Make a plan! You have heard people say it all your life, ”If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” In addition, you know that you do a better job when you work with a plan rather than just winging it. So why aren’t you creating a plan and operating according to the plan?
Stop believing the myth that you are one of those people who work better under pressure without a plan.
- you are more stressed than usual
- the work itself is not as enjoyable
- you are more prone to make simple errors
- things around you are more irritating
- the quality of the finished product is not as good
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Take action now to succeed by working with SMART plans. When your plan is smart, it is:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Reasonable
Time-Bound
Plans that have these elements are more likely to be successfully completed. Those who are not used to making SMART plans may be afraid that creating SMART plans is a labor-intensive, time-consuming process. That is not true for all SMART plans. Check out the following SMART plans that took mere moments to create.
- I want to wash all the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink by 8 pm tonight
- For breakfast, I want to make blueberry pancakes with the mix I got from the market yesterday
Other plans do need time, research, and resources to make SMART plans. Some examples include the following.
- Business plans for start-ups or major expansion
- Architectural plans to build a house
People all over the world have dreams and grand plans. Some people reach those dreams and some people continue to dream forever without ever reaching their goals. One of the main differences between the two groups is that those who plan and then act on those plans succeed and those who don’t are less likely to succeed. Look at all you are doing, at home and at work. Be honest with yourself, no matter how well you do under pressure and on the fly, wouldn’t things be better if you worked with a plan?
Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying, “measure twice, cut once.” The meaning of that sentence is that if you take the time to properly prepare and plan in advance, you will only have to do the job once. Another famous saying that makes the point is, “if you don’t have the time to do it right, where will you find time to do it a second time?” In other words, when you don’t take the time to plan and get things done correctly the first time, you will spend even more time when you have to redo or repair what you rushed to do the first time.
No matter what it is you need to do, take the time to make a plan and then work that plan.
Time is one of the most precious resources on planet earth. While there will be time created each day until the world ends, we have no power to create more when it is needed. We do not have the power to stop time, fast forward it, or slow it down. Time is both infinite and finite at the same time. A new day always begins when the clock strikes 12 am. At the same time, there is so much to be done each day, we often wish days were each longer than 24 hours. the nature of time, the fact that it is so precious, makes it necessary for us to act with a plan. Time is a precious commodity and once wasted, it cannot be returned, replaced, or recycled.
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Look at your life, everything you have going on both personally and professionally. Get out your calendar. It doesn’t matter if it is electronic, one of those beautiful leather-bound planners, or a simple spiral notebook you took from your children. Get your calendar out and plan how you are going to get done what needs doing in your life. Make a list of what needs to get done and then find a place for it on your calendar. Take the time, make the plan, then get to work and get it done.
The question for you this magnificent day is when are you going to take the time to plan and do things the right way, the first time around?