It’s so easy to get caught up in being so busy in life’s hustle and bustle that we convince ourselves that there’s no time for our big goals and dreams. Other times, we’re afraid to set big goals because we have no idea of how we can make them a reality. Before we dive into the productivity-related part of this, let me just take a moment to say that I totally understand that planning isn’t for everyone. Trust me, my husband isn’t a planner, so I really get it! With that said, without having a solid action plan in place, most people will spin in circles.
Now, let’s talk productivity! The first step in the process of creating an action plan that works is to break your big goal into bite-sized pieces. Take your big projects and figure out what needs to be done in the next year. Break that down into what needs to be done in the next month, the next week, and the next day. This way, you can focus on what’s deeply important instead of just what’s urgent!
The second step in the action plan is to implement time blocking. This involves breaking the tasks you need to do into A-tasks, B-tasks, and C-tasks. You can do this with the Weekly Wizard™! From there, block out designated time in your schedule for all of your A-tasks. Next, consider blocking out time for your B-tasks too. The key to making this successful is to commit to and honor your appointments with yourself the same way you would if they were appointments with someone else.
The third and final step is to make a daily decision to stick with the process. Once you make your plan or roadmap, it may feel like you’re done with all the hard work. But you still have to get yourself to where you want to go, so you need to make the daily decision to actually follow through with your plan.
Tune into this episode to learn more about each of these steps, and how you can create an action plan that leads to a life you’ll love!
Highlights
[01:28] – Today’s episode will be all about productivity, Ruth explains.
[03:28] – Ruth shares a story about something she and her husband did to figure out how their strengths relate to their marriage.
[06:55] – The point of the story that Ruth has told is that she understands that planning isn’t for everyone.
[09:12] – As you create your action plan, don’t forget that you might need to build some unstructured time into your plan.
[10:30] – Ruth dives into the first step of creating an action plan that works.
[14:18] – We hear a few specifics example of how you can break a particular big goal into manageable pieces.
[16:31] – Ruth shares the second step in her action plan.
[19:15] – After you fill out your Weekly Wizard™, there’s one more step to take when it comes to weekly planning.
[21:19] – Ruth offers a couple more tips to keep in mind while you’re time blocking.
[23:51] – We learn about the third and final step in making an action plan that works.
[27:46] – Creating good habits is key to being able to get things done, Ruth points out.
[30:25] – Ruth explains just how important planning is, even when you only do it for a few minutes a day, and recaps the process of creating an action plan that works.
[32:12] – To get the worksheet that goes with this episode, click the download worksheet link below. To get The Living Well Planner®, preorder the newest edition before August 31st to get a $10 discount and two free gifts: Weekly Wizard™ Sticky Notes and Daily Do It™ Sticky Notes.
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Great podcast. Your instructions are easy to follow because you have developed a solid platform. If you aren’t familiar with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I recommend you check out the book with that title by Judith Beck. I believe you will find many similar ideas.
I am a bit hesitant when it comes to planning out the kind of in depth schedule you recommend. Strict planning of that sort tends to trigger my anxiety. That said, I think I’ll start a bit slower, i.e. choosing one important task per day, setting aside a specific time for it and treating it like the important appointment that it is.
Thanks again for a highly informative and easy to follow podcast. Keep up the good work. What you are doing is important to so many of us out here in this Wide World Web Community.
-PEACE-
I can’t seem to find the image of how Ruth uses the Daily Do-It sticky notes. I see the link to the Living Well Shop. Also are the Daily Do-It and Daily Focus sheets used together or are they either use one or the other? I’m just curious if we should order both to last half of the year.
I can’t find it either
Thank you for this episode topic. It was very good for me to hear how to really get good use of my planner. Sometimes I get caught up in how to connect my daily work with my goals. The examples you provided were extremely helpful. I am challenged to create an action plan for work life. I have yet to figure out how to balance being productive at work and at home.
Excellent information!!!!!
I have watched the Crush-It videos and received the Boot Camp emails but THIS episode really hit it home for me. Now I know to not only break down the big goal into smaller bite-sized bits but to actually plan when they should happen over the course of the year. This approach will also help me to keep on working at that big goal instead of forgetting all about it. Thanks Ruth.
Hi Ruth, let me start off by just saying how AMAZING you are. I love EVERYTHING about you, your products, podcast, book! You are really inspirational and always have been since LWSL. When I click on the link for the Weekly Wizard it takes me to a 404 Not Found page. Please advise. Keep up the life changing inspiration/strategies.
Hi Dolores. I checked the link and it seemed to work for me but thank you for letting us know. Here is the link if you still need it-https://livingwellshop.co/products/weekly-wizard-sticky-notes?variant=167760035841