Tips on Planning Your Day (the night before)
In my blogs, I love sharing various ways of achieving better productivity and time management in your daily life. One of the quickest of them all to implement and see results is planning your day the night before. It's such a simple thing to do (once you get into the habit) and allows you to jump straight into your day with energy and focus.
So why should you plan your day the night before? Here are some benefits:
Good Sleep
With a plan in place, you're less likely to toss and turn and worry about forgetting something, which will leave loads of headspace to relax and get that REM sleep you need.
Less Reactive, More Proactive
With your day pre-planned, you wake up with a purpose and can get into it straight away. You'll be proactive rather than reactive and not just randomly complete tasks or jobs that come your way but focus on what matters, complete essential tasks, and enjoy a productive day.
Increased Accountability
Planning your day means writing things down. And by writing them down, you're committing to them. It makes you accountable and lets you check back in with your list several times a day to ensure that you're on track to achieving what you set out to do.
They say that motivation is what gets you started, and it's a habit that keeps you going. So, let's take a look at how you can implement planning your day into your nightly routine so that it becomes a habit:
Plan at the same time every day
Try to incorporate your planning into your nightly ritual by doing it at the same time and place every night, i.e., in your bed, after brushing your teeth. Initially, it's a good idea to set the alarm to remind you that it's time to plan so that you don't forget.
Write it down on paper
Get yourself a notebook, and plan into that. Using this method means that you'll remember more, everything in one place, and you're less likely to get distracted. Having a notebook also means that you can carry it around with you (like Richard Branson) and make notes on any ideas, tweaks, changes or tasks that might come up during the day to consider in your next planning session. Of course, those who prefer recording their tasks digitally can utilise various planning apps on their devices.
Be smart about your planning
Create your list, including specific tasks to be completed during your high energy levels and others (less strenuous or urgent) in your low energy levels.
You should recognise your best productive hours and vice versa, so use your day wisely to get the most out of it.
Ready to start planning your day the night before?
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your planning session.
Identify your biggest challenge and schedule that first
Take a leaf out of Brian Tracy's book and 'eat the biggest and ugliest frog the first thing in the morning'. Getting that one piece out the way will lighten your load, and the rest of your tasks will seem relatively easy to complete.
Don't overestimate your time
Try to be realistic and not to schedule an excessive number of tasks each day.
Schedule for both work and life
Be sure to get the balance right for this and add some life things to your schedule. It's easy to forget to add grocery shopping or gym, but these do need to get done, so it's best to add them in from the get-go.
Reflect and review
Before you start your schedule for the next day, think about how your day unfolded. Were there any learnings or anything that needs to be rescheduled or reviewed? Ask yourself if you're living your best life – and if the answer is no too regularly, it might be time to reconsider your goals.