When is the Best Time to Plan Your Day?

When is the best time to plan your day? Well, everyone is different. Let's take a quick look at some of the different possible times:

1) Early morning before you go to work.

2) Lunch time

3) Mid-afternoon

4) End of the work day

5) At night just before you go to bed

I have prepared my daily plans during each of these times. Here has been my experience with each:

Morning

I have found the morning to be one of the least effective times to create my plan. Here's why:

1) When I get up in the morning, I want to get my day off to a quick start. If I take the time to plan in the morning, it seems to disrupt my momentum. I would rather review the plans I prepared the previous day instead. It's quick and keeps me focused on what I have chosen to do.

2) If I plan in the morning, I haven't been able to take full advantage of the sleeping hours when my subconscious mind is working on what I need to do the following day.

3) As part of my plan, I like to review the progress I made in the previous 24 hours. I find this is easier to do in the day the activity took place.

Lunch Time

This is my favorite time to plan. I find when I plan at lunch:

1) I already have a number of important tasks I can list as accomplishments.

2) It keeps me on track through the entire day. If I find that I have strayed from my original plans, I have a significant part of the day still remaining so I can take corrective action.

3) It frees up my evening for other things (e.g., family, friends, exercise, reading, relaxing, etc.)

4) My plan is ready to review before I go to bed so that my subconscious mind can start working on what I want to achieve the following day.

I also find that if I use my lunch time to plan, I'm much more consistent in preparing my plan every day. When I choose one of the other times, I find it's much easier to find reasons to skip preparing my plan.

Mid-afternoon

This is my second best choice for many of the same reasons listed for the "Lunch Time" block. I don't like it as much because it can eat into my productive time. But by doing my plan shortly after lunch, at least I still have some time to take corrective action if I need to.

End of the Work Day or Dinner time

By this time, the day is pretty well gone--unless I want to work towards my goals in the evening. I'd rather spend this time with my family and friends or just relax.

Before Bedtime

This is my second least favorite time. For one thing, I put out a lot of energy during the day. By the time I'm ready for bed, I'm ready for bed. I'd rather use this time for quickly reviewing my plan for the next day and just get to sleep so that I will have all the energy I need for the following day.

In order of preference, here are the times again:

1) Lunch time

2) Mid-afternoon

3) End of the work day or dinner time

4) Just before bedtime

5) Early morning before work

Of course, the most important thing is to actually plan out your day regardless of when you choose to do it. Experiment with different times and pick out the one that's best for you.

If you are interested in learning about the planning system that I have developed for myself (what I call my RAP--Results-focused, Action Plan), you can ready about it at http://www.poweraffirmations.com/rap.htm. It's a simple system you can use with any planner of your choice (or even just a notebook). You don't have to attend a seminar to learn how to use it. There's no audio program or thick book to study. The information is laid out on the page above. The information is free.

This is the one system I have used that allows me to stay focused on my desired results, measure my progress daily, and is quick. Once you get the hang of it, you should be able to complete your RAP in 15-30 minutes.

Copyright (c) 2005 Bill Marshall - All rights reserved. Feel free to republish this article provided you include the copyright information and the weblinks where possible.

For practical self-improvement tips, visit http://www.poweraffirmations.com/rap.htm. Get my new free e-book, "Power Affirmations: Power Positive Conditioning for Your Subconscious Mind"

personalized cleaning services Des Plaines ..
In The News:

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.
Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.
Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.
MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.
The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.
Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.
Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.
Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.
Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.
Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.
Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.
Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.
Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.
New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.
A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.
AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.
A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.
New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Webmaster or Web Slave? Time Saving Tips for Cyberpreneurs

Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More

What To Do When Youre Short On Time And Long On Need!

Everyday life can present us with opportunities to make us... Read More

Time Management For Home Business Owners

As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More

Coping with the Time Crunch

"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it." -Malcolm... Read More

Prioritize with Two Questions

"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More

Benefits of Speed Reading

In this digital age, the importance of being able to... Read More

How Much Is Poor Time Management Costing You?

* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More

You Cant Buy Time

Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More

Time is Money?

Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money... Read More

How to Define a Successful Time Management Strategy

One of the most challenging aspect in life is time... Read More

Tips to Manage Your Time

Time and money are both very important in business. Yet,... Read More

Measure Your Time Against Active Inactivity

We don't realize many things we do until we draw... Read More

Linking Purpose To Everyday Behaviors

How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More

Living on Purpose: Achieving Balance Between Work And the Rest of Your Life

Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More

Time Management Lessons from a 3 Year Old

Zak is my three-year old godson. He is the apple... Read More

How to Conquer the Five Major Time Wasters?

* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at... Read More

The Rule of Three

It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More

The WIT to WIN

What are the most important things you should accomplish today?... Read More

Just Remind Yourself

This is one more article on "Organizing and Enjoying Your... Read More

The Kaizen of Goal Setting

There is an old way of goal setting and a... Read More

Top Ten Motivators

Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More

10 Tips on the Right Time of Day for Your Personal Best

Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More

Four Steps To Make Your Day Dynamic!

There are two ways to start your day. The first... Read More

What to Do When Your Alarm Clock Doesn?t Wake You Up

Tring ? Tring the alarm rings?but did you fail to... Read More

The Keepers of Time

I give presentations on organizational skill building as it relates... Read More

family-safe home cleaners Arlington Heights ..