Sunday Night Planning

It's Sunday night and I am back to using my "tree top planner" strategy. What that means is I imagine being up in the top of a tree looking down on my week ahead. I can spend a few minutes dreaming about what I want to accomplish, how I will feel at the end of the week when I've accomplished these things, how will I be closer to my master plan goals, who do I need or want to connect to this week, what have I made commitments to do?

From here I can write a to-do list and I make a list of the people I want to connect to. It helps that I divide my page into major categories like Work, writing, wedding (my daughter's), networking, house, family.

Next I review my calendar; what appointments do I have, where will my exercise fit in, do I need to rearrange anything? Once I've had a chance to review things, I look at my big picture goals and make sure I plug in the things that are important for those goals: time to read and write, time to plan my meals for the week, get to the gym, connect to friends and family, etc. Blocks of time are identified to complete things from my to-do list, as well as time to relax and refresh!

If I have a focus for what I want to get done, I don't get as sidetracked by unimportant distractions and can enjoy my time off, not worrying about what I didn't get done!

Sometimes it's tough working from home, but when I take the time to create a plan, I know I am a more effective, efficient and happy person!

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it! How about you?

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential.” - Ellen Goodman

I was sent this quote today, and it really struck a chord. I have been putting off my to-do of "2010 Goals" and I think what I want to do first is review my "2009 successes." My coaching group is using these 3 questions to help see what worked in 2009 before jumping to what I want to improve in 2010.

1. What were your 3 most important wins in 2009?
2. What were your 3 most energizing events/activities during the year?
3. What did you learn from your wins and your energizers that you want to carry forward into 2010?

It is a guideline you can use for every month, every quarter, or every year.
What this quote makes me realize is that I have much to be grateful for and many successes to build upon. I don't have to make up new big goals or challenges. It doesn't have to be hard. I don't have to become someone else in order to have a "successful" year.

Look to what is working, find the potential in that, and build on it. I intend to concentrate on what I am really attracted to and just turn up my focus and attention another notch.

Happy New Year.