Why and how you can plan your day successfully

Many of us simply wake up, take our bath, have breakfast and set out for the day. We do not take time out to plan our activities or programmes for the day and make alternative arrangements for things that could prop up unexpectedly during the day. Some people work for longer hours, but on the […]

Many of us simply wake up, take our bath, have breakfast and set out for the day. We do not take time out to plan our activities or programmes for the day and make alternative arrangements for things that could prop up unexpectedly during the day.
Some people work for longer hours, but on the average, every day we have basically 16 hours during which we work. At the end of these working hours, a lot of us lament that time wasgrossly insufficient and wish we had 36 hours instead of the 24 which make a full day. We can make each of these 16 hours very profitable if we organise our day in such a way that we can account for each of them. 
People complain of how very busy they are. But if at the end of the day you ask them what exactly they achieved, they won’t be able to give you any reasonable account of what they did exactly.It is therefore important that we plan our day ahead of time so that we can make the most of it.
Even for those who tend to plan their day, they do not factor into their plans routine things they do daily like stopping over at the vendor’s to pick up the days daily. Most people do not just go there pick up what they want and leave the place. They take time to ‘scan’ through most of the publications and then decide which one they want to buy, have some chit-chat with the vendor on the issues published before eventually going away.
Putting together the amount of time spent doing this every morning or day could sum up to some significant hours wasted.
In planning our day, it is important for us to put such routine things into our plan for the day. We’ll be amazed how much time we actually spend doing these routine things. Next time you go to the vendor’s check how long you spend there by timing yourself. While buying newspapers for the may actually take you only five minutes or even less, you may find that you are spending 15 minutes. At the end of the day when you take stock of how you spent the hours, you’ll discover that these harmless and routine diversions add up to our not meeting our set daily targets.
In an article, ‘Plan your day’, RossBonander, offers the following steps towards effectively planning your day:
Commit time to planning
Knowing how to plan your day requires time, and because planning it is often overlooked or disregarded, the first step and the most effective approach is to plan to plan. Committing 30 minutes or so toward establishing a practical, daily plan might seem like a waste of time, but spending the time now saves time later, and like anything, the more often you do it, the better you become.
It wouldn’t be uncommon if, for the first few days or weeks, you were somewhat overambitious in estimating your ability to achieve certain things each day. By doing it more and more, you get familiar with your limitations, and your days will become gradually more efficient. 
The time of day you choose for this should be based on what works best for you, whether it be the morning of or the night before. Either way, write it out as you plan your day. 
Set goals for your day
Set goals for what you want to accomplish that day; the more specific, the better. “Read complete Wikipedia entry on Winston Churchill” beats “Learn about Churchill,” just like “Pack away pictures, remove magnets, etc. from fridge, clear off all counter space” beats “Get house ready for showing.”
Plan your day in two more steps…
Now, if it is a particularly crazy day, you should consider incorporating leisure time into your plan, even if it amounts to nothing more than noting that you will catch a rerun of The Sopranos on cable. Making relaxation and leisure time enough of a priority to include it in your plan will benefit you every day. You take breaks while at the office, why shouldn’t you take breaks out of the office as well? Breaks, even short ones, mean you’re less likely to get tired or burned out, and feathering them throughout your plan means that you’re formally addressing them and not merely assuming you’ll do it later. 
Group “to dos” together
Optimise your schedule by grouping tasks that naturally go together so that you can prevent as much time as possible from disappearing into the cracks of the day. For example, if the dry cleaner is on the way to the grocery store, package those tasks together. 
This might mean scheduling some things a few days or a week in advance. After all, heading out in your car every day for small tasks is a waste of time and gas. If the dry cleaning won’t be ready until tomorrow, hold off on going to the grocery store until then, along with making any other stops in the vicinity. You’ll be surprised at how much time and money you’ll save.
Carry over uncompleted tasks to the next day
If you fail to accomplish one of the tasks you’ve pencilled into your plan (even if it’s partially or mostly finished), pencil it in for the next day. Don’t cross it off and assume you’ll take care of it tomorrow. For chronic list-makers there is an undeniable, if minor, sense of accomplishment in being able to cross off a task, but they only allow themselves the pleasure if it is truly completed.