Activate Your Best Productivity with Planning
“Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present and I have the power to make it so. ”
Arguably the most valuable tool we all have at our disposal is planning. By taking time to plan, we are acting on the things we want to do and things we want to get done. We are also empowering ourselves to move forward, building positive momentum which in turn builds on itself. Not only that, but by taking time consistently to plan, are are acknowledging reality, making adjustments based off of that in order to achieve success in the future.
Have you ever ended up on a project or in a meeting and wondered "How did I get here?" or "Why is this the best use of my time?" Well, hindsight is 20:20, but, we can eliminate excess, unneeded meetings and projects and overall boost our efficiency with proper planning. By planning I mean the process of planning, not necessarily plans. You can have the most bullet proof plans, but the actual process of enacting those plans and re-adjusting them to what is right in front of you is what will help you achieve success.
Here are some of the most valuable tips from the Pros, compiled from work I've done with Leaders and Teams over the course of my career:
1) Be Realistic: set yourself up for success when you plan your time, your meetings and your projects. Build in padded time for mini emergencies, life stuff and other possible unplanned events, conversations, etc.
2) Set Dedicated Time for Planning and Stick To It: by setting a dedicated time to assess, re-adjust and strategize each day, you will be able to be agile in order to meet the needs of your team, your project or your employees - whatever comes your way that you may or may not be anticipating.
3) Consistently Evaluate: continue to evaluate and re-evaluate what the best use of your time is in order to move towards your goals and accomplish what you need to. This means being present for things that come up, adding additional planning time if needed or extending existing meetings in order to finalize conversations that aren't yet complete.
4) Guard Time for Yourself: time for yourself each day will help you be present when you plan and overall be your best self so that you can be most productive! What is it that gives you energy? Make sure to do even a little piece of this each day to fuel you for what's ahead.