In our last article we wrote about how other set a deadline for you where you can set a stricter deadline for yourself.
When you set a stricter deadline for yourself you will certainly have to resort to planning ahead. Instead of having two weeks for completing the task you give yourself only one week. The only way to do this without neglecting your other responsibilities and hobbies is by planning when you can do what. If you go do your sport on wednesday, go with friends on friday and go for a long walk with your parents on saturday there isn’t much time left. Or is there?
We all have the same amount of time in a day. How we spend it totally under our own control. It sometimes feel that others decide what we do, but that is not true. Some activities are mandatory, others are recommended and there are also some which are completely unnecessary.
Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. – Alan Lakein
Imagine no longer have to abide by the planning of someone else. How can you avoid having to do certain activities while you would plan something else? That can be achieved by creating a plan for yourself and holding you to it. The better you plan and the stricter you follow it, the easier other people will accept these boundaries. When you are going on a bike ride every saturday morning after your breakfast, no one will be able to change that timing, except for yourself.
That being set don’t allow yourself to loose some important activities out of sight. If something important is coming up you should have some leeway to adjust. For example my workouts are set at 8 PM. This means that 5 days in the week I workout at exactly that time. But if one of my friends call me that they need help with something suddenly that will get my support at that time. I will adjust that the specific day will become a rest day.
When planning create some time slots that have nothing specific in them. These will enable you to switch around when life happens, when something changes. Or when your family or friends need some extra time.