“Plan to be Successful!”

Imagine for a moment that I gave you a car and plenty of cash for gas and food (but nothing else) and asked you to drive to Redlands, California. There would probably be a lot of stopping, asking for directions, and backtracking, but most of you would eventually find your way.

On the other hand, if at the start of the trip I provided you with a detailed map clearly outlining the best route to take, I’m certain you’d get to Redlands quicker, cheaper, and with far less stress.

This same basic principle applies to our business lives. Yet day in and day out, managers venture into the “unknown” without a map or a plan. It’s easy to see we’d be much happier and far more productive if we prepared our day ahead of time. But most of us don’t, and are doomed to “drive” thorough our busy day stopping and backtracking needlessly as we work. When we eliminate wasted steps, our productivity instantly and dramatically soars!

Plan to be Successful

Successful organizations and their employees make plans to improve performance in an organized way. They recognize it is people who make the difference in achieving individual and organizational success. They also know outstanding people performance doesn’t “just happen” – it must be planned for and constantly developed.

We all know the importance of starting our day by eating a healthy breakfast; a proper breakfast provides your body with the fuel it needs to function well after the night's fast.

It's just as important to start your work day right by starting with a business planning session; it will provide you with the fuel you need to make the most out of your business day.

Business Planning Doesn't Take Long

A daily business planning session of just 20 to 30 minutes will allow you to focus on your daily goals and energize yourself for the day ahead. And spending this time organizing yourself at the start of the day will save you time during the day.

The Purpose of the Daily Business Planning Session

Your daily business planning session is your chance to:
• review your progress on the specific goals you've set;
• set your daily agenda;
• prioritize your tasks of the day.

Getting your day organized and knowing you're focused on achieving the business goals you have set for yourself will give you that "I've-gotten-out-of-bed-on-the-right-side" feeling. That’s a good thing.

Add Some Inspiration

To pack even more punch to your daily business planning, include an inspirational moment in each session. For instance, I like to read and reflect on an inspirational quote from a successful person each day. It gives me positive motivation for my day ahead.

What inspires you? Some people like to look at artwork, read a short religious passage, or listen to a favorite musical selection for inspiration.

Daily Business Planning Session Tips

It’s important that your daily business planning session is uninterrupted. Don’t take phone calls during this time, or allow your friends and colleagues to disrupt you. I often do mine on the commute to work.

When you're setting your daily agenda, slot your most demanding tasks into your most productive working time(s). For example, if you're a morning person, schedule whatever creative tasks you need to accomplish into the morning rather than into the late afternoon when your mental energy is low.

A quick way to prioritize is to highlight the three or four most important tasks of the day. It's not necessary to obsessively order tasks to get a sense of what's most important that day.

Over Planning Your Day

Want to increase your productivity? Over planning your day can help you stay focused.

Work expands to fill the time allotted. If you plan to accomplish one task on a particular day, you'll accomplish that task. But that task will have consumed a lot more time than it would have if you had other goals to accomplish that day too.

If you plan to accomplish three tasks in a day, you'll get all three of them done. If you plan to accomplish twelve tasks in a day, chances are good you won't complete them all, but you'll get seven or eight of them behind you.

The more “stuff” we have on our plates, the more we're likely to accomplish. Over planning your day will provide the needed pressure to get more done; and to do that, you'll be more likely to delegate and also be less tolerant of interruptions. Instead of procrastinating or giving in to distractions, you'll stay focused on what you set out to do.

Fail to Plan? Then Plan to Fail!

Planning to do more than you can actually accomplish in one day will help you concentrate on the tasks at hand. It will also give you a real sense of accomplishment when you discover that you can finish so much more than you thought you could.

Why don’t you give it a try? Planning could be your “secret map” to a far more productive and rewarding day!