Start now: plan your work

Some people tend to jump into tasks and projects immediately. Others tend to put them off. (Conventional wisdom supports both approaches: “He who hesitates is lost” and “Haste makes waste.”)

Procrastination is obviously a problem, of course- which we will discuss in the next entry. But it is also a problem to spring into action without planning appropriately, for two reasons. We all know about the dangers of taking the “ready, fire, aim” approach: we make mistakes and create problems, sometimes wasting resources and frustrating others. But there can be problems when people leap enthusiastically into a project – and then slow down or stop completely as they get overwhelmed by it.

Both problems – procrastinating and plunging – can be avoided or overcome in the same way: through planning.

The number-one reason why people put off tasks and projects is that the work seems too involved and too difficult. That is why the most effective approach is the ancient military strategy of divide and conquers.

Break large tasks and projects into chunks that you can manage – the more difficult the work, the smaller the chunks. We have all heard the wisdom that “the longest journey begins with a single step.” Make it a small step, as easy and / or as quick as possible. If you feel overworked and stressed, maybe you feel unable to commit to more than 15 minutes. If so, then plan a first step that should take you about that long. If your schedule is so tight for the near future that you feel tempted to put off a project, break it into chunks that will each take an amount of time that you can commit to each day.

For each piece of the project, identify the outcome(s) desired, the reason(s), and the time frame, with a deadline. The more specific you make your plan, the more realistic each task becomes and the more logically you can organize those tasks.

These three suggestions should also help to plan your work effectively:

Write the plan out in detail: The more you break down a project, the more writing you will do – and the easier the project will seem at the start and the easier it will actually be as you take each of the steps.

Communicate: This is a key factor in planning tasks and projects and then achieving your goals. As advised earlier, communicate your expectations to others so they know what they need to do to help you achieve your goals. Also, communication shows and reinforces commitment.

Create rewards for each step of the project: Success should be rewarded. So, you should set a reward for succeeding in each step of a project, proportionate to the importance of the step.

Remember, as Japanese proverb said: “A plan without action is a daydream; action without a plan is a nightmare.”

Don't bother the posts below, but if you are free, why not?

1. Do not procrastinating
2. The unpleasant and the difficult
3. Goals: we have to think realistically
4. Follow your feelings: Prioritize
5. Working longer hours: find more time for you