The 3 P’s Of Planning
by Devon Fleming on November 25, 2009 at 12:11PM
September is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time of new beginnings for my children, beautiful weather, more social time to see friends and get reacquainted and a time for some serious PLANNING! I am always astounded at how quickly the last four months of the year go – in a blink the holidays are upon us.
I help myself have a "soft landing" from the summer into the final months of the year, I treat the time as one long project, and create a clear plan – which is the same tactic successful business people employ. As any Household CEO can attest, this time of year is like tax season for accountants. A plan helps to keep me focused, on task and ready to adapt to whatever life throws at me.
To do that, I have my Three P’s of Planning - Prioritize, stay in the Present, and don’t Panic.
Prioritize
As Household CEOs, it’s draining to manage every aspect of the household, the children, the career, and the personal relationships, let alone try to sneak some fun in there. In order to attend to each “division,” a good tactic is to set priorities and deadlines well into the future, and work backwards. As management guru Stephen Covey writes, “don’t just prioritize what’s on your schedule, schedule your priorities.”
Take time now to consider all the upcoming important tasks and determine what’s important and when it will be accomplished. For example, set your holiday party date and order invitations now; decide now on your holiday card and buy them even if you don’t have the photo yet; mark you calendar with the date to place in the mail. Then work backwards to Thanksgiving – are you traveling or staying home? How many guests will you have? Make the calls and travel plans now so there’s less chance of change or surprises down the road.
I go so far as to schedule routine seasonal tasks. Choose a weekend to shift your closets for the season and write it on the calendar (in ink!) That way you have reserved that weekend and you know you will do it then! Ask your kids what that want to be for Halloween and order the costume as soon as possible – that’s one less thing to do! With all of the ‘important’ tasks on the calendar through the end of the year, you’ll see the time you have for things like school visits and teacher meetings, repair jobs, appointments and other day-to-day tasks.
It might feel overwhelming at first to try and think through EVERYTHING that needs to get done in the next four months, but once they are all on a list, you’ll gain control and confidence. Author John Maxwell, in his book Make Today Count, writes that the secret to success is determined by your daily agenda. By making priorities and a longer term plan I can then break down my months, weeks and days into manageable bit of time for specific tasks. Everyday, I know exactly what I need to do, where I need to be and what specifically, I will accomplish. If my success boils down to my daily agenda, which is a manageable load, I can easily accomplish both my short term and my longer term goals! Voila! I don’t have to wait for success to happen, it’s happen right now!
Don’t Panic
We all have our bad moments, but I have learned that panicking never does ANY good! If I feel overwhelmed, I slow down and breathe, turn off all electronic stimuli and noise, and go back to my Daily Agenda. Maybe my plan for the day is too ambitious, or I haven’t accounted for the lack of energy a cold had brought – whatever it is, re-evaluating and rescheduling are positive ways to deal with the stress. Life is about progress, not perfection. Stay “in” the solution and move on. If you do act out by snapping at someone, apologize and change your behavior as quickly as possible. Don’t beat yourself up. Just ask yourself, how important is ____? Then, start over with a new or revised plan.
Stay in the Present
Spencer Johnson wrote a little book called The Precious Present. In the book, there is an old man talking to a little boy about the Present, and of course, the boy assumes it is a gift like a birthday toy or something. Over time, through many parables, the boy (and the reader) learns that the old, wise man is really referring to the present day. When we stay in the moment while planning for the future and respecting the past (especially ones mistakes), we can find true happiness. That may sounds easy, but trust me, it’s not. It’s easy to spend too much time projecting the future or dwelling on the past. Trying to live in the “right now” isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Acknowledging to ourselves that we are doing the best we can - that we can’t change the past and obsessing about the future doesn’t change anything – allows us the freedom to be in the moment and truly listen to ourselves and those we love. With daily, sometimes moment-to-moment practice, we can build trust and confidence in the world and our ability to navigate it even when life gets chaotic.
Enjoy September!
Devon Fleming is considered the area's Home and Lifestyle Expert. She writes books, articles, blogs, and other online content. She provides 'Fairfield County Living Tips' on four local radio stations and appears on area TV providing lifestyle segments and "solutions for the modern woman."
The 3 P’s Of Planning
By Devon Fleming, Posted 25/25/09 12:11 PM
September is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time of new beginnings for my children, beautiful weather, more social time to see friends and get reacquainted and a time for some serious PLANNING! I am always astounded at how quickly the last four months of the year go – in a blink the holidays are upon us.
I help myself have a "soft landing" from the summer into the final months of the year, I treat the time as one long project, and create a clear plan – which is the same tactic successful business people employ. As any Household CEO can attest, this time of year is like tax season for accountants. A plan helps to keep me focused, on task and ready to adapt to whatever life throws at me.
To do that, I have my Three P’s of Planning - Prioritize, stay in the Present, and don’t Panic.
Prioritize
As Household CEOs, it’s draining to manage every aspect of the household, the children, the career, and the personal relationships, let alone try to sneak some fun in there. In order to attend to each “division,” a good tactic is to set priorities and deadlines well into the future, and work backwards. As management guru Stephen Covey writes, “don’t just prioritize what’s on your schedule, schedule your priorities.”
Take time now to consider all the upcoming important tasks and determine what’s important and when it will be accomplished. For example, set your holiday party date and order invitations now; decide now on your holiday card and buy them even if you don’t have the photo yet; mark you calendar with the date to place in the mail. Then work backwards to Thanksgiving – are you traveling or staying home? How many guests will you have? Make the calls and travel plans now so there’s less chance of change or surprises down the road.
I go so far as to schedule routine seasonal tasks. Choose a weekend to shift your closets for the season and write it on the calendar (in ink!) That way you have reserved that weekend and you know you will do it then! Ask your kids what that want to be for Halloween and order the costume as soon as possible – that’s one less thing to do! With all of the ‘important’ tasks on the calendar through the end of the year, you’ll see the time you have for things like school visits and teacher meetings, repair jobs, appointments and other day-to-day tasks.
It might feel overwhelming at first to try and think through EVERYTHING that needs to get done in the next four months, but once they are all on a list, you’ll gain control and confidence. Author John Maxwell, in his book Make Today Count, writes that the secret to success is determined by your daily agenda. By making priorities and a longer term plan I can then break down my months, weeks and days into manageable bit of time for specific tasks. Everyday, I know exactly what I need to do, where I need to be and what specifically, I will accomplish. If my success boils down to my daily agenda, which is a manageable load, I can easily accomplish both my short term and my longer term goals! Voila! I don’t have to wait for success to happen, it’s happen right now!
Don’t Panic
We all have our bad moments, but I have learned that panicking never does ANY good! If I feel overwhelmed, I slow down and breathe, turn off all electronic stimuli and noise, and go back to my Daily Agenda. Maybe my plan for the day is too ambitious, or I haven’t accounted for the lack of energy a cold had brought – whatever it is, re-evaluating and rescheduling are positive ways to deal with the stress. Life is about progress, not perfection. Stay “in” the solution and move on. If you do act out by snapping at someone, apologize and change your behavior as quickly as possible. Don’t beat yourself up. Just ask yourself, how important is ____? Then, start over with a new or revised plan.
Stay in the Present
Spencer Johnson wrote a little book called The Precious Present. In the book, there is an old man talking to a little boy about the Present, and of course, the boy assumes it is a gift like a birthday toy or something. Over time, through many parables, the boy (and the reader) learns that the old, wise man is really referring to the present day. When we stay in the moment while planning for the future and respecting the past (especially ones mistakes), we can find true happiness. That may sounds easy, but trust me, it’s not. It’s easy to spend too much time projecting the future or dwelling on the past. Trying to live in the “right now” isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Acknowledging to ourselves that we are doing the best we can - that we can’t change the past and obsessing about the future doesn’t change anything – allows us the freedom to be in the moment and truly listen to ourselves and those we love. With daily, sometimes moment-to-moment practice, we can build trust and confidence in the world and our ability to navigate it even when life gets chaotic.
Enjoy September!
Devon Fleming is considered the area's Home and Lifestyle Expert. She writes books, articles, blogs, and other online content. She provides 'Fairfield County Living Tips' on four local radio stations and appears on area TV providing lifestyle segments and "solutions for the modern woman."
