Planning isn’t just useful for your own life; it is actually widely considered the mark of a good and reliable person. With a lack of planning in your life, it is more than likely that you will be unable to effectively meet your commitments (some of which might be to other people) and that can lead to problems. For sure, planning can improve your own private life immeasurably, but it is usually a feeling of “constantly letting people down” that leads to many disorganized people resolving to finally get their house in order.
If this is the position you find yourself in, then it’s great that you’ve made this resolve. However, leaping immediately to being a highly organized person, with every task given a timeslot on a specific day and series of long-term goals assiduously worked towards over time, can be a pretty daunting challenge. It is a daunting challenge, and it’s unlikely you will manage it straight away. But that’s the thing about planning, it’s a skill to be learned and you can start small.
It should also be noted that there a range of tools that can help you a lot with becoming a more organized person. Next Level Daily, producers of a bespoke daily journal planner for those with ADHD, note that interest in their product goes far beyond ADHD sufferers. In fact, it seems like many people these days could use a bit more order in their lives.
The Importance of Spontaneity
Nevertheless, it’s important to note that spontaneity is also crucial in life – although more so for some people than others.
You can think of it like Yin and Yang. There needs to be a balance between creative spontaneity and rigid planning in everybody’s life. Sticking too assiduously to a minute plan, day-in-day-out, is not advised. It is often unexpectedly that ideas come along, or that you do the things you really enjoy. Some peopledo, in fact, thrive on disorder in their lives. Nevertheless, it’s always possible to go too far, and everyone needs to a degree of planning– even the more creative chaotic types.
Why is Planning Important?
The main reason why planning is important is the avoidance of the feeling of being overwhelmed. Or, more specifically, it is how people react to this feeling of being overwhelmed that can adversely affect quality of life. For example, common reactions to having – at one distinct time – simply too much to do is the neglect of more minor tasks, the completion of more important ones late and, sometimes, a great deal of anxiety on account of failing to meet commitments. Furthermore, these days, such commitments exist in nearly all areas of work and social life.
Ultimately, you want to be thought of as a reliable person – within your own sphere. Even your time off will be made more enjoyable with effective planning. Plan properly for a vacation, for example, and you can ensure you get as many of those enjoyable activities that you would like to do done. Proper planning for a vacation also ensures that no work or other commitments are hanging over your head when you’re on vacation. Seen like this, planning is for your free time as much as for your commitments.
Furthermore, proper planning will also increase the amount of effective work that you can do. You never know how much time each day that you are wasting until you work out a plan for everything you need to do. You might even find, at this point, that you have more time than you actually need!
Ultimately, planning is a vital life skill – for everybody.
