Executing on the plans you set for yourself is sometimes easier said than done.
How can we actually stay on schedule so we move forward, chase our dreams –– one calendar task at a time all the while feeling motivated?
I hear you and I’ve got you, dreamer.
Let’s get into how you can set and follow your calendar plan so you can get things done and see amazing results from it.
Believe it or not, it is possible to stick to your plans.
State your why
So what’s the dream, your ultimate goal, and why do you want it?
Getting really clear about your why is key when it comes to staying on schedule and executing on the plans you set for yourself.
A strong why comes with strong motivation. A weak why comes with weak motivation.
You need a why that will get your butt up at 5 AM in the morning. Don’t have that yet? You might want to rework your why. Dig deep and when you think you’ve uncovered your why –– keep asking.
Most of the time, we think we know why we want something, but don’t be afraid to explore all your different layers. I am sure there is an even more powerful reason behind the dreams you have.
Dig deep, dreamer.
Align your plans with your dream vision
Whenever you make new plans and schedule them on your calendar, make sure your plans are in line with your dream vision.
Your big picture –– the future of your dreams.
Answer these questions and break your dream down into actionable and manageable steps.
- What is the ultimate dream vision?
- What do you want to have achieved in 3 years?
- What do you want to have achieved in 1 year?
- What do you want to have achieved in 6 months?
- What do you want to have achieved in 30 days?
- What can you do next week to move forward?
- What can you do today?
The daily and weekly tasks make their way onto your calendar.
Create a list of all the actions (big or small) you can take today and in the next week to move you closer to and in the direction of your dreams.
This is how you make sure your schedule aligns with your ultimate goal in life.
Remember, one step is better than no step.
Forward is forward.
Carve out time to plan
Carve out an hour or so to actually plan your week and days, and in as much detail as possible.
The takeaway here is that you need to plan for time to plan.
Sundays are my favorite days to do my weekly review and plan out the coming week. Schedule your planning time on your calendar as a separate task and set it to repeat weekly.
Consistency is key.
Plan for your dream results
When you sit down to do your weekly planning, be sure to plan for the exact results you expect to get, not just the activity.
For example:
Don’t just say you’re going to “work on the blog.”
Be super specific about the results you want to produce in the timeframe you’ve planned for.
Rather than just be “working on the blog”, aim for something like, “write one blog post of 1,000 words about happiness.”
The more specific you get with your schedule, the better. And the more you’ll know what is expected of you.
Eat that frog!
I know this phrase is a bit worn out (and going out of style), but it fits in perfectly when it comes to setting and following your calendar plan.
Just eat the frog already.
Do your most important tasks first thing in the morning – meaning the task with the highest impact.
Do the thing that will require more brainpower and that you know will make progress on your goals, but might not be as fun to do at the moment.
Because the thing is…
You’re never going to feel like it
I hate to break it to you, dreamer. We’re just never going to feel like sitting down and doing the work when the moment comes that you have scheduled for.
This is good news because we can plan for this resistance to happen ahead of time.
Plan for not feeling like it.
Turn this resistance into a strategy instead and find ways to overcome it.
For example:
- You need to start writing your ebook.
- You plan to sit down and do it Thursday after work.
- Thursday comes, you’re too tired, you’re reaching for the Netflix remote and you just don’t feel like it.
- You know this is just your primitive brain (the toddler brain) acting out.
- You channel in your prefrontal cortex (the dreamer brain) and you just start.
It’s like that famous quote that goes something along the lines of – half the battle is sitting down and starting.
It really is all about starting and taking action. Motivation doesn’t just exist, it needs to be created. Taking one small action is how motivation is sparked.
Stick to one
Yes, there is a thing as having too many planners. If you’re like me and have a soft spot for notebooks and planners – well, welcome to the club.
I hate to burst your planning-bubble, but you truly only need one good planner.
You don’t need another planner, you just need a plan.
My favorite planners that I’ve used throughout the years are definitely the Productivity Planner from Intelligent Change and Perfectly Planned by Carrie Green of the Female Entrepreneur Association. Both are amazing planners that do the trick.
As with planners, I highly recommend you stick to one calendar as well to keep things nice, easy and organized.
I use my Perfectly Planned planner for planning out my year, months and weeks and then I swear by my Google Calendar as my daily and weekly schedule.
Tips when using Google Calendar:
- Color code to make it easy on the eyes
- Use a different color for personal and business tasks
- Assign yourself the amount of time you think it will take you.
- Add emojis to spruce things up.
- Add reminders so you never miss an appointment or a task.
- If you have tasks that you do often or regularly, set the task to repeat. This is a great way to streamline your days.
- Look at your calendar in the monthly view and consider moving things around if you need to.
- Have you planned too much?
- Too little?
- Is your calendar realistic?
- Do you need to slim it down?
- What tasks can wait?
Google Calendar is so easy to use and it’s completely free. I cannot say enough good things about it. It’s my go-to calendar for sure.
Before you go
It is doable to set and follow your calendar plan – no matter how busy you are.
All you need to do is to schedule the results you want to produce, make sure you have time to plan, take some action every day and stick to one planner.
You can totally do this.
I’m giving you a digital high five from over here.
