Daily Planning - 5 Reasons This Technique Can Save You Two Hours Per Day

As simple as it may sound time management is based on task management, completing important tasks within the limited time that you have. Therefore, an important element of time management is identifying the tasks that you want to complete and organizing them into a simple list.

A list is a valuable planning tool that is often overlooked, but the benefits of using it are immense. Success expert Brian Tracy says "every minute in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution. It takes only 10 to 12 minutes to plan your day, but this small investment of time will save up to two hours throughout the day."

Do you plan each day in advance by making a list of what you want to accomplish, and then work from that list? If not then consider the following:

Thinking on paper frees your mind - Knowing what you want to do brings clarity, but attempting to store it all in your head is a path to frustration. When your most important tasks are tossed into the pool of the 60 thousand thoughts that swim through your head every day they will most likely become lost in the rush of unrelenting thought traffic. Making a list of tasks to complete, frees your mind from trying to remember them. It becomes easier to focus your attention when not relying solely on your memory.

Making a list helps plan the future in advance - Planning requires that you spend time envisioning the future. Having an idea of what you want the future to look like, and what you want to accomplish, helps anticipate what needs to be done and how to do it.

Consulting a list helps keep you on track - The success of completing one task could lead to the failure of being distracted by the next opportunity, unless you follow your list. The purpose of creating a list of tasks isn't to lock yourself into a series of actions that you can't escape. The list's purpose is to remind you of your plan and allow you to re-evaluate it if the new opportunity is more promising than the original plan.

Preparing in advance creates and multiplies momentum - How much of your work time is spent on deciding what you want to do before you begin? By using a list this decision time is reduced to zero. Planning in advance, then committing your plan to a list gives the subconscious mind time to ponder the task, this greatly increases the odds of having creative ideas for completing your tasks.

Creating a list enables you to operate on a higher plane - Trying to plan your time under the pressures of the moment is like drawing the map while you are in the middle of the journey. Sitting down to make a list enables you to plan before the day begins from a quiet reflective place. This allows you to determine which tasks are aligned with your goals and to prioritize them accordingly.

How many lists should you make?
Create different lists for different spans of time. Begin with the biggest tasks that you have by creating a master list that holds all of the tasks that you want to accomplish. Make a list of monthly tasks at the beginning of the month by breaking down items from the master list into tasks that can be accomplished within the next month. The items on the monthly list can be further refined into a weekly list. At the beginning of the week create a list that helps you take action on your monthly goals. The weekly list leads to a daily list, made the night before each day begins.