Planning is one skill we feel like either we’re born with or we’ll never get. Depending on the environment we grow up in, we may feel like planning our days out is either very important or we leave things to impulse. Regardless of our perspective, the importance of having a plan in our lives is vital. May people find that planning their days, either through an application or pen and paper, has transformed their lives and their efficiency. 

When we spend all day thinking about what has to be done and what we want to accomplish, it can drain us of necessary brain power that we can use in other endeavors. Our mind is not limitless, so it’s up to the tools around us to make life simpler for ourselves. Committing to writing down our plans will help us from bouncing these thoughts around in our mind all day. Once you jot down your goal or task, it gives you space to come back to it at a later, more appropriate time. Compartmentalizing our goals and our desires is vital to keeping ourselves in order. The best step is to write down your goal and section it off into manageable tasks. Which one comes first, which will take the most time and effort and once you have these two major guidelines, you can then give a timeline of how long it will take to achieve what you desire.

Along the path, as your practicing planning skills, learn to practice self-compassion. We all fall off the wagon from time to time and it’s up to us to be forgiving for our missteps. Being overbearing on ourselves can lead to burnout, and even giving up on our goals completely. However, if you are patient and kind to yourself, living by the adage that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” then you can do what needs to be done to get closer to where you want to be, graciously. A good practice is to schedule some “me” time, where you allow yourself to decompress and relax from the stressors of the world and your ambitions.

Making a plan to do something and following through to do it are two unique things. Being self-aware about what type of motivation it takes to make things happen is crucial. When you’re making plans, think about why this matters to you. Are you willing to take the necessary sacrifices to make it happen?  

Working alongside others, who have either accomplished what you wanted, or are on similar paths, will allow you to bounce ideas off of one another. Can you deleage any tasks to someone in your circle? For instance, if you’re working on a screenplay, can you send it to someone once you’re halfway done to read over it and get their honest feedback? Make sure to keep people around you that will keep you honest; a must for any great planner. Take the time to reflect on where you’re going and if what you’re doing is getting you closer to it. Self-awareness is vital to becoming a better planner.