{"id":28191,"date":"2021-03-04T19:32:07","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T23:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=28191"},"modified":"2021-03-10T19:51:53","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T23:51:53","slug":"create-a-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/create-a-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Create a Plan for Your Day and Gain Two Hours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can the simple act of writing a list help you save time? How can you create a plan every day and manage your time<\/a> more efficiently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking 10 minutes to create a plan can save as much as two hours in wasted time and unfocused effort during your day. This is because working from a list increases your productivity by 25%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how you can create a plan and manage your time better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Create a Plan<\/strong> and Save Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At work, you should try to get the maximum return on your investment of energy and time. The way to do this is to create a plan. A minute spent on planning could save you up to 10 minutes in implementation. This means taking 10 minutes to plan your day<\/a> can save as much as two hours in wasted time and unfocused effort during your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning is so important that business and self-help books often quote the \u201cSix-P\u201d adage: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although planning your day<\/a> increases your productivity and effectiveness, surprisingly few people do it, perhaps because it seems difficult. But in reality, it’s simple to create a plan: On a sheet of paper, list everything you have to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gain Two Hours a Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Always keep a list. Whenever something comes up, add it to the list. When you work from a list, you can increase your productivity by 25%\u2014two hours a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each night, make a list for the next day. Include leftovers\u2014unfinished or undone tasks from the day before\u2014and new tasks for the day. A benefit of making a list the night before is that your subconscious mind<\/a> will mull over it while you sleep. You may wake up with ideas that help you with your tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more time you take to think and create a plan, the more effective you\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create Multiple Lists<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Effective planning requires lists for different timeframes\u2014daily, weekly, monthly\u2014plus a master list and separate project lists. You move items between lists as you constantly prioritize. Here are the basic lists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n