Planning Versus Doing

I want to share a technique I use to keep me out of overwhelm and feeling peaceful and happy in the work that I'm doing.

This is the concept of planning versus doing. It is really easy to get into the 'spin' and be all over our to-do list and feel like we need to power through it. I want to encourage you to step out of that mindspace by approaching it in a more peaceful way.

If you are reading this blog and you know your mind is on your to-do list, then just pause for a moment. Go ahead. Close your eyes, take a deep breath. Come back to reading once you've shifted a little and are not in the 'spin'.

Think about planning. I know I have heard lots of my clients tell me, "I don't have time to plan!" But the truth is, you have to make time to plan. Making time to plan out exactly what you are going to do increases your focus, brings mindfulness in and allows you to be fully present with what you are doing.

Remember to incorporate this into your calendar. If you really pack your calendar so fully with doing-doing-doing, it's hard to take the time required to contemplate. And by contemplate, I'm not talking about meditation (although that's useful too!) Rather, I'm talking about putting on your calendar the time to contemplate the day or even week ahead. Some people find it really works for them to have a "Business Planning Day" once a week, while for others, they take half an hour to an hour at the start of each day to get things planned and organized before diving in.

I promise you, the time you spend planning will be incredibly valuable, productive and great not only for your bottom line, but also your peace of mind. By planning your day, over time you will start to see where you can lump similar tasks together, where you can save time on tasks because you can do them in batches, or what you can perhaps push to a better time. Planning leads to more efficient work time, which leads to more play time!

I encourage you to develop the planning strategy that will work for you. It could also be ten or fifteen minute increments, spread out during the day. This is particularly effective as it really honors the reality of life and unexpected events getting in the way of our planning! Sure, stuff comes up and things don't always turn out as planned, but it is still valuable information, knowing what you plan to do with your time each day.