A pinch and a punch for the first week back of 2018, at least for most people. Now that the break is over, what have you planned for the year? If you said nothing much, then congratulations, that is what most people would say. So let’s start off the year with a plan.
Please take out your diary.
Start by writing in every significant birthday and anniversary and see what day it falls on. Now, notate the start and end of school holidays, whether you have kids or not. Next, are there any events that you regularly attend or participate in? Let’s say you’re a season ticket holder for the Reds/Roar/Broncos or you participate in the Mother’s Day Classic or volunteer for the RSPCA on their adoption days. Put a note on the day and a reminder a few days out, to confirm with others and make sure you’re prepared, so the red shirt is ready or there’s enough ice for the BBQ.
If you attend any other regular activity, put it in, whether that’s exercise, meditation, radio club, coffee with Mum.
Now that the diary is starting to have some structure, find out how much leave you have and work out how much will accrue this year. Have you promised to take the kids to the Commonwealth Games, is there a significant birthday or anniversary to celebrate and when is it; what would delight that person? Write it into the diary and start saving towards the event, book the hotel/plane tickets or put an invite up on Facebook with lead time for friends to respond. Ask for leave now, get it approved. If you have been promising to have a significant holiday to volunteer overseas, take a cruise, see the vineyards of the Loire and not quite managed to get the dream to reality, this will help.
Now that the personal side is taken care of, let’s take care of business. Do you post to social media every week/fortnight/month – write it into the diary, as well as the day it must be completed, if it’s up to you to create it, so it can go out on schedule. Writing these into the diary will also show where items may need to be created in advance, so holidays or family time are uninterrupted. What about BNI, industry conferences, lunches, weekly meetings? These should also go in.
Once all the commitments are in, it is easy to see where the pockets of time are and to be able to use them. Been wanting to work out regularly but there’s no time before or after work? If there’s time in the middle of each day, try lunch at the desk a couple of times a week and go for a walk/run or to the nearest gym for a 30 minute sesh.
Use your diary as a forward planner, and write out the entire year’s non-negotiable events. Instead of lurching through each week, it forms a pattern that makes living and working harmonious. It will not kill spontaneity, it actually shows when there’s time to go with the flow. Here’s to the best year ever 🙂