Why The Right Mindset Matters In Planning

Planning takes different shapes and forms. Independent from the way you see it, having the right mindset matters to your success. Here’s why.

Wanting something new for ourselves or for those we love is just the start.

What gets us closer to our goal is having a reason and the right mindset to achieve it.

It’s (unfortunately) common to see people starting great projects, but dropping them after the first adversities.

In most cases, they have pretty convincing reasons for doing what that. And without looking down upon each case, mostly, a mentality shift could have been the difference between failure and success.

I was talking to a friend recently about how society expects us to act a certain way or do things following specific rules.

Yet, the most successful people out there, and throughout history, are/were precisely those who think/thought differently.

What do these people have in common?

They have the right mindset to overcome their struggles.

It’s not like they didn’t have barriers blocking their way.

In fact, most of us would have “rightfully” given up if we were in their place.

But they knew they were doing the right thing, and their mindset was in line with their goals.

That made a difference!

How having the right mindset helped me

I remember the reactions I got when I said I wanted to compete in Fitness back in 2012.

At that time, I:

• Was overweight.
• Had just restarted working out.
• Wasn’t consistent with my training.
• Had a demanding job.
• Had “only” online coaches.
• Couldn’t cook at all.
• Had no idea of what to do.

Still, I knew what I wanted, and I had the right mindset to support my goal.

There were countless days when I was tired; I didn’t feel like training, and I wanted to grab some French fries.

However, my mind didn’t sabotage my efforts.

On the other hand, it reminded me of why I was doing all that and helped me be stronger than my cravings and laziness.

My routine was carefully planned so that I could make the most out of the rare free time I had. So I:

• Cooked in bulk on Saturdays.
• Packed my meals on Sundays.
• Picked my work and fitness outfit the evening before.
• Went to bed on time.
• Wrote down all my appointments and to-dos to make sure I didn’t overlook a thing.
• Reviewed and updated my grocery list regularly.
• Strategically planned my errands to save time and money.

Maybe it seems to be a lot if you aren’t accustomed to planning, but that allowed me to get a lot done without stress.

It was all a matter of having a purpose and the necessary attitude to achieve it.

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Setting yourself up for success

Let’s assume your goal is starting to plan your days productively to save yourself stress, exhaustion, and some headaches.

First of all, don’t compare yourself to others. Remember Theodore Roosevelt’s quote:

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Whether others are better or worse planners than you makes no difference.

Unless you use their right mindset as inspiration, whatever they do cannot have any impact on your life.

Focus on answering the following questions:

1. Why do you need to start planning?
2. How will your productivity and lifestyle improve with planning?
3. What can be an obstacle to your success?

Before even thinking about what tools to use or how you’ll be getting your planning done, you must invest in developing the right mindset.

If planning was something that excites you, it wouldn’t be a struggle, and you probably wouldn’t be reading this post.

Maybe, you want to improve your skills. Anyways, you have work to do.

There’s a reason why the comfort zone has this name. It’s comfortable there.

Unless you can envision improvements, it’s hard to leave the comfort zone.

If you don’t have a reliable support system helping you, it feels way much better to stay where you are.

But to find like-minded people, you must first set your mind on what you want.

How you can develop the right mindset for planning

Let’s revisit those three questions together.

As usual, there aren’t right or wrong answers to any of them.

My intent is just to guide you as I do with my clients.

1. Why do you need to start planning?

“Debbie seems to be a nice person and she said that planning is good.”

While you’d be flattering me, I’m afraid it isn’t enough to get you started.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to motivate to get things done, but such reason makes things harder.

I do know a couple of success fitness stories of people who started as “resolutioners” and changed their lifestyle forever through a long-term commitment.

Unfortunately, they’re exceptions.

Think of all the things you “HAD TO DO” throughout your life that were someone else’s dreams:

• play an instrument
• attend swimming classes

Didn’t you drop them at the first opportunity?

Unless your planning efforts are based on sound reasons, you won’t be able to stay consistent.

2. How will your productivity and lifestyle improve with planning?

Think of the benefits of planning in your life and the life of those around you:

• What activities would you be able to add to your schedule if you had the time?
• How much healthier and fitter would you be?
• Where would you go with your kids and partner next weekend?
• How much money would you be able to save with previously planned errands?
• How can it help you manage your stress levels?

Take into consideration not only practical aspects but emotional ones as well.

The way you feel about these improvements will empower you.

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3. What can be an obstacle to your success?

Thinking of barriers allows you to prepare yourself for them, and it’s not a negative approach as some may think.

It’s better to know in advance that it’s going to rain rather than being caught without an umbrella.

When you know what to expect, you can create a sort of contingency plan.

Having an extra umbrella in the trunk of the car or keeping a small one in your handbag is a solution to summer storms.

But unless you think of it beforehand, you won’t look for protection when you leave home, and the sun is shining brightly.

Some common planning obstacles are:

• Long working days.
• Sick kids.
• Traffic jams.
• Weather conditions.

Take into consideration elements that have already prevented you from accomplishing tasks in the past.

Start with them and create your solutions in advance.

Make up your mind

STOP wasting your precious time and energy. You deserve better!

There’s no reason why you should continue to feel overwhelmed and stressed out due to lack of planning.

Being busy and being productive are two entirely different things.

Start developing the right mindset that will guide you to a fulfilling lifestyle without pressure and frustration.

And if you feel stuck and need help to identify the areas in your life you can improve, let’s have a chat.

Before you go

Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?

What do you use a journal as a planning tool?