Plan Your Work.

Work Your Plan.

Rinse and Repeat.

You’ve done your weekly planning. You’re excited to execute on the plan that you laboriously put together on Sunday evening… Monday morning rolls around. The dog has thrown up in the living room, your oldest is sick and can’t drive the carpool as planned, and your husband forgot to mention that he is out of town Tuesday – Friday. Hello! This information would have been good to know a bit sooner!! What happens to your plan? Do you throw it out the window? Scrap it and start all over again? Or pull an ostrich and bury your head in the sand?

Eisenhower said, “In heading into battle, I have found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Planning gets you to think about all the factors that need to be taken care of in the coming week. Even though life often gets in the way, it is crucial to think through things that need to happen. More things will constantly be thrown onto your plate–and that is called life– and that is ok. Because at least now you have a framework so you know when you have flexibility and where the gaps are in your timeframe. You know where you can be adaptable.

Or maybe it’s something else… maybe you spent all that time planning your week, but you NEVER BOTHERED TO LOOK AT YOUR PLAN AFTER WRITING IT DOWN. Once you have the plan, you need to keep it close and review it often to stay on track. This happened to me last week. I missed a meeting I was looking forward to because it conflicted with my morning routine. I wanted to go, but that required that I remember BEFORE I got to my desk, which I didn’t. Once my morning routine is flowing… it is very difficult for me to adjust without causing duress to either the dog, Axel or to my mom. The kids are flexible and can adapt, but Axel and Nana… not so. On the whole, I stick with my morning routine, which led to my missing the added meeting. Oh blah. Well… it happens.

Had I had my schedule in the kitchen instead of on my desk, front and center, I would have noticed, but I didn’t. Had I remembered from the night before, I would have been aligned and knew there was a change, but I didn’t. Instead, I was in flow in my morning routine, and when I got to my desk at the regular time, it was too late.

So all the planning in the world doesn’t make a difference if you don’t remember it! And if you are not remembering, Bocopa is one option! (or more sleep is another!)

As my dad always said, until he stopped saying it, Plan your work and work your plan!

So go to it!

Best,
Alicia

The Seinfeld method to getting things done: Don’t break the chain of success! Pick one thing to monitor and do it every day!