I am not the most organised person. But there are some fundamental ideas about planning that I learned through reflection.
1) Short-Term vs. Long-Term Expectations:
We often expect too much from ourselves in the short term and too little in the long term.
This disbalance creates unrealistic timelines, which can trigger frustration and negative emotions when deadlines aren’t met, leading to a vicious cycle of stress and missed goals.
2) Lack of Actionable Steps:
Plans often fail because they’re too broad. Tasks like “make a marketing plan” are overwhelming because they aren’t broken down into actionable steps.
Instead, ask yourself, “What’s the next immediate step?”—maybe it’s identifying your value proposition or researching your target audience.
3) Not Blocking Time:
If you don’t schedule time to work on your tasks, they’re likely to be drowned out by the day’s random activities.
To-do lists work for some, but the best approach is to book focus time with yourself on your calendar, focusing on taking the next step in your plan.
4) Looking for Perfection:
Most times, we end up procrastination as we want to perfect the outcome. There is no limit to perfection, and this is the biggest roadblock to “getting things done”.
Having a mindset of launching and iterating for improvement can get things moving. A lot of time, taking the first step is the most difficult one. Bring momentum on your side!
Another Fundamental Problem ->
Ignoring the Pareto Principle: If you want your planning to deliver results, prioritize tasks that align with your North Star metrics—the key areas that will drive your business forward.
Applying the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) helps you focus on the 20% of tasks that will generate 80% of your results.
If you are lazy or are overwhelmed, do apply this principle and prioritize the most impactful tasks.
Share some of your learnings that help you execute your plans seamlessly.