Many people don’t believe they need a yearly plan. They believe they know enough about themselves or their businesses to bypass any planning process. Some people can get away with doing this. But, for most, having a plan and updating one on a yearly basis is essential to keep on track.
A yearly plan helps you to focus on what is important. There are too many events and things that happen during the year that we will simply forget about what needs to get done. The plan lets you see what needs allocation of funding. You can see how your expenses are affecting your bottom line.
If you have employees working for you, a yearly plan can help manage them. You can find out what vacations they are planning, and you can ensure that they are scheduled for training that you may require of them. You can’t account for everything that they may encounter over the course of the year. But, as long as you have the major events on your plan, you can make alternative plans.
When you implement your yearly plan, you solidify the necessary objectives to advance your organization. You and your employees can use it as a roadmap to make sure everyone is on the same page. There are going to be changes, and as the year goes on, you may find some initiatives are no longer relevant. But, overall, a plan is a great tool to help your company.
Without a plan, people and companies tend to flounder. They spend more money than they should, and they start projects that they often don’t complete. They have no way of knowing whether those projects are even going to help the company at all. It’s difficult to work as a cohesive unit when everyone is off doing whatever they feel like doing. Even if you have a manager who delegates the jobs, without a plan, the manager will also create projects as he or she goes.
A plan doesn’t have to be elaborate nor does it need to be exceptionally long. It can be as informational as listing out dates and tasks. Then, assign people to those tasks. It is important to get everyone to participate, but once you get an agreement, they need to be held accountable. Business is difficult enough without having some kind of plan or map to guide you in the right direction.
You are ready to get organized. You are tired of just flying by the seat of your pants. You want to make plans, set goals, and remember appointments. So what do you do? You get yourself a day planner. If you don’t know how to maximize the planner’s benefits, you won’t get as much value as you want. You might even stop using it entirely. Follow these nine tips, and you will get the most out of your planner.
If you are looking for a planner, then you will likely be overwhelmed with the choices. You should think about what type of planner you want. Do you want the freedom of a bullet journal, or do you prefer the structure of a traditional planner? Do you want something sleek and easy to carry, or do you want something that has room for everything? These are the type of things you should consider.
While it might be tough narrowing it down, choose one single planner. Focusing on one planner is the best way to ensure you will continue to use it. Also, having one central area for all of your information is naturally more efficient.
Before you write your first appointment, you should figure out some sort of organizational system. Think about the ways you are going to use a planner. If you are using it to jot down all of your ideas, appointments, tasks, and goals, then you need another layer of organization. The simplest is a color-coding system of your choosing (i.e., red goals are more important).
You need to use your planner to get any value from it. It might take some time to get used to using it but try and use it as much as possible. A great way to get started is by going through the planner and putting down important dates (birthdays, vacations) right away. This will aid in planning plus get you accustomed to using your planner.
If you want to use your planner (and you do!), then you need to keep it handy. Try to keep it on your person as much as possible. If you can’t bring it somewhere, at least keep it close enough, you won’t forget it.
Even if we aren’t aware of it, we are creatures of habit who naturally form routines. Adding “planning” into your routines is one way you can ensure you regularly do it. Maybe someday, taking a look at your planner will be as routine as that first sip of coffee or brushing your teeth before bed.
Most planners will have different views (daily, weekly, and monthly). A great thing to do at the start of each month is to set some goals for that month. That way, when you are planning out your weeks and days, you will have that monthly goal as a guiding light. Don’t know what you should be doing? Well, figure out what actions propel you towards your monthly goal.
Spending a little time each morning (or the night before) to plan goals for the next day is a powerful way to become more successful. These small daily goals will make you feel good as you check them off, and before you know it, you will be well on your way to realizing your bigger goals.
There is something powerful about physically writing and tracking in a real journal. That said, don’t be afraid to incorporate technology more often. Going through your planner and setting phone alerts for important tasks and meetings is a great way to embrace technology, but not entirely give up on your physical planner.
ACTIONABLE STEPS
A. Choose a planner that fits your needs. Think about what you will be using the planner for and where you will be using it. Don’t be afraid to choose the one you like the style of either. You’ll be more likely to use it if you genuinely want it.
B. Set up an organization system. Whether you use different colors, post-its, or highlighters, create an organization system that will help you decipher information at a glance.
C. Start using your planner for everything. If there is any information you want to track, put it in your planner and commit to putting it ALL there for at least a week. The more you track, the more likely you are to keep using it.