Life Hack: Planning Ahead to Skyrocket Productivity!
In my life I have wasted far too much time planning when I should have been doing. Planning ahead is an important remedy to this problem. One of the greatest obstacles to my productivity is time wasted thinking and deciding when I ought to have been doing what was planned beforehand. Let me give a few illustrations then I’ll leave the application of the principle to you.
Scenario 1: Working Out
I have scheduled my workout for Monday, 11:00–11:30am. 11:00 rolls around, and I spend 11:00–11:20 talking myself out of three different workouts before I settle on something. By the time I warm up and get ready, I have five minutes left. So I must compromise either my workout or my schedule. I end up doing five minutes of Turkish Get-ups (better than nothing!) and am irritated with myself and disappointed at a missed opportunity.
A Planning-Ahead Alternative
On Sunday (a regular day off from exercise), I write out my workouts for the coming week. Monday at 11:00 rolls around and I hit it, finishing my fifteen-minute workout with time to spare in my thirty-minute window.
Scenario 2: Office Tasks
I’m at work, and I’ve finished my planning and grading with fifteen minutes to spare before my next class. Do I answer emails, return phone calls, or make some headway on those handful of projects I have going on? I can’t decide, and after some silent debate with myself, the bell rings and I’m off to class.
A Planning-Ahead Alternative
This is a bit more complicated, because there are entire systems aimed at solving this problem. But having list of office tasks, calls, or even a folder of emails awaiting a response are all helpful for those moments when you have a few extra minutes. If you use Outlook, you could consider printing your schedule for tomorrow before you finish today. Regardless, a few moments’ planning ahead will help maximize those marginal minutes.
Scenario 3: Meal Planning
It’s 6:00. Sonja just finished her last piano lesson, and we have our church home group at 7:00. We haven’t made it to the store recently, and all our leftovers are frozen. We decide to just hop in the car and stop by Taco Bell (admittedly a family favorite) on the way to our home group.
A Planning-Ahead Alternative
USE THE SLOW COOKER (go here to see over 80 different slow cooker recipes)!!!!
Seriously, that’s a great idea. It involves a bit of planning ahead. Put a meal in the Crock Pot when you have a few moments in the morning, and the slow cooker
Alternatively, Sonja often writes out a skeleton meal plan for the week on Sunday. This frees up the mind so you don’t have dinner indecision looming over you all day.
Scenario 4: Blog Posting
It’s Saturday morning, and I have couple of hours when I can actually write some for the blog. I have lots of things to say, but can’t decide what to actually write about next. While I’m mulling it over, I notice that the desk could use some tidying. Then I answer some emails. Then notice that the paint in the office really needs some touching up. Finally, I head to the garage to get a paint bucket, with irritated that I’ve missed my opportunity to write.
A Planning-Ahead Alternative
I have a list of upcoming articles that I’ve not yet written. I can look ahead right now to what I’ll be writing this Saturday and be mulling it over between now and then. When Saturday’s writing time slot finally rolls around, I’m more than ready to write. I don’t waste time, and I actually have something to show for my time spent!
Get the idea?
As you can see, in each of these better scenarios, the difference between frustrating and fantastic was The Slight Edge
Make no mistake: activity and productivity are not the same thing. The key is not to do something, but to do the right thing. And clear-thinking planning ahead goes a long way.
Read about why we think you should read the Slight Edge HERE.
When it comes to housework, paying bills, cleanup around the house, etc…I am a champ at using the marginal minutes.
When it comes to blogging & online time…I waste too much time! It is true that a few moments’ planning ahead will help maximize the marginal minutes. I should set more of a plan. Thanks!
Very true. One tip suggested by David Allen (author of Getting Things Done) is that if it will take two minutes or less, do it now. If it’ll take more than two minutes, defer it or schedule it according to your system. That’s one way to maximize those “marginal minutes,” as you say. Happy planning!