The power of planning ahead
For years I was burdened by a lack of clarity.
I was working as the lead video producer for an agency – but was desperately seeking change. I knew I wanted something different… but didn’t know what.
Little did I know at the time, this lack of knowing what I wanted was the main reason I wasn’t able to move towards something else.
I needed to plan for what I wanted to do, and slowly check the boxes to make it happen.
I needed a goal, a plan for getting there, and clear action steps to move the needle each day.
Without this plan, I had no way of registering relevant information or opportunities that may have propelled me forward.
The Power of Planning Ahead
“If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail!” – Benjamin Franklin (made re-famous by Taylor Swift)
I’ve gotta be honest with you… I’m writing this newsletter this morning (August 3rd, 2024) because I failed to plan.
It was a busy week that left me with little time and motivation to plan for this week’s newsletter. And each time this happens, I’m reminded of how some weeks this process is seamless – and other times it’s stressful.
The difference is in my ability to plan ahead (or lack thereof haha).
Set Your Sights on a Destination (Why Goals are Necessary)
I’ve always had a difficult relationship with goals.
It seems every time I set big lofty goals, they do more harm than good. If I fail to reach them within the certain time period I set, I’m left feeling defeated.
But I recently learned a new perspective that changed my mind about goals. This idea comes from the author Steven Kotler in his book, The Art of Impossible.
In his book, Steven mentions two main types of goals:
- High, hard goals (the larger goals that takes years or decades to achieve)
- Clear goals (the daily tasks you need to do to achieve the big goal over time)
These goals are important for a couple different reasons. The main one being this:
- Goals put a flag in the sand, giving ourselves and our brains something to work towards.
Once we’ve established a goal that we are stoked to strive for, our brains get to work collecting information to aid in the process. Our brains truly are supercomputers, constantly consuming data and filtering it according to what our intentions are.
Without these intentions, our brains have no clear task – leading to feelings of brain fog, feeling lost, and uncertainty. Our brains are unable to collect relevant information if they don’t have something particular to look out for.
The goals we set for ourselves create a filter or funnel in our minds. This funnel allows certain information, ideas, and opportunities to “ding” with dopamine when they relate to the goals we’ve set.
If you feel like you don’t have a purpose, setting a goal (even if it’s not the “perfect” one) is a great place to start. This begins the funneling process in your mind. Having this filter in place creates purpose, as you have something you’re now “seeking” to achieve.
- The problem = you set a specific goal, but haven’t achieved it yet
- The quest = your daily life… trying new things, researching new information, creating projects to aid in solving this problem
- The solution = the curated information, failures, and successes it took to achieve that goal (this solution is unique to every single individual)
Everyone’s quest looks different. No two will ever be the same.
This is exactly why it’s so important to seek YOUR stoke and share YOUR story. Certain parts will be relevant to others, and your solutions will allow them to “shortcut” their path in certain ways – but not in every way.
Copying someone else only gets you so far. Your life quest is extremely unique to you.
A Structured Plan (Our Minds Crave Consistency, But Default to Chaos)
Once this goal is set, you need to be consistent in working towards it. Having an idea for what goal you want to achieve isn’t enough.
No matter how hard you try to fight it, the mind craves order. Without order, it defaults to chaos. (Try living in a van without a plan for two months, and you’ll feel this on a deep level – more on this another week)
To create order in your life, you need:
- A structured plan
- The excitement (aka stoke) to commit time to it each day
I’ve found that the best way to do this is with 60 minutes per day. It’s amazing what you can do with an hour each day.
Regardless of what your goal might be, time and patience is required.
Want to write a book? Write for 60 minutes each day.
Want to lose 20 pounds? Research how to maintain your health for 30 minutes each day. Work out for the other 30.
Want to learn a new skill? Practice it for 60 minutes each day.
Then, commit to doing that for 3 months to a few years. That is what’s required to achieve something truly significant.
The information and practice you need to solve the goal you’ve set won’t come to you naturally. Consider this 60 minutes per day your “intentional time” for doing so.
The Framework for Feeling On Track
When you “plan ahead,” you’re allowing your supercomputer of a brain to do a majority of the work. If you don’t plan ahead, you’re relying on your “conscious” mind to grind through the problem you’re trying to achieve immediately. This is impractical and inefficient.
All good things take time. Planning ahead sets your intentions to begin this worthwhile journey.
To recap the steps you need to plan ahead and achieve big goals:
- Set big long-term goal(s) – Proclaim something (to yourself) that the brain can then search for information and patterns to achieve that goal
- Maintain a structured plan – Shoot for 60 minutes of intentional time each day to work on the smaller daily tasks it takes to achieve your bigger goal
- Consume consciously – Be choosy about what information you consume. If your goal is to get a job as a designer, pick up a book about design instead picking up your phone to scroll social media
- Create obsessively – When you become intentional about consuming the right information, you will have ideas. Your brain will want to make connections. You will want to practice what you’ve learned. Do this in the form that makes most sense to you: writing (to better understand what you’re reading), designing (to test out techniques you heard about), and the list goes on. Consume, create, repeat.
I hope this helps you to plan ahead more often, and find purpose through specific goals. Don’t make the same mistake I sometimes make and write my Saturday newsletter on Saturday morning 🙂
–Eric Pfohl