What could they be?
1. To improve a productive day - techniques are aimed at daily planning.
2. Techniques for optimizing yourself are various checklists that help you increase your efficiency and track your habits. Each checklist clearly performs its task; they can be glued to pages in a planner, placed at the very end, hung on the refrigerator or in any other prominent place.
There are different checklists: bookshelf, create a figure, getting ready to travel, wheel of life, set yourself a goal, pin calendar, water balance, what to watch, expenses income, habit tracker.
I can say from my own example that they work great. It was with the help of “water balance” that I developed the habit of drinking a lot of water. My craving for reading is partly due to the “book shelf”. And not a single trip is complete without “getting ready to travel.” And this can continue indefinitely.
Popular planning techniques
"Frog" technique
The point is to schedule a not very pleasant, but absolutely necessary action for the morning, and do it first or in the first half of the day. Don't take on other things until you can handle this. Although the method does not look very “appetizing”, it is a fact that it works great.
Technique "Pomodoro"
It is aimed at ensuring that your attention does not wander, and that you spend no more than 25 minutes on one task.
To do this, make a list of tasks and break them down by day. Distribute tasks into “pomodoros”: break too large tasks into small ones, and combine small ones into one “pomodoro”. Set a timer for 25 minutes and don't get distracted. If interesting thoughts or things to do suddenly arise, write them down, but continue doing your original task. After the first bell of the timer, take a 5-minute break, and after a couple of pomodoros, take a longer break
Flowlist technique
Suitable for those who find it difficult to keep everything in their heads or find it difficult to “swing.” The point is to regularly make lists of simple tasks for each day. There may be 10-20, or even more. It doesn't matter whether they are useful or not. The main thing is to have everything and a lot. Start small: wash the dishes, read 10 pages of a book, take a shower, do makeup, pet the cat, walk the dog, etc. This is how you deceive the brain: it reads the number of actions, not their usefulness, and begins to radiate activity. The brain is happy and you become super productive.
“Immersion” technique
Write down 30 tasks for 15 days. The first 5 days are simple tasks so that the brain begins to get into a rhythm (drink coffee, go to the gym, apply cream to your face, etc.) The next 5 days add more difficult tasks. On the tenth day, make the tasks even more difficult: make 20% of them easy, and the rest more difficult. As a result, in 15 days you will complete 450 tasks and successfully charge yourself with motivation and productivity.
Yearly planning that works. 6 proven methods
Planning for the year is difficult for many people. It seems like a year is so long, and it is full of situations that we cannot predict in advance.
That's all true, of course. However, this does not exclude the possibility and necessity of planning the year. I'm not talking about planning in advance what you will do on a given day. Although this is partially possible, but more on that later.
First of all, we are talking about strategic planning. We choose a main course or landmark, mark control points along this long path that we already know about. And then, taking into account those very sudden and unpredictable circumstances, we plan for shorter periods of time and constantly adapt our plan to changing circumstances. This way it will not lose relevance and provide the necessary flexibility.
A plan for the year is not a vice into which we squeeze ourselves, making it hard to breathe. This is a useful tool that makes life easier. When used correctly, of course.
Does planning for the year work or not?
Every year, people actively share their goals for the coming year on social media. They put them on a grand scale, because in the pre-holiday period it seems that mountains can be moved, and energy will be on the rise throughout the 12 months.
But then January and February come, and everyone gradually returns to their usual pace of life. There is a feeling that there is still a lot of time ahead, so it is not necessary to sign up for the gym or English courses right now.
If there is a specific goal (for example, moving to an English-speaking country soon), or strong internal motivation, then there is a chance of achieving the goal. But, unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone. And the list of goals, instead of a ticket to a new life, becomes a silent reproach and a reason to criticize yourself for the whole year.
Planning in the style of “from January 1st, a new life: I will wake up at 5 am, run every day, learn 30 foreign words” and everything like that is nothing more than a wish list compiled in a state of emotional excitement caused by the pre-holiday atmosphere .
In particular, in the 63rd episode of the “Time for Change” podcast, the hosts discussed exactly this problem and shared their thoughts on this matter.
In this article I will talk about a practical approach to planning the year. These are several methods that can be used either separately or in combination with each other. I have been using them for quite a long time, I have managed to verify their effectiveness, and I am happy to share them with you.
Well, let's move on from general conversations directly to planning the new year.
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Method one: Franklin's Pyramid
I have an article on my blog about long-term planning using the Benjamin Franklin method. It is also called a pyramid because it offers six stages of planning. It all starts with defining your life values and priorities, long-term goals. On their basis, planning then takes place for 3-5 years, for a year, a month , a week and a day .
Read also:
Personal effectiveness. We plan things for the month
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How to make a plan for the day?
10 common mistakes when planning
In the article about the Franklin pyramid , I spoke in detail and with examples about this planning method, so I will not repeat it here.
If you approach planning using Franklin's method, it's likely that planning for the year won't cause you much difficulty or take much time.
The advantage of this approach is that you will always keep your long-term goals in focus. And, even if a lot changes during the year, it will not affect plans that are distant in time. Unless it speeds up their achievement.
Let me give you an example: one of my long-term goals is financial freedom. At the beginning of the year, I can set plans for existing sources of income or think about how to create new ones. But, regardless of how the methods of income change (you can get a new job, open an online store, close an old project, etc.), the long-term goal will remain the same. And all my actions will be aimed at choosing the optimal way to achieve it.
So, within the framework of this goal, it would be logical to close the old project if the new one in the future will bring in more money with less effort. Or it will be completely passive, etc.
Method two: write down everything we already know about
I said a little higher that already at the beginning of the year we can fit a lot of things into our annual plan. I'll tell you with my own example.
— At the beginning of the year, I enter in the diary the birthdays of family members, friends and their children, and the birthdays of good acquaintances. I also mark the dates in advance when it’s worth taking care of gifts for birthday people.
Next, I write down important family dates: anniversaries, etc.
Instead of a diary, all this can be entered into a calendar, planning application , mind map , depending on the method convenient for you.
- The next step is to add information about other events, affairs, trips that I know about in advance. I also note the approximate dates when you need to start preparing for them.
— In America, every year we fill out and submit tax returns. I know the deadline for submission in advance, it is April 15th.
In order to submit a declaration, you need to collect a number of documents. I have a checklist for this in Trello . And in my diary I note exactly what needs to be done and when.
— Another stage is entering information about holidays. I mark on the calendar the main state and national holidays of the United States (the country in which I live), as well as Russia and Ukraine, since my projects are associated with these countries. There is no point in planning any business if it is a day off, banks are closed, etc.
I also write down information about religious holidays, as well as dates and events that are important to take into account in my projects (for example, many events have discounts and other events in the online store, I need to prepare content for blogs in advance, etc.) So this This point in planning is very important for me and saves a lot of time in the future.
Read also:
How to sum up the year? 15 questions to yourself
New Year's to-do list
— If I know the dates of some payments, for example, for credit cards, payment for hosting services and renewal of domain names for blogs. This is also displayed in advance in my diary.
— At the beginning of the year, I note the approximate dates for general cleaning of the house (with subsequent possible adjustment of dates depending on busyness) and other periodic household chores.
Since I have them tied to events and seasons that repeat from year to year (before the New Year, during spring break, etc.), there are no difficulties with this either.
— If there are other things that are done regularly (for example, weekly writing an article for a blog, preparing a video for a channel, etc.), then you can safely include all this in your plans in advance.
I usually try to assign tasks to specific days of the week, this simplifies the planning process and saves time. In my diary, I mark such things in pencil so that I can easily make changes if necessary.
I don't always specify the topic of a specific article, but simply note that an article should be published on that day for a planning blog or for a blog about the USA. And what exactly it will be about, I will determine closer to this date based on the list of topics in Trello .
“I also mark on the calendar the beginning and end of the school year at my daughter’s school, information about vacations and holidays when school is not open. This helps in planning work tasks.
For example, when choosing a date for a planning consultation with clients or a webinar or live broadcast, I most likely will not schedule them on a day when school is not open and the child will be with me.
Method three: planning for the year from point B
Another popular approach to strategic planning for the year. The point is to write down in as much detail as possible where you see yourself after 12 months. What do you do? Where do you live? Who do you work for or what projects are you developing?
If you already have a business, what happened to it in a year? What new directions are you developing? How did your income increase?
Where have you visited during the year? What courses did you take and what did you learn?
How long do you rest? How much time do you spend with your family and how often do you see friends?
These questions are ideas for visualization, you can come up with your own in accordance with your desires and goals.
The point of the exercise is that knowing exactly where you want to go makes it much easier to plan your route. That is, determine exactly what actions will lead you to this point. Planning from point B also helps with prioritization.
Such a plan, as in previous versions, can be compiled in the form of a list on a sheet of paper, in an application , mind map or in the form of a vision board. This is a little different than a wish card , but the meaning is the same.
Some tips: Be realistic in your plans. Don't set too many goals that will require you to spend too much time and effort to achieve. It's better to practice small steps. By acting in this way, even after a year you will achieve impressive results.
You can take stock of your progress monthly by referring to your roadmap. Are your actions leading to point B? Have any of the described goals been achieved? If not, what progress? Are there goals on which you have not made any progress at all? If so, why? What is the next action to take? Or maybe there are some goals that have lost their relevance altogether?
Method four: Brian Tracy's method
To make the coming year productive, I recommend taking the advice of the famous time management and efficiency specialist Brian Tracy. He gives it in the book “Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Change your life" .
Book on the topic:
Brian Tracy's book Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Change your life" on the website of the publishing house MYTH
Below is a quote from the author:
“Take a blank piece of paper right now and make a list of ten goals that you would like to achieve over the next twelve months. Formulate them as if a year has already passed and they have become a reality. Use the present tense, indicative mood, and speak in the first person to ensure that the goals you list are positively received by your subconscious.
For example, you could write: “I earn X dollars a year” or “I weigh X kilograms” or “I have such and such a car.”
Then re-read the list and select one goal that, if you achieved it, would have the most significant impact on your life. Now write it down on a separate sheet of paper, indicate a deadline for its implementation, make a plan to achieve it, start acting in accordance with this plan, and then do something every day that brings you closer to your goal. An exercise like this in itself can radically change your life!”
Method five: 12 weeks a year
This approach is described in the book “12 weeks a year. How to do more in 12 weeks than others manage to do in a year .
As the authors explain, when planning for 12 months, many people (and companies) raise their expectations and set too many goals. Then they procrastinate most of the time, not doing much to achieve them. But at the end of the year, in the last few months, they make a push to complete as many tasks as possible.
As an alternative, Moran and Lennington suggest shortening the period for which plans are made. So that, in essence, there is simply nowhere to put it aside. After all, a deadline in 12 weeks is not at all the same as a deadline in 12 months.
The book describes all this in some detail and gives many practical recommendations. I definitely recommend reading it and trying this approach.
Book on the topic:
The book “12 weeks a year” by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington on the MYTH publishing website
Method six: improving our life in different areas
This is one of my favorite approaches to planning for the year. The idea is simple: we make a list of everything that we would like to improve. For example: “I want to spend more time with my family”, “I want to add more physical activity”, “I want to increase my income”, “I want to travel more often”, etc.
You can do this in the form of a list or using the “Balance Wheel” exercise. I already talked about it in the article about planning the month .
This approach sets a certain course for the year and identifies areas that can be improved. At the same time, there is room for imagination.
Physical activity can be running, hiking, cycling or walking in the park. A five-minute charge, after all. This can be done every day, on weekends, on vacation. That is, combine in different variations.
As a result, the actions will correspond to those stated in the list, but will not create pressure or provoke a state of procrastination. But this will help keep the issue under control throughout the year.
Same thing with the example of increasing income. You can talk to management about increasing your salary, moving to a higher-paying position in the same company, or changing jobs completely. Other options: try yourself in business, launch a new project, start investing. There are a huge number of ways.
The very fact that the list is compiled from the position of “want” and not “need” motivates you to look at it more often.
Then, based on such a list of wishes (or resolutions, as they are more often called), specific items can be included in monthly , weekly and daily plans.
Planning for the year in paper or electronic form?
What else should you take care of when planning for the coming year? Of course, you need to choose a planning method (if you haven’t decided on this issue up to this point).
Some people like to keep a paper diary. Others prefer to use special programs and applications. You can also combine both options. That's what I do.
I talked about the experience of combining these two methods in an audio release dated December 18, 2020 in my Telegram channel “Planning is Easy” .
Summing up
The most important thing is that you plan your affairs not in your head, but in writing. Over time, this becomes a habit and is not difficult. Then everything is organized, and your head is not filled with unnecessary information about small tasks.
And in closing, I want to quote Brian Tracy again:
“Of all adults, only about three percent are able to clearly formulate their goals in writing. These are the people who manage to do ten times more than their colleagues.”
Good luck to you and may the new year be unforgettable!
Watch the webinar:
Other interesting blog articles:
Strategic life planning. What is this and what is the essence of this approach?
11 gifts for planners
Convenient diary. 16 practical tips for choosing the right glider
This article contains affiliate links. This means that I receive a small commission for recommending such products or services. This does not make them more expensive for buyers. The funds received help me develop my blog about planning and make it more interesting and useful for readers.
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