5 Steps to Effective Planning
What got me to where I am today was a good plan and effective time management.
I didn’t do anything randomly! I didn’t wait for things to get done by themselves, for someone else to take care of it, or for the right mood or motivation to strike.
This does not mean that my business lacks feminine energy. On the contrary, I believe I manage to combine and balance both strong feminine traits and the masculine ones. Ideas come to me, and I have big visions, fueled by a great desire to help people with their problems.
But just this is not enough.
In order to help thousands of people every day, I had to sit down with a pen and paper and nicely map it all out.
I had to make a plan and then organize the steps. But beware, I am not a robot. Of course, I take into account that my plan will be disrupted or it won’t work out. That’s expected. Thanks to good planning and effective time and people organization, I manage to calmly (!) be a mother, an entrepreneur, a visionary, a wife, and a woman who takes care of her household. I am content and balanced.
A frequently recurring current problem with my clients is the despair of mothers who feel they can't manage and get everything done..
1. Accept how things are right now
The worst thing you can do is criticize yourself, get angry with yourself, and drown in feelings of guilt:
"Ugh, I'm so incapable. I'm not getting anything done. I just can't manage. I'm completely useless."
The resistance you create towards yourself will only increase, and it definitely won't lead to any change for the better.
From such a negative attitude towards yourself at this moment, nothing positive will come out, and any potential change will definitely not last long.
You might just get even angrier, and that huge anger might make you slam your fist on the table and decide that everything will be different starting tomorrow.
This attitude will likely last a few days, and then everything will return to its old ways.
For a smooth change, first and foremost, it's essential to accept how things are.
Without self-blame and without guilt.
These are also, among other things, signs of self-love and respect for yourself.
2. Know yourself
I have been an organizer and planner since I was a child. These are my strong points, and I enjoy it. For my life, I need everything to be planned, prepared, and organized.
I feel good in it. There are people who might have it completely the opposite. They don't plan anything and are also happy.
Find out for yourself what you truly need and what works best for you.
For good planning, it's important to know whether you're more of a morning person or a night owl.
Whether you still have enough energy in the afternoon to do the shopping or cook a hot dinner.
Consider your strengths and weaknesses, your cycle, and your child's routine.
3. Don’t compare yourself
It’s easy to compare yourself to others. A lot of moms write to me, asking how I manage to do it all and how they feel down because of it. But I’m not doing it alone! And that’s something you don’t see on social media. Not only do I have an amazing, well-coordinated team at work that pretty much runs itself, but I also have support from my partner, an active mom, an occasional nanny, and a cleaning lady.
4. Plan
Planning is a skill, and it can be learned. Once you’ve decided to plan and better organize your time because you know it’s something you need in your life, prepare for the fact that it’s a skill you’ll need to develop.
It might not work right away
It will take some time to fine-tune things and find the right system. A plan is one thing; reality is another. Shared calendars on your phone, paper planners, printed calendars, or cards on the fridge? There’s only one thing that will get you there. On Sunday evening (not Monday), but Sunday evening at the latest, sit down with paper and pen and start. Try to plan your week, and do it again the next week and the next. Stick to this one key thing: Set aside time for planning.
5. Persevere
Give yourself and your new system TIME.
Adjust it to your needs and your cycle.
How do I plan?
Each weekday has its program. It’s always the same and clearly defined in advance. It just repeats every week. I have set times for work, personal time, and sports, swimming with Medinka, and time just for her.
When do I work?
Every morning from 4:30 to 6:30, before Medinka wakes up. Then I’m a mom, cooking, cleaning, and playing. When she goes to bed in the evening, I work. Two days a week, I have a nanny for a few hours at my office while I work.
