Powerful weekly plan.

The weekend is here, you have a lot on your plate, and here is another blog from me! Well, I’m going to let you into something that is part of my ‘time management’ or ‘self-management’ strategies.  I’ve met people who have been successful in their careers who regretted not giving enough time to their families. You know how much Steve Jobs regretted that. I’ve met others (mostly women,) who gave so much of their time to their families that there was no time left to pursue their own interests. Here is a way to put both together, so that you can have both! It is only possible if you can start it all within the week which is one’s most powerful unit of time.

At the beginning of each week – that means your weekend – you prepare a plan for the upcoming week. I know you do it diligently for your office work. How many of you include your families too? That’s how, your relationships suffer with each success in your work-life. (Someone is paying the price for it!) How, to make sure you get the best of both worlds? Like this: it just takes five to ten minutes once you get used to it.

Here is how:

Weekly Plan or a bi-weekly plan.

(July 23^rd till July 31^st.)

Last week (s): (summarize last weeks’ accomplishments; also note what was left out.)

1. First point.
2. second point
3. third point
4. fourth point
5. fifth point

This week: your goals for this week.

1. Stuff that was left out last week.
2. This can include family stuff like birthdays etc. or summer vacation plans.
3. Your office objectives.
4. Family time: individually and collectively.
5. Including things you miss out in life.

Now, you match the goals you have for each role that you play in your life, starting with just your own self:

Myself: Unless you take care of yourself, you won’t be able to perform all your work or roles in life the way you want to! So, be diligent in this.

Physical: Exercise.  Want to start a gym or yoga? Restart your walks? Or use the cycle in your home with a favorite television  show.  Food choices, and changes needed, in this. Be specific here.

Intellectual: Books you want to read or get, learning new techniques for something you want to do. Learning new things is the best way to keep one’s brain functioning properly.

Social/Emotional: Meeting friends, go out if entertaining at home is a problem, meet people who energize you, not drain you. Catch up with friends you haven’t spoken to for a while. Here you write specifics of whom you will meet and when. Remember, a good phone call or Skype chat is also an option, but do write it here.

Spiritual: Connection with your Maker is a must. The hot-line needs to remain hot! Reading the Quran or which-ever Holy book you read, ideally, starting from one end, so you can go through it during the year. Or compiling passages which give you solace. If you don’t believe in that, then quotes which give you inner strength. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, or Dalai Lama, all have stuff for inner strength. Here, you also add meditation words you can use like which names of Allah you want to focus on this week? Giving charity also comes in this range here, yet it will also go into finances.

Financial: If your financial status is not strong you won’t be happy. On a weekly basis you’ve got to see about your spending and saving habits. Check out any investments too. If nothing else, read up on books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Specially, read Suzie Orman’s books like Money and Women. According to Suzie, you’ve got to spend around an hour daily sorting finances! So, what steps are you going to take to improve your finances this week? Write them here, you can share with your better half too.

Now, come your roles in life:

Daughter/Son:  Taking parents for an outing or meeting them, spending time with them.

Mother: Getting something nice for her, or what will you do this week for her?

Father: Taking to hospital for doctor’s appointment, holding a tea party to entertain his friends.

Wife/husband: There are so many things we need to be aware of and do to keep your spouse strong and healthy. Write them here.

Mother/father: As a parent, what plans are there? Getting that education insurance? Taking children for courses they like. It is vital to plan collectively and individually here.

Eldest child:

Second child:

youngest child:

Homemaker/ Head of household: Here, you write down repairs and maintenance, and  interior-décor work or staff issues and solutions.

Office designation: (MD, Principal, Administrator… whatever post you have): I know you have already written down all the work in office, however, even in your job there are things that you want to do which are different yet important. Here, you decide how you will carry out that extra bit of work which you want to do for the office. That work will be done in office, or sometimes at home too, but it needs your own directions here.

In my case, I have ‘writer’ and ‘artist’ also. What other roles do you play in your life? Put them down here.

Just know that there is a great power in the written word. Miraculously, it starts taking shape…

Stay blessed my dear Reader, you are one of a kind. Have a wonderful weekend, and a great week ahead too! 🙂