life stinks, hmmm...what should I do with the rest of
my life?" That is not where you want to be, instead get yourself
into the most wonderful state of mind you can get yourself into.
Such as times when you feel really competent, making excellent
decisions, feeling highly enthusiastic, creative, and totally
uninhibited. When you plan for the future, you want to remove
all restrictions, so that anything is possible now. Remember
each moment holds its own obstacles and challenges, and you will
overcome them when the time comes.
"Luck is the crossroads where opportunity and preparation meet."
Every moment also holds its own opportunities, however it is up
to you to prepare yourself now.
Begin by planning for it!