Do you plan your days in advance?

[Deleted]

One of the things that changed my life when I was struggling was the moment I started planning every day in advance.

It always sounds easy to do so but it took me a great deal of discipline and focus to actually master this and use it to it's full effect. It actually still tests my discipline most days to sit down and write down a list of goals every day.

Do you plan your days in advance? Or do you just take the day as it comes to you?

[Donald Hellscream]

I just cross bridges when I get to them, except for stuff planned weeks in advance like parties, birthdays etc.

[zephid]

I only plan my days in advance if I know I have a lot of stuff I need to get done during a specific day.

[Deleted]

I only plan my days in advance if I know I have a lot of stuff I need to get done during a specific day.

This is a very good system that I believe most people use (the rest doesn't even plan a full day)

You'd be amazed what you can squish out of the rest of the days as well if you apply the same planning for days that you have nothing going on.

[Deleted]

Yes, I always have paralell scheduling going on. Like I have two weeks in detail, 6months in terms of goals and to-do's. and also a big scheme of up to 4 years ahead in temrs of big goals I want to achieve with my life.

Started doing it 5years ago, now im even further than I expected, having One bachelor in French literature and One in music, going towards becoming a Conductor! also having a pastry and a cafe ^_^

[Icuren]

If i don't make at least a mental list of the order of things I need to get done (no matter how mundane) then I can't get it done, so yeah, I do.

Even when it's something as simple as "I need dinner, a shower, and to go to the bank" I have to think for like, 3 mins to figure out exactly how i'm going to get it done. If I don't plan then it just doesn't happen. Sometimes I need to tell someone else my plans to "solidify" it happening so I can go do it.

I have started to keep a planner that just lists out basic things I need to get done, helps to be able to look at the lists and mark off what to do next.

[Fencers]

One of the things that changed my life when I was struggling was the moment I started planning every day in advance.

I greatly agree!

When I was in the 7th or 8th grade of elementary school my mom bought me a day planner. Changed my life, literally. I plan almost everything out in advance and have done so since getting my first day planner.

I feel so strongly about the positive effect of planning that I advise others to do so whenever the chance arises. Firmly believing that a great source of unhappiness, stress and lack of personal success is rooted in poor time management.

[Independent voter]

Yes, every evening I lay in bed and plan out tomorrows work before I go to sleep.

[May90]

I try not to. I find the days planned in advance to be quite dull, generally. Some mystery makes life much more interesting and unpredictable.

[Deleted]

I plan them in advance when it comes to appointments, lectures and stuff - but other than that, no.

[Deleted]

Why would I?

[Deleted]

Why would I?

So you can get the best out of your days and thus your life?

[Deleted]

So you can get the best out of your days and thus your life?

Also basically give up spontaneity and living in the moment.

I mean, if you plan ahead every single day, and let's say you've planned to, for example, mop your floors today. Not really because they couldn't be mopped two weeks from now, but because you've planned ahead and decided to. But... You feel more like going on a run. So, now you're in a situation where you have to feel like shit because you have to tell yourself "well, I can't go on a run now, I have to mop the floors", when you don't actually have to do anything. But, your free will is in your day planner now. However, if you do choose to go on a run instead of mopping the floors, well, now you've broken your plans. So, how often will you start breaking your plans, and why bother planning anything?

Yeah. Nope. Definitely not for everyone.

[Deleted]

So you can get the best out of your days and thus your life?

But I do anyway...

Unless it's an appointment why do I need to plan? I get up, eat, decide what to do in thee moment, rinse-repeat! Planning every detail seems very OCD to me

[Deleted]

So you can get the best out of your days and thus your life?

I used to plan ahead more, and most details even in my free time. I am happier without doing so.

[Blueobelisk]

Sometimes if I have a lot of stuff to do for the weekend I'll write a to-do list.

And I've been planning my meals for the whole week in advance. Do those count?

[Deleted]

Ofcourse you plan certain activities, like important things as school/work etc, but for the most part I just do it on the spot, got good at quick decision making and no matter how good you plan things, things almost allways don't go according to plans, usually because of the human factor. So as much as you like to plan, I thnik its better to just have a general idea of what you want to do and then you just go through your day, dealing with whatever you get. Sure you might forget things here and there like this, but atleast you limit your dissapointment and stress when things go amiss and mistery in a day is fun. To each its own I guess.

[Deleted]

Also basically give up spontaneity and living in the moment.

Not at all. There is just as much room for that as in an unplanned day.

You just ad a structure to a day that otherwise would only be random chance.

[Deleted]

Not at all. There is just as much room for that as in an unplanned day.

You just ad a structure to a day that otherwise would only be random chance.

Still sounds OCD to me

[Deleted]

Not at all. There is just as much room for that as in an unplanned day.

You just ad a structure to a day that otherwise would only be random chance.

What is your response when things don't go the way you planned?