Everything needs a plan
Even a five-minute phone call needs a plan. It might only take 10 seconds, but that’ll be the most productive 10 seconds of your day
Think & plan more = do less
We’ve all been there. You hang up the phone, then realise you forgot to ask them about the second point. Oops. Not great for efficient use of time, not great for looking organised.
It doesn’t matter if the job is small or large, everything needs a plan. Even a five-minute job needs a plan. That plan might only take you 10 seconds, but it’ll be the best value 10 seconds of the whole job.
The process of planning forces you to think through the task, from top to bottom. It allows new ideas to pop to mind on how it could be done better and faster. I’ve just changed a five-minute job to a three-minute job. I’m now 66% more productive. Go me.
Having a plan, written down in front of me, keeps me on track during the task too.
Focus on the Aims
The most important part of your plan is your aims. What are you trying to achieve?
That should be your start point, your continual reference point, and the stick by which you measure the outcome.
Making a conscious plan for every task you do reduces mistakes and increases the effectiveness, as it forces you to consciously think through everything you’re going to undertake.
