Are you a planner or a doer?
Planning is undeniably crucial. Wise individuals have argued that a decent plan today surpasses a flawless plan tomorrow. Yet, here comes the pivotal moment — a significant, emphasized “but”: What happens after you’ve laid out your plan? Or perhaps, do you find yourself brimming with motivation to outline your tasks, only to falter when it’s time to take action?
Welcome to the world of ‘planning porn’:
- Crafting an intricate project page to organize your day, week, quarter, or even the entire year.
- Assembling meticulous plans, complete with detailed tasks, dates, tags, and more.
- Regularly searching for “the best planning app on Android or iPhone for 202x”, always on the hunt for the next tool to try.
- Reflect on your last five versions of a plan. Assign a completion percentage to them. Is it still less than 50%?
- Deep within, you relish the euphoria, the surge of excitement, and the satisfaction of breaking down goals into tasks, sorting them into categories, and mapping out dependencies.
If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone. Planning, utilizing apps and tools, and even the thrill of task decomposition are not inherently flawed. The crux of the matter is the transition from planning to action. Derek Sivers has succinctly unraveled the essence of idea execution: execution is the game changer. Without it, the most meticulous plans are futile.
Don’t fall into the trap of blaming “poor planning” for execution failures. This mindset often leads to a vicious cycle: drafting a new plan, failing to execute, and repeating. It’s an endless loop.
Do tackle this challenge head-on. I’ve grappled with this issue for years, recognizing its complexity. What has made a difference for me is adopting a 1:4 rule:
- For every unit of planning, dedicate four (4) units to execution.
- Define a “unit of work” as 30 minutes, an hour, or even a Pomodoro session.
- Compel yourself to quadruple the effort in execution compared to planning. Avoid reverting to planning or daydreaming until you’ve met this quota. Embrace this principle, transform it into a habit, and you’ll begin to dismantle procrastination and mental barriers.
