5 Ways To Make A Plan You’ll Actually Stick To

We’ve all experienced making an amazing plan that we’re really excited about only to give up on it two days later, right?

First off, let’s just accept that happens sometimes, no shame in it at all.

But when continuing to make the same plans, procrastinating, and not sticking to them becomes a real habit, then you need try something new…

So how do you make a plan you will actually stick to?

1. Be honest with yourself
   • If you plan to do an hour after work on a project every day, but you know Wednesdays you always go for a drink with your best friend, why not just admit that and plan to do it every day OTHER than Wednesday?
2. Make it as easy as possible for yourself
   • If your plan is to go to the gym every morning, make sure your gym clothes are ready, you know what you’re going to eat before you go and your alarm is set. Don’t give yourself easy ways to fail. Make it as easy as possible to succeed.
   • If you know you are always hungry when you get home from work then plan around that, eat first and then get on with your tasks.
3. Know in advance what you will do when your brain tells you to give up!
   • The chances are the plan you’ve created involves doing some difficult things. Your brain doesn’t like doing difficult things, it will tell you to stop, to do it another day…procrastination is your brain’s friend, but giving up won’t get you the results you want!
   • So make a plan for this – how will you remind yourself how important it is? How will you soothe your brain when it gets scared? Perhaps putting notes up in your house or on your phone to remind you of your ‘why’ could help.
4. Break it down into teeny-tiny parts and congratulate yourself when you have done each bit
   • Our brains LOVE the dopamine hit of getting something completed and ticked off. So instead of writing “Finish website” as one action point, split it down into all the small things you need to do to complete that task. Then tick them off. Your brain will love it and you’ll be much more likely to keep progressing as you congratulate yourself for everything you’ve achieved.
5. Don’t over-estimate what you need to get started, jump straight in instead
   • If you are telling yourself stories like “I need a website before I can start” or “I’ll begin once the holidays are over” or “I don’t have enough time this week”, then you should ask yourself if that’s true. Then ask if it is REALLY true? Chances are there’s nothing stopping you starting TODAY.

If you’re still having trouble getting started, not sure how to go about creating a plan or the plans you create just aren’t working and you don’t know why – get in touch, I know I can help!