Plan to Plan

For some of you, this may be organizing overkill.  And if that's the case, feel free to skip on down to Friday's post.  But for the rest of you, this could be a great way to get started thinking about what you want to accomplish for the year.

This may sound crazy but I want you to plan the things you need to plan for the year. 

Wait, plan to plan?  Yep.  That's what I said!

Hear me out on this.  It shouldn't take you more than 5-10 minutes.  It's a really simple exercise but will get your brain moving.  This year you need to accomplish a few things and you want to accomplish a few things.  Well, I want you to accomplish both the needs and the wants.  And I want you to do it without stress.  For me, having a good checklist & plan for the things I am going to accomplish helps alleviate the stress.

So take the next few minutes and jot down a list of everything you need or want to accomplish this year that needs some additional planning.  It doesn't need to be a fancy list but put it somewhere that you can refer to it easily.  Here's my list:

• Daughter's birthday party
• Middle son's birthday party
• Baby's 1st birthday party
• Gifts to buy (& budget!) for babies on the way (several of my friends are expecting this year)
• Mini-baby shower for friend
• Trip to niece's graduation (along with gift)
• Needed home improvements (items, possible vendors, prices, budgets)
• Blog plan
• Christmas gift ideas

That's it.  Those are the major events I need to have some kind of game plan for in 2011.  To come up with my list I looked at my calendar and noticed which things I had marked down that would require more than just an hour or two in which to prepare.

Now I can take those 9 things and start a notebook for them in Springpad (my current favorite application for organizing my ideas).  Then when I get a brainstorm I have a place to put it so the information is together.  And when I have a chunk of time to sit an plan, the information I've already thought of is there waiting for me.