It is much easier to achieve your goals if you always have a clear plan of action at hand. It does not limit your freedom at all, but on the contrary, it only tells you in which direction to move in order to obtain the desired result. A well-designed self-realization plan will be an effective assistant in achieving any goals.

If you are just thinking about making a life plan, then this article is written especially for you! Such an important matter should be approached with all seriousness, because the whole future life depends on it.

The desire for self-realization

The desire for self-realization is an integral part of human life. Each of us has our own purpose, which becomes the real meaning of life.

purpose- this is what is given to any person since birth, his main life task that requires indispensable implementation. At present, such a term is understood as the abilities and talents inherent in nature, which can be improved throughout our existence.

From the first minutes of life, the essence of our destiny was not laid in anyone's head. That is why it is determined independently, based on giftedness, talents, skills and preferences. In the process of growing up, values ​​and opportunities can naturally change. For example, some abilities to improve, and some vice versa, will disappear, since no one has been involved in their disclosure.

In order for some talents not to fade over time, they need to be practiced. For example, if in childhood a child has a craving for creativity and talent, then it is easy to lose them without paying attention to development. If, on the contrary, one pays tribute to the qualities or interests laid down from birth, then it is quite possible to develop them to a high level, in some cases even to genius.

It also happens that some features are deliberately trying to ruin from childhood. For example, many parents and teachers try to wean "left-handers" from writing with their left hand, which affects their mental maturation and leads to neurotic disorders.

The most interesting thing is that some individual talents can only be discovered with age. And, if you missed the opportunity for creative self-development in childhood, why not do it in adulthood? Maybe it is worth replenishing the self-realization plan with one more item?

Choosing a suitable area for self-realization

When drawing up a detailed plan for self-realization, it is important to focus on the field of activity in which it will be applied. How to achieve high earnings in the financial environment? Or what do I want to get from family relationships? What job is right for me? All these questions are interconnected with what area of ​​life needs to be either improved or radically changed.

In addition to the most common ones: material, love and work, there are also other areas of activity that are ready to provide a platform for self-development.

Ways to Realize Potential

In the modern world, there are more and more platforms for the realization of internal potential. For example, it could be Internet. Due to its universal accessibility, this is a great place to express thoughts and defend personal opinions, which is what most interested people actively do. Moreover, some people earn decent money on this without leaving their homes.

You can always find your "I" through hobbies. In the present tense, even an ordinary online game can become a place for realization. Cyber ​​sports are very popular now, and those who once hid from the real world in games are able to earn just as well on their hobby.

Find an interesting activity and improve in it!

In addition to hobbies, you can realize yourself in a creative environment. Being engaged in creative activity for a long time, honing skills, it is really possible to achieve great recognition and success.

If you feel that you have reached the heights of life, do not be afraid to admit it! Maybe now you should become a mentor or coach for those who are just looking for their own path?

Advantages of self-actualization:

1. You will learn absolutely everything about your character, physical and intellectual inclinations. Thanks to this, easily improve all available indicators to the maximum, and be sure to succeed!
2. You will also find the meaning of all existence, get rid of oppressive thoughts, depression and despondency.
3. Dispel the boredom of life, live a full life, bringing you only positive, joyful emotions!
4. Boost your self-esteem, strengthen your high self-esteem and finally believe in your own strength!
5. You will discover new reactions and behaviors for yourself in those situations in which you have not yet found yourself.
6. And, of course, get rid of stagnation, start moving only forward, learn to see only the good in everything, and not be afraid to make decisions.

And there are simply no cons!

We draw up a plan for self-realization

To draw up a plan for self-realization, choose a not very long period of time. For example, let's look into the future five years ahead. How do you see yourself?

In order to achieve the realization of the image in which you imagine yourself after some time, write out a plan of action in detail for all areas of activity. For example, touch on personal life, health, career and finances.

In your personal life, imagine if you dream of a big family, children, or, conversely, about loneliness?

In the field of health, also consider whether you would like to significantly improve it or leave it at the same level. If improved, then what actions will help you with this?

In terms of business relationships, it is better to think over a career development system in advance, having decided on the direction in which you would like to move on.

With finances, things are exactly the same, analyze what kind of earnings you plan to achieve in five years, and in what ways to achieve it.

And remember, you can only plan your life. You have no right to interfere in other people's actions, so consider this fact when drawing up a plan.

Let's start to act!

As soon as the self-realization plan is ready, it is important not to postpone everything until tomorrow, but immediately begin to implement it.

Go to each individual area and write out step-by-step actions to achieve the desired results. Be sure to write everything down so as not to miss significant details and distribute them in order.

It is important to record the steps that you will take for each area at a certain time. Distribute them for every six months - a year, so that you always know what to do and at what moment.

Gradually, as you achieve certain goals, cross out those steps that will remain in the past. So you can watch your growth in a given direction.

Periodically check your actions against the plan, admire the results already achieved and, if necessary, make changes to the records.

And most importantly - do not forget to reward yourself for the first results!

10 tips for creating an effective self-realization plan:

1. Decide why you are doing this?

How will the plan help, what is its meaning? Having decided on its main tasks, it will be much easier to move on to compilation.

2. We prioritize the list.

Reconsider separately the points indicated, which are the most important? What can be left for later? This will make it easier to navigate the tasks and tools for solving them.

3. Write down on paper.

There is an opinion that what is written on paper carries a special value for the Universe, and it will certainly come true! But even if you discard superstitions, the paper version of the list will always be in front of your eyes, and no tasks will be forgotten.

4. Clearly formulate words.

A well-posed problem is easier to find a solution.

5. Don't forget about conclusions.

At the end of the given time, draw conclusions. Formulate them correctly, for example: “After five years, I achieved ...” and so on.

6. Reward your accomplishments.

Even small victories require rewards. So you will find an additional incentive for self-improvement!

7. Set only achievable goals.

A person can never become a bird or a frog, even with a strong desire. Set realistic, achievable plans for yourself.

8. Write down time slots.

Putting only the indication “in five years I will become ... etc.” won't work! It is necessary to paint step by step all the decisions that will be made during this period in order to defeat what you want.

9. Amending records is not critical.

Life is unpredictable and sometimes changes independently of us. So plans can be adjusted.

10. Take action.

It is not enough just to write about your dreams, in order to achieve them, you have to work hard. Good luck!

Results of self-realization

It does not matter at what stage of life you are now, the main thing is that the foundation necessary for victory was initially laid in you, namely a strong desire and motivation! Based on them, it is easy to achieve positive results of self-realization.

The main thing is not to stand still, but to continuously move towards the conquest of the goal!

Action planning and control

When the euphoria caused by the process of preparing for a decision passes, you will understand that the problem still needs to be solved. You need to take action to implement your decision. It is often difficult to get started on what has already been decided.

If colleagues or friends contributed to the decision, let them know your intentions before you act on them. If they weren't involved in developing the options, let them know what you've decided and explain why so they can help you succeed.

To turn a decision into action, you need to make a plan for how to proceed. Then you should put the plan into action and make sure that the problem is solved and, if necessary, take corrective actions.

Making an action plan is key if you need to take every opportunity to solve a problem. A clear and precise plan will be yours

guide in the complex process of turning your decision into reality.

Many problems remain unresolved, not because they are too complex, but because important questions such as “What should be done?” and “Who will do it?” have not been set. Or, if the questions were asked, no effort was made to find a reasonable answer to them. For this you need:

Make a list of tasks to be completed;

Determine what prevents you from going the intended path, for example, a lack of skills or opportunities;

Distribute individual tasks among employees and manage the process.

When drawing up an action plan, you should put down on paper what you want to get as a result, who will do it and how. This process will help you understand what is needed to ensure the success of your solution.

Once you've made a decision, don't immediately rush to put your brilliant plan into action, first let others know about it to arouse their interest. For this you need:

Look at your decision from the outside and think about how it can affect others. Try to anticipate any possible objections in response to your proposed course of action, for example: “We have already updated the system, it took a long time to fix defects”;

Give people the opportunity to learn how solving a problem will improve things, and popularize their idea. When talking about the problem, mention that if the situation is left unchanged, it will only get worse, then explain in detail how others will benefit by agreeing to change. This will help people more readily accept your decision.

How you communicate your solution will depend on the magnitude of the problem - whether it's a small adjustment or a major change. For example, installing a new computer program only requires negotiations with operators, while hiring new employees requires a complete reorganization of your business.

The decision to work requires certain commitment and effort. It is always easier to get the job done by involving those who play a key role in solving the problem. Thinking that you can do everything on your own, you will take on more than necessary, especially if it requires others to change their behavior.

For example, in a situation with a violation of the schedule, the following steps should be taken.

Ask employees working in different rooms what they think about the problem and what they see as a solution.

Bring these two people together to analyze with them how their personal opinions and decisions can be combined to achieve a common goal.

Coordinate their actions to solve the problem.

The more people you can involve in implementing your solution (especially if they were the cause of the problem), the more likely they are to accept the changes expected of them and willingly agree to work on a solution to the problem.

As your plans begin to materialize, there will be a need to monitor the process to ensure that you are aware of all developments and that your decision is being implemented. If you do not keep track of how things are progressing, there may be another problem (this time redundant) that needs to be addressed. Control includes:

Comparison of the result obtained with the expected;

Analysis of all cases due to which the situation did not develop according to plan;

Coordination of the plan if the desired result was not achieved.

In order for a certain solution to become a solution to a problem, it is necessary to act. You should plan how you will implement your idea. Everyone involved in the process of problem solving should be fully informed about what is happening, as well as about what benefits it will bring to him.

To act means to move forward on the path to solving a problem. This should give you considerable confidence that it will be resolved.

Think about the actions you are taking to solve the problem and answer the following questions.

^ Have you made a plan of action?

^ Did you present your decision in such a way that everyone agreed with it?

^ Are you sure that everyone who is involved in solving the problem is involved in the work?

^ Have you thought about how you will monitor the solution of the problem?

^ Are you committed to seeing it through to the end?

^ Is the problem really moving forward?

Draw up a plan of necessary actions;

To give people the opportunity to learn how they will benefit from solving the problem;

Convince people directly involved in the work process to implement the solution;

Find a way to celebrate your progress so that you can follow the progress;

Take action to solve the problem.

Last update:7/02/17

Eighth lesson on the road to success. Action plan. You have defined your dreams. You have chosen goals and objectives to which you are ready to devote your time and energy.

We compared these goals with principles and beliefs, values ​​in life.

Learned what it means. You feel a strong desire to reach your goal.

You are confident that the goal is achievable.

Your faith is based on the analysis of goals that you have made.

You wrote down your goals in a beautiful notebook. Remember the written goal gets into your subconscious, takes root there and does not let you forget what you want to achieve.

Start compiling action plan to make your dreams come true. What is it needed for action plan?

Without action plan it is impossible to understand where you are moving, where is the starting point of the path, and where is the end point.

If you think you never made a plan, then try to remember what you did when you were going on vacation. We decided whether it would be a trip or a vacation. We thought about where to go. They chose a country, a city, a hotel, a travel company, which airline to fly with. Read reviews online.

As a result, you feel like a real specialist in matters of where and how to relax, and you could already give advice to others. What helped you become a specialist? The whole point is that you planned your vacation, you made a vacation plan.

Unfortunately, many people spend much more time planning their vacation than they do. action plan for years of his life. That is why most of us do not achieve success in life.

So make a detailed action plan. As we have said, a well thought out plan is the key to success.

By making a plan to move towards the goal, you will be able to identify possible obstacles. Knowing about the obstacles, you can better prepare for them, think about how you will overcome them.

As you define the starting point of your plan, you realize where you are now, what you have already achieved on the path to success, what resources you already have, whether you need to gain additional knowledge.

pondering action plan, write a list of organizations and people who can help you reach your goal.

Set a deadline for reaching your goal. If the plan is long-term, break it down into stages.

Create in your mind a clear picture of the goal achieved. Start acting like you've already achieved your goal.

You have no fear, you are confident in achieving your goal, because you are the best specialist! You won't get frustrated if something goes wrong along the way because you have other options!

Make a decision and start moving towards the goal using your action plan!

In Lesson 9, you'll find a few more tips to help you on your path to success.

People tend to divide everything that happens in their lives into important and unimportant. What you value most should be the basis of your financial plan.
First of all, you need to understand your priorities in order to further use them to achieve your goals - whether it concerns your financial well-being or your personal life in general. There are many types of planning. The main thing to do is to choose the type of planning that suits you and stick to it. Here is one of the four-step planning models.

1. Determine your needs

Analyze your current financial situation and try to assess it comprehensively. You can call it - "checking the balance in the warehouse" or "audit". No matter what you call this stage, the main thing - do not skip it!
Determine for yourself what belongs to the category of desires, and what - to the category of needs. Make two lists: a "WANTS" list and a "NEEDS" list.
Before you write something on one of these lists, ask yourself the following questions:

• Why do I want this?
• Why do I need it?
• What will change if this happens to me?
• What changes (for better or for worse) will happen if I buy it?
• What is truly important to me?
• Does this correspond to my main life values ​​and priorities?

2. Set a goal

When planning your life, choose your NEEDS as goals.
The goal is a specific task, for the solution of which maximum efforts are concentrated. It is necessary to set short-term and long-term goals for yourself: for the day, week, year and for life.

Choosing Financial Goals

You will achieve financial well-being for many years if you manage to properly plan your financial goals.
"What do I want to do tomorrow?" - By answering this question, you set yourself a short-term goal.
There are goals that take a year or more to reach, such as saving up for a vacation or paying off small debts.
Short-term goals usually include goals with terms of up to two to five years. Long-term goals require the preparation of financial plans for a longer period - more than five years. Long-term plans include, for example, a plan for accumulating an additional pension, saving money for higher education for children, or buying a dacha.
Your financial goals should be:

specific

concreteness

Properly set goals are always specific enough to determine the next steps. For example: save up enough money to buy a refrigerator (not just start saving money).

• measurable

measurability

You need to understand what exactly needs to be done in order to achieve your goal, as well as to know how close you are to fulfilling your plan.
For example: a refrigerator costs 20,000 rubles, and you already have 10,000 rubles, which means that you have to accumulate another 10,000 rubles.
Goals like "I want to have more money" are almost unattainable. Such vague formulations are so vague that you yourself will not even know how and when you will achieve this goal!

• Achievable

Reachability

Your next steps must be realistically possible. For example: I know that it will take me one year to achieve this goal.

• urgent

urgency

The goals you set should be common sense. You should not make an effort to achieve a goal that does not meet your needs. For example: if you are not sure that you need to buy 18 pairs of shoes at once - why save money for this?

• Defined by time

Certainty (by time)

Try to achieve the intended results by a certain date. For example: the master said that my old refrigerator would not work for more than a year, which means that I need to save up for a refrigerator in six to eight months, no more.

3. Make a "life plan"

It is important that you start making a plan for the rest of your life. Ask yourself the question: "What do I want to achieve in five, ten, twenty years?"
Thinking about such a question, you can imagine the actions and deeds that will need to be done. The more steps you can specify in achieving your goals, the more success you will achieve. Then think about the sequence of steps, outlining what should be done first, second, and so on.

4. Make a plan of action

The first step towards the intended goal is to draw up an action plan. Having a plan does not in itself mean that the goal will be achieved, but it is very important to confirm the intended goals when drawing up an action plan. To do this, make a list of goals. Experts in the field say it's best to post this list in a conspicuous place at home or at work. However, you can just say your goals out loud. You can tell your close friends about them. By rereading the goals written down on paper, you contribute to their implementation.

If you start to thoroughly understand what factors influence a person’s life, in general, then you can find a great many of them. Any area of ​​a person's life and each sphere of his activity, of course, has a number of peculiarities inherent in them, and sometimes what is applicable to one is completely inapplicable to another. But there are, despite this, some fundamental principles that are effective in absolutely everything. One of these principles, or more precisely, laws that can be considered guarantors of success in any field, can be safely called the ability to plan and prioritize. Why this is so important, we will find out in the presented time management training lesson.

After studying this material, you will learn about what business planning is, and what are its features, why it is necessary and important to make lists of work, personal and household chores on a daily basis. In addition, we will consider several effective planning methods and principles, some of which are designed for every day, and some have a more promising focus - for a week, month, year, and even several years. This course of our online training will be useful for people of all ages and professions, and it will be possible to apply the information received to achieve your goals from the first day.

What is planning. Types of planning. Prioritization

The planning process

Planning is the process of optimal allocation of resources necessary to achieve the goals and objectives, as well as a set of processes that are associated with their setting and implementation. Planning is an integral part of time management (time management) and, with skillful application, greatly increases its effectiveness.

In its simplest and most formal interpretation, planning is characterized by the following steps:

1. Stage of setting goals (tasks)
2. The stage of drawing up a plan to achieve the intended
3. Variant design stage
4. The stage of identifying the required resources, as well as their sources
5. Stage of determining executives and briefing
6. The stage of fixing the results of planning in physical form (plan, project, map, etc.)

Types of planning

Planning, as already noted, is applicable to absolutely any sphere of life, but, depending on this, it may have its own characteristics, which, in turn, is expressed in various forms and contents.

The types of planning differ:

By necessity

• Directive planning - implies the obligatory execution of the tasks set, always has a specific addressee and is characterized by increased detail. As an example, we can name the setting of tasks related to solving issues of state / national importance, work at enterprises, etc.
• Indicative planning is the opposite of the first: it does not imply mandatory and precise execution, it has a more advisory and guiding character. This type of planning is widespread in the system of macroeconomic development of various states.

Timeframe for achieving goals

• Short-term (current) planning - calculated for a period of up to 1 year and may consist of plans for a day, week, month, quarter, six months. The most common type of planning. It is used both by ordinary people in the process of everyday life, and by leaders of various organizations.
• Medium-term planning - calculated for a period of 1 to 5 years. This form of planning is common in the activities of government agencies, firms and enterprises, but is often used by strategically minded people. In some cases, it can be combined with current planning, which in combination is rolling planning.
• Long-term (prospective) planning - is calculated, as a rule, for several (5, 10, 20) years ahead. Most often, this type of planning is used in large enterprises in order to fulfill tasks of a social, economic, scientific and technological nature, etc.

• Strategic planning is mostly long-term. With the help of it, the main directions in the activities of organizations are determined: expanding activities, creating new directions, stimulating the workflow, studying the market and its segments, studying demand, characteristics of the target audience, etc. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
• Tactical planning - most often is the same - long-term. Its main goal is to create the necessary conditions for the realization of opportunities found through the application of strategic planning. As a rule, tactical planning is used in planning the economic, social, and production development of an organization. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
• Operational-calendar planning is the final stage of strategic and tactical planning. It serves mainly to implement the process of achieving the set results. With the help of it, all indicators are specified, and the work of the organization is organized directly. Operational scheduling involves determining the time for completing the tasks, preparing the implementation of the process, keeping records, monitoring and analyzing the process. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
• Business planning - serves to assess the feasibility, relevance and effectiveness of planned activities. Drawing up a business plan takes place very carefully, taking into account all kinds of indicators, opportunities, proposals, etc. It is common in the activities of organizations and the work of businessmen.

In addition to the considered types of planning, which take into account the primary aspects, there are also those taking into account the secondary ones. They, in turn, differ:

By degree of coverage

• General planning - covers all the details of the context.
• Partial planning - covers some details of the context.

By planning objects

• Target planning - involves the definition of the required goals to achieve.
• Fund planning - involves planning the means necessary to achieve the result (finance, information, personnel, equipment, etc.).
• Program planning - involves the development of programs necessary to achieve the result.
• Action planning - involves determining the actions necessary to achieve the result.

By depth

• Aggregate planning - occurs taking into account common parameters.
• Detailed planning - takes into account all the details and features.

Coordinating plans over time

• Sequential planning - implies a long process, which consists of several smaller stages.
• Simultaneous planning - implies a one-time short stage.

Accounting for data changes

• Rigid planning - implies the obligatory observance of the specified parameters.
• Flexible planning - implies the possibility of non-compliance with the set parameters and the emergence of new ones.

in order

• Orderly planning - involves the sequential execution of plans, one after the other.
• Rolling planning - implies the extension of the plan for the next period after its completion in the current period.
• Extraordinary planning - implies the implementation of the plan as the need arises.

Prioritization

Prioritization is the process of setting priorities - an indicator of the predominance of the importance of one or another item of the plan over the rest. Prioritization is important for the reason that among a large number of different nuances and features, there are both those that are of the least importance and have a minimal impact on the process of achieving the goal, and those that play a dominant role in this process. The ability to prioritize can be called another indicator of the effectiveness and efficiency of any planning process, because. the emphasis on the most significant points of the plan is often decisive in the question of whether the goal will be achieved or not.

As you can see, planning as a process is characterized by a considerable number of different nuances. Any of the types can be used separately, and maybe in combination with others. The main thing when choosing is to take into account all the features of your activity. But, no matter how many types of planning exist, no matter how much we consider them, no matter how many examples we give, all this will not be of any value if we do not understand why we need to plan anything at all, what advantages it has how will it help us in life? These are the questions we will try to answer in the next section.

What is planning for?

Considering that our trainings are devoted to methods of increasing personal productivity, here and further in the lesson we will consider planning in relation to the activity of a person, and not organizations, firms, enterprises, etc.

Planning is the factor that largely determines not only whether a person will achieve what he wants, but also what he will achieve in general. The fact is that the planning process itself does not have a single and narrowly focused effect, but affects in a complex way, influencing many personal indicators of a person, the direction of his actions and the way of life in general. Below we list just a few positive aspects of planning and the benefits that it provides.

Specification of the goal

As soon as a person begins to plan his activities, his thinking is activated, creativity is activated, and brain activity increases. You can want something and “as if” imagine it, while thinking that you know exactly what you want. But as soon as you sit down to draw up a plan and begin to think it through carefully, your goal begins to transform from an abstract into a concrete one. Gradually, you begin to imagine it in detail, take into account its features, somehow vary it. There is a saying that says that a ship that does not know where it is going will never reach its destination. So is a person - if he does not know what exactly he wants, he will never achieve it. Planning makes it possible to understand and realize what you really want and find a specific goal.

A clear plan of action

Even knowing what we want, we may never achieve it if we do not know what we need to get it. Our goals may be mega-global, good and wonderful, but they will remain just a picture of what we want to have and what to do. This state of affairs is corrected with the help of planning. First, it allows you to determine the specific steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the desired result. Secondly, it helps to determine the resources needed for this and their sources. Thirdly, it provides an opportunity to set a time frame. This way, by making a precise plan, you will know what you need to do to implement it, who or what to involve in this, and, most importantly, when you want to do it. Planning significantly speeds up the process of achieving the goal, because. is a practical guide to action.

Action, not thoughts about action

Until we have a plan to implement what we want, we are in constant thinking about this topic. We think about how much we want this, how good it would be if we had it, reflect on the topic of how it is lacking now, maybe even imagine ourselves in the process of action. But there is one BUT - apart from thinking, we do nothing else. And this indicates that, most likely, this will all end. It is important to understand that when you start planning, you are already taking the first and biggest step towards the implementation of your plan. This alone is already moving you forward substantially. And then a chain reaction begins: after drawing up a plan, you begin to perform specific actions, the first item is followed by the second, the second is followed by the third, and so on. If you manage to instill in yourself the habit of planning even the smallest things, you will immediately notice how your desires begin to become a reality. Here you can apply another saying: "Water does not flow under a lying stone." Move off the dead center - start to act. Planning creates the energy potential necessary to achieve the goal.

Ability to maneuver

Without knowing exactly what needs to be done to achieve the set results, we can neither determine nor coordinate our actions. We can roughly imagine what we need to do, but acting without a plan, we risk reaching a dead end or even further moving away from the goal. When you have a plan and begin to act, you can, so to speak, manage the entire process online: it doesn’t work out this way, try it differently, one thing doesn’t work, think about what you can replace it with. Having a clear plan will allow you to make maneuvers on your way, varying different methods and methods. As a result, you will have a comprehensive plan that will take into account all sorts of nuances and options for the development of events. The ability to plan is the ability to be flexible and ready for any situation.

High success rate

And, perhaps, the most important advantage of planning is, if not a 100% guarantee, but still a huge probability of success. How many people we see who want very little, but, having no plan, achieve nothing! And, in contrast to them, there are a huge number of examples of people who have fantastic goals that, it would seem, are unattainable, despite everything they achieve them and even more. What distinguishes the first from the second is the ability to plan and prioritize. Define your goals, start making a plan - after a while you will see that you have reached the goal, and thousands of onlookers without a plan have remained in their places. Planning will put you in the lead in any field!

Surely, now it has become much clearer to you why you need to plan and think through all your steps. Planning is done by businessmen and entrepreneurs, heads of huge corporations, creative people, writers, actors and show business stars, in general, all those who are commonly called successful people. Planning is a part of the life and work of any person who wants to increase their productivity and achieve serious results. It is for this reason that, in addition to sitting down at the table, taking a pen and a piece of paper, and starting to plan something, today there are specially developed planning methods that have proven their effectiveness more than once. We will give a brief overview of the most popular of them in the next section.

Planning Methods

ABC planning

The prerequisite for this method is experience, which clearly shows that the ratio of important and unimportant cases in percentages is always approximately the same. Any tasks, based on their importance in relation to the achievement of the set results, should be allocated using ABC letter values. It follows from this that the tasks with the greatest importance and significance (A) should be performed first, and then all the others (B, C). You need to plan your time using this technique, taking into account the importance of the tasks, and not the efforts required to complete them.

The ABC technique is based on three basic rules:

• Category A - the most important cases. They make up about 15% of everything you do, but they bring about 65% of the results.
• Category B - important things. They make up about 20% of all your cases and bring about 20% of the results.
• Category C - matters of the least importance. They make up about 65% of everything you do, but also bring about 15% of the results.

You can learn more about this technique here.

Eisenhower principle

This technique was proposed at one time by the American General Dwight David Eisenhower. It is an excellent additional meter for making the most important decisions quickly. This principle implies prioritization according to the criteria of importance and urgency.

All your affairs you must divide into four main categories and perform in order of priority:

• Category A - the most urgent and important cases.
• Category B - urgent but not important cases. It is important to be able to separate them by the criterion of importance from the first category, otherwise you can spend time on their implementation, leaving the really important things for later.
• Category C - not urgent, but important matters. Here you need to take into account the urgency factor: due to the fact that these cases are not urgent, they are often shelved, after which they become urgent, which is not very good. Therefore, their implementation should not be neglected in any case. Such cases, among other things, can be delegated - to entrust their implementation to someone else.
• Category D - non-urgent and non-important matters. Often, a person is most concerned with such matters and spends most of the time doing them. Learn to accurately identify cases in this category. They need to be done last, when the previous ones are completed.

You can learn more about the Eisenhower Method here.

Pareto Rule

This rule is sometimes referred to as the 80/20 principle. It was formulated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. Its main premise is that the smallest part of the actions brings the greatest part of the results, and vice versa.

Visually, this rule looks like this:

• 20% action = 80% result
• 80% of actions = 20 results
• 20% of people own 80% of all capital
• 80% of people own 20% of all capital
• 20% of customers generate 80% of revenue
• 80% of customers bring 20% ​​of revenue
• Etc.

Apply this rule to your daily activities, and you will see that 80% of what you do in a day is only 20% of the result you need, and 20% of well-planned actions bring you closer to your cherished goal by 80%. Based on this, remember that you need to start the day with just a few, but the most difficult, important and urgent things, and only after that, take on the implementation of light and no less important, but present in a much larger volume. It is very convenient to apply the Pareto rule in combination with the ABC method or the Eisenhower principle.

You can read more about the 80/20 principle.

Timing

The term "timekeeping" refers to a method designed to study the elapsed time. It is carried out by fixing and measuring the actions taken. The main goals of timekeeping are to determine what time is spent on, identify time wasters, find time reserves, and develop a sense of time.

Keeping timekeeping is quite simple: experts advise recording all your actions with an accuracy of 5 minutes for 2-3 weeks. Visually, it looks something like this:

• 8:00-8:30 - woke up, stretched, washed
• 8:30-9:00 - drank tea, turned on the computer, checked the mail
• 9:00-9:30 - went to the social network
• 9:30 - 10:00 - prepared documents for work
• Etc.

Entries can be supplemented with comments and additional parameters. There are several ways to keep track:

• On paper - in a notebook, notebook, notebook
• Using a gadget - mobile phone, e-book, tablet
• Using a voice recorder
• Using special software on a computer
• Online - Special Internet Applications
• Gantt chart (see below)

Based on the data obtained through the timing, you can identify important features in the distribution of your time and correct them. Read more about timing.

Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart is a bar chart method developed by American management specialist Henry Gant. It is used to illustrate plans and schedules for various projects. The diagram consists of bars that are oriented along the time axis, and each of them displays a separate task that is part of the project. The vertical axis is a list of tasks. In addition, various indicators can be marked on the chart - percentages, pointers, timestamps, etc.

Using the Gantt chart, you can visually track the progress of the project and the effectiveness of the actions performed. But, in any case, this method will have to be supplemented by others, because. the diagram is not synchronized with dates, does not display the resources spent and the nature of the actions performed. It is best used for small projects. The chart itself is often included in various project management applications as an add-on.

SMART technology

The SMART goal setting technique is recognized as one of the best in the world. It has its origins in NLP and we discussed it in detail in one of our lessons. Here we give only a brief description of this technique.

The word "SMART" itself is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of five words that define the criteria for goals. Let's consider them in a little more detail.

• Specific - the goal must be specific, i.e. when setting it up, you must definitely clearly imagine the result you want to achieve. For example, "I want to become a specialist in anthropology."
• Measurable - the goal must be measurable, i.e. you must represent the desired result in quantitative terms. For example, "by 2015 I want to earn 50 thousand rubles a month."
• Attainable - the goal must be achievable, i.e. you must take into account the characteristics of your personality: abilities, predisposition, talent, etc. For example, if you have a hard time with mathematics and you absolutely do not understand this science, it is better not to set yourself the goal of becoming an outstanding mathematician.
• Relevant - the goal should be related to your other tasks. For example, the achievement of a medium-term goal should implicitly include the achievement of several short-term ones.
• Time-bounded - the goal must be defined in time and have a clearly established time frame. For example, "I want to lose weight from 95 to 80 kg in six months by such and such a month."

Together, this will allow you to determine the necessary actions to achieve the desired result, take into account the maximum number of factors and constantly track your progress. Read more about the SMART technique written.

List of goals and objectives

The simplest method by which you can plan time and affairs. This is just a list of things to do. Such lists are very convenient in that they do not require any additional resources, such as a PC, mobile applications or the use of complex schemes, but they also allow you to visually display everything you need to do and control this process.

Making a list of goals and tasks is very simple: you can simply write down on a piece of paper everything that you need to do and when, and upon completion, simply cross out the completed items. And you can complicate it a little: make a table in which there will be columns: “task”, “priority”, “due date”, “completion mark”.

All of these techniques can be used singly or in combination. Try all the options - for sure, after a while you will select the most convenient and suitable for yourself, and maybe even make some of your own based on them.

In order to make it easier for you when planning your affairs and time, in conclusion of the lesson, we would like to present to your attention some very effective principles that you can use in your daily life.

Planning principles

• Try all the planning techniques discussed and choose the most suitable for you. Use it daily and in all cases.
• Don't try to remember everything - keep notes. As the saying goes, "The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory."
• If you have a lot of things to do, do not try to have time to do everything. Take the time to identify the most important and priority, and proceed to implement them. Finish the rest later.
• At the end of one week, make a plan of action for the next. Do the same at the end of each day.
• Get in the habit of carrying a notebook and a pen or voice recorder with you to record interesting thoughts that come to you.
• Start a “success journal” in which you will record all your successes, no matter how small, every day. This will keep you constantly motivated and remind you that you are on the right track.
• Learn to say no. This ability will save you from wasting time, striving for unnecessary goals and communicating with unnecessary people.
• Always think before you do anything. Weigh all the pros and cons. Try not to make rash actions and actions.
• Whenever you are in the process of something, remember yourself, be aware of what you are doing at the present moment. If you feel that you are not moving forward, quit this activity.
• Take a critical look at yourself: identify your bad habits, time-consuming, things that you enjoy doing, but that do not move you towards the goal. Then gradually and one by one replace these habits and deeds with new ones - effective ones.
• Determine your main priorities in life and live according to them. So you can always be focused on the main thing, and will not waste time.
• Do not perform unnecessary unnecessary actions, do not do other people's business. You must move forward on your own, but do not allow yourself to be used as a tool to achieve other people's goals if you yourself do not enjoy it.
• Regularly and systematically allocate time for self-improvement: reading books, watching educational and motivational videos, practicing your skills, etc.
• Do not stop there - having achieved one goal, set another, more serious one. So you can always be in good shape, you will have an incentive and motivation.

Applying all of the above recommendations will allow you to be successful in any field and achieve your goals in the shortest possible time. The most important thing is the constant work on oneself and the application in practice of the acquired skills. In order for all that you have learned from this lesson to begin to bear fruit, you need to start planning your future activities today. Start with any way, practice, hone a new skill and make it a habit. Of course, it is impossible to plan everything in our life, but a lot is possible.

You can find additional interesting materials related to planning and efficiency on our 4brain resource:

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are shuffled.