Do you regularly plan your day? – Adam “Jack” Steer’s Suggestion

Yesterday we saw Ivy Lee’s suggestion of daily planning. And I promised to give you that of Adam “Jack” Steer of Smooth Is Fast in his daily planner.

I quote

Instead of explaining exactly how I use my Effic planner though, I thought I’d share some of the principles of daily planning I’ve been using for the past few years.

So you can apply the things below using ANY kind of planner, even just a blank notebook.

They are super simple.

And they’ve made a big difference for me in my productivity and level of success.

So without further ado, here are the productivity and planning principles I use on a daily basis…

1 - Clean the Slate

A productive day actually starts on the day before.

At the end of every day I take the time to recap my day and prepare the following day.

That allows me to start with a "clean slate" and know exactly where I’m going when I begin each new day.

To effectively “Clean The Slate” use these steps:

- Jot down what you accomplished that day

- Make note of what you did well or what you’re proud of

- Take a minute to write down what you want to improve tomorrow

- Record what you are grateful for

- What did you want to do today but did not get to

- Make a list of “tasks" you want to accomplish the next day

- List the most important “project” you want to tackle

Now you have a “brain dump” from your day that you can work with.

2 - Make a Plan

Now sit down with your planner or your notebook and plan out how your next day is going to unfold.

Write down any set appointments you already have. For example, meetings, calls, dentist appointments, etc…

Next, block off your most productive time as a set appointment. Call it “Deep Work.” This is when you’ll schedule that most important “project” from above.

Note that I made a distinction between project and task.

A project is something important for your success that is likely made up of many different pieces.

A task is a one-off job that needs to get done but doesn’t have that same deep meaning as a project.

For example, a task may be something like balancing your chequebook. It has to get done, but it is not of high level importance.

A project may be something more like finishing a proposal for a new client, or completing a report for your boss.

Now schedule your exercise time. Even if you don’t “work out” make sure you set aside some time to move, even if it’s as simple as going for a walk or doing some stretches.

Once you have your time blocked off for your set appointments, your big project, and your exercise time, you can create other time blocks that you simply label as Various Tasks.

Next to your daily plan, make a list of all the tasks you’d “like” to get done. If you don’t get through them, no big deal. However whenever you get to a block of time devoted to Various Tasks just go down the list and keep checking them off. You’ll be amazed how many you get done.

3 - Get Clear

Fast track to the next morning...

First thing when you start your new day, take a few minutes to create some clarity.

First, write down 1 to 3 things that you’re grateful for. At first this feels silly, but over time it becomes super powerful. It just puts you in a great mindset to get stuff done!

Next, write out your big goal.

This isn’t your project or your tasks… it’s the BIG reason driving you at a profound level.

For me, right now my big goal is to be able to make a down payment on our own building for the gym. I’ve got about a year to get it done and I write that down every morning to light a fire under my butt…

4 - Keep Score

Now it’s time to just start nailing off everything in your planner.

I find it really motivating to actually scratch each item off as you get them taken care of.

As you go through your day and see more and more items getting scratched off the momentum takes over and you want to nuke them all as quick as you can.

It’s like keeping score and it motivates you to keep going.

There are tons of other great tactics you can use in your daily planning. However those are the “Big Four” that I find most useful in keeping me on track.

Remember though… your day and your plan will get derailed.

I don’t think I’ve ever managed to execute a day exactly as planned.

There’s always stuff that comes up to throw a wrench in your day. Heck, sometimes the wrench is just getting lazy and not following through.

It happens. Just shrug it off, own it, and start fresh the next day.

I hope that helps.

And like I said, although I love my Effic daily planner, this stuff works great even with a blank notebook.

and unquote

What about that?

Akoli