Why is it important to plan your schedule ahead of time?
Nov 08, 2021
In any time management process that you find, you will always see step one is to create a plan.
Whether that is a task list, setting a plan in your calendar, using a planner they always start with a plan.
And this is one of the things that many people least like.
Creating and following a plan.
So let’s take a look at why it’s important.
And why you may not like it.
You see, it simply comes down to how the different parts of your brain work.
And which part of your brain you are using to make your decisions.
The part of your brain that runs most of your moment by moment decisions and reactions is your primitive brain.
It takes a whole lot of energy to run the more evolved parts of your brain, so your primitive brain has the lead most of the time.
Your primitive brain has three main priorities. And they all come down to survival.
Keep you safe.
Use as little energy as possible.
Do what feels pleasurable in the moment (motivating you to eat, stay warm, procreate, etc.).
Great priorities for survival.
But not so much for achieving your goals.
Most people prefer to just start working and getting things done.
But that means that you are deciding what needs to be done and how to do it in the moment.
And when you make a decision in the moment, it is mostly being made with your primitive brain.
Which is making decisions for your survival.
When your survival brain is in control, you are making decisions out of it’s priorities.
Decisions to play it safe and not do anything new or “dangerous”.
Decisions to do things the way you have always done them and to use as little energy as you can.
Decisions to do what feels good in the moment.
Your primary brain doesn’t really like planning. And it especially dislikes following the plan.
This is why it is so hard to get yourself to do the planning. And then to follow the plan.
And this is why learning to manage your mind is so important.
To get your evolved brain, your prefrontal cortex involved, you need to move into deeper thought processes.
Processes like planning ahead. Because the primitive brain can’t really think ahead and plan.
So when you move into planning mode, it takes a back seat.
This means that the decisions that you make when you plan are decisions based on things to help you achieve and thrive, not just survive.
They are decisions that help you achieve your goals.
They are decisions for your higher good.
They are decisions to do hard things that may not feel good in the moment.
And so if you want to achieve your goals, the best way to do it is to make your decisions about how you will spend your time ahead of time.
Now learning how to follow the plan is a whole different story.
But first start by making the plans.
And valuing the reason why.
When you plan, you use your evolved brain.
It is the way to create the business and life you really want.
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Ready to understand the real reasons you don’t follow through with your plans, even when you know what to do?
My free video series, The Three REAL Reasons You Don’t Get Things Done, teaches you how to manage your mind and emotions, going beyond traditional time management to help you finally master your schedule and achieve your goals.
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