You say you have big plans.
Big plans for this year. Even bigger plans for the summer. Maybe even for next weekend.
However, what is your plan for today?
You may have great ideas for tomorrow, but first you are going to have to successfully get through this day.
What Is Your Plan for Today?
Do you go through your day without a plan?
I often hear the excuse from individuals that they don’t like to have a plan. Instead, they would rather “go with the flow.” They say that plans are too “rigid,” and they feel more in control by “taking life as it comes.”
To each their own, but to me, that sounds like a cop-out and a way to drift through daily life.
Really, what can be less in control than having no idea what is coming your way? Not knowing what you need to do? And being unaware of your obligations?
Doesn’t sound very in control to me.
Plan Your Day… Every Day
Having goals is a good thing. And yet, most goals are too long-term.
Instead of trying to look so far into the future, try planning the here and now.
Today often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. After all, you have to live your life today in order to reach tomorrow.
“It is going to be hard to get to tomorrow if you don’t have a plan for today.” (Tweet this Quote)
Ask yourself, “What do I need to do today and how am I going to get it done?”
Here are a few tips to help you plan your day today:
- Always Have a Plan – Take 5 to 10 minutes each morning to plan your day. It doesn’t have to be fancy. At a minimum, you should plot out what you need to do, where you need to be, and how you are going to accomplish your responsibilities.
- Prepare for Your Day – Planning is good, preparing is even better. Once you have your plan, take action to actually prepare for the upcoming day. This is like getting a head start on everyone else in the race of life. Why wouldn’t you prepare for the plan you are about to execute?
- Stick to Your Plan – Don’t let the first interruption of your day destroy your plan. It is important that you maintain perspective on what you have deemed important to do today vs. the urgent (but not necessarily important) issues that come up during the course of your day.
- Adapt and Course Correct – Sticking to you plan doesn’t mean you have to be rigid. Rather, you will need to course correct throughout your daily journey. Be ready to adapt your plan around life events that occur.
Have a Plan (For) Today
Don’t charge into your day unprepared.
You are not in control when you don’t know what you should and need to do.
Gain control and purpose by planning your day, each and every day.
A few minutes planning today, can make you much more successful for tomorrow.
Question: What is on your plan for today? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Great post! You’re right, planning your day truly does have a major influence, not just on the successfulness, but also on the happiness of your day (Although I personally think it is impossible to be successful unless you are happy). 😀
I can say from experience, going with the flow only causes your mind to be in a state of chaos. It will never rest, and always feel like there is too much to do. I like David Allen’s “mind like water” analogy. When we have control over our day/life we feel in control and can rest at the end of the day, and actually be ok with what is not getting done.
P.s. I practice daily planning! I’m a huge fan of the KanBan system which helps me with this. I think everybody should find a good system that works, that goes beyond a giant task list.
Craig, having a plan for today is key to getting things done. We will always have interruptions and urgent tasks that pop up, but having a plan helps us stay on task and get our most important tasks completed. I encourage people to to pick their top three tasks while they are planning their day, and to focus on completing those tasks before any interruptions invade their day. Thanks for sharing.
A lot of good stuff in this post. Especially: “Really, what can be less in control than having no idea what is coming your way? Not knowing what you need to do? And being unaware of your obligations?” Going with the flow usually leads you nowhere!
Hey Craig, I like the part where you say that people feel more in control by taking life as it comes. In fact, this is of the most common problems that I come across when coaching entrepreneurs on time management. Even after they realize the importance of planning and discipline at an intellectual level, so many people take a long time to emotionally accept the concept. They start ‘feeling’ more in control only when they have realized concrete gains from being disciplined. Do you have any suggestions on how to address this mindset?
I have trouble with time management too and these are great tips. I’ve found a very useful app called Owaves to help with my day planning and organize my daily activities.
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