Planning is bringing the future to the present so that you can do something about it now. - Alan Lakein -
Our ability to set goals, make plans, and take action on them determines the course of our lives. This principle is in the heart of the Six-P Formula. It says, "Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance".
Brian Tracy recommends in this chapter of his book "Eat That Frog" to start each day by a plan on a list or a paper. This list can be adjustable as you go through your tasks. When we make a list the night before, our subconscious mind will work on it all night long while we sleep.
I have noticed huge changes in my productivity after applying this rule personally. When I set my goals for the next day the night before, my mind reprograms itself to figure out the best way to start up and keep going through my task list, resulting in avoiding procrastination. As a matter of fact, I believe that procrastination is mainly produced when our brain doesn't realize that there's important tasks (big frogs) awaiting us to execute them. Also, steady, visible progress propels us forward and helps us to overcome procrastination.
Make a list of every step that you have to complete to finish a project. Organize the steps by priority and sequence. Lay out the project in front of you on a paper so that you can see every task and step. Then proceed with working on one task at a time. You will be amazed at how much you get done in this way.
Something that is important to point out: Don't take your task list for a hollowed paper. You will need to adjust it from time to time as you get through the tasks and figure out things that might be prominent to add up. From my personal experience, one thing that is also responsible for procrastination is the fact that we consider a plan as unadjustable. Therefore, once we figure out there's other things we overlooked, we believe we are terrible at planning and we drop the ball.
Think on paper! Always work from a list. It is fabulous how much more productive you become and how much easier it is to eat your frog.
This article is inspired from the book 'Eat That Frog', by Brian Tracy
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