If you want to create a plan that works, regardless of whether you’re goal setting, starting a project or just trying to get your to-do list into shape, the first step is to define the outcome – or decide what it is you want. Then you’ll look at what needs to be done to end up with result you’re after.
Often, it’s hard to separate out the individual steps needed to get to the desired point of a plan. It’s easy to be too vague or break it down into so many steps it becomes overwhelming.
i.e. Planning a holiday:
You could be too vague and “want to go to Europe”. Without a firm destination in mind, you won’t get past browsing the web for prices and looking at your savings wistfully.
If you get too bogged down in detail, it’s likely that you’ll never get around to actually booking the holiday. If you do manage to complete every item off the checklist and end up on the plane there’s a good chance you’ll be too stressed, or over it and you won’t really enjoy the holiday. Not to mention that nobody (not even the organiser) enjoys “those” holidays with every second planned and no time for spontaneity. So it’s important you get the plan right at the start.
How do you find the sweet spot between too vague and too detailed?
Chunk the goal into a couple of action items (no more than 5) that might consist of a series of tasks that are in some way related. So if you wanted to paint a wall you could chunk:
- Buying supplies – Which would cover making the shopping list, the budget and the shopping trip.
- Prepping the wall – Which would include cleaning the wall, sanding the wall, putting down newspaper or something to catch the drips, taping edges around light fittings etc
- Painting the wall – Would cover undercoat if necessary, painting the wall with however many coats necessary, and clean-up afterwards
I’m all chunked up. What now?
Now, it’s up to you to decide which approach is the most valuable for you in terms of a to-do list. I get more done when I feel like I’m getting a lot done – so I like to have a huge to-do list with lots of check-off-ability. I’m not discouraged if I don’t manage to get everything done in a day and I’m really good at prioritising. So for me, a to-do list with every step as an action item is best to keep me motivated and on track.
If, on the other hand, you like an empty to-do list at the end of the day. Or you get overwhelmed by a huge list. Or you don’t like to/can’t prioritise. Make a list consisting solely of chunks. You can list the “steps” of the chunk as a subtopic or note if you need the reminder.
To-Do items done, on to the next step…
Once you’ve got the to-do list items, you just need to schedule them. It’s really important to make sure that you are realistic about your timings. Short deadlines won’t help motivate you. You’re far more likely to find them discouraging when you can’t meet them. On the other hand, making the time periods too long might cause you to lose interest or get off track. Realistic time frames will keep you motivated to achieve your goal.
Done! Goal Achieved.
Awesome! Now give yourself a huge pat on the back and shout yourself a favourite treat. Now is also a good time to review how your goal setting worked. Were you too demanding on yourself? Or did you give yourself too much leeway. Should you be more specific next time, or would you be better off with less detail? The better you review your goal setting and progress through the plan steps, the more likely you’ll be able to set goals which are challenging but achievable in the future.
