Why Is Planning So Important?

You’ve probably heard the saying ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail.' Is this something that rings true with you? How often do you think that there isn’t enough time to plan and it’ll be alright on the day? While this might work some of the time and you may have succeeded in the past without planning, but imagine how much better you would have been if you had planned too?

So, why is planning so important? 

American clinical psychologist, Fitzhugh J. Dodson once said: “Without goals and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”

One of the most beneficial parts about planning is that part of it is creating the goals you want to accomplish. While many view planning as boring and an ‘inconvenient’ step, at its core, planning can prove to be of great help to everyone. Planning may not seem like such an integral part of success, but once you yield its benefit, it’ll prove fundamentally crucial in every area of your life. Proper planning is not only needed to encourage you to achieve the goal you set out for yourself but also to break it up into bite-size pieces and small goals that makes achieving much more attainable. 

Brian Tracy, motivational public speaker and self-development author, says: “Every minute you spend in planning saves ten minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 per cent return on energy.” 

When you start by writing down your goals, then planning will give you a clear perspective on what needs to be done and how much time it is going to take for you to do it, how much time your need to spend on working on your goals. Planning is closely associated with having proper time management as it encourages you to set aside a reasonable time for a specific task before moving ahead to the next. Planning and resource scheduling helps you to prepare a guideline, and a timeline for how you can maintain and reach goals that you have set up for yourself and the good thing about this is that everyone can do this, but a timeline can be adapted for each individual. 

Even if you don't think you are a planner, when you think about it, you are actually planning all the time. Take your holidays, for example; they wouldn't happen unless you planned. It's a simple way to look at it; you decide your goal which is where you want to go, then you decide when you want to do it and next you work out how you're going to do it. This is planning, and what is the benefit? A fantastic holiday where you not only have everything you need and will have done everything you needed to before the trip but also you'll visit everywhere you want to and won't miss a thing during your trip. 

So, when you travel, you plan your trip. When you are getting married, you plan your wedding, and when you throw a party, you plan the event. You would never do some of these things without planning for them; they would never happen if you didn't plan and other things in life are no different. Even if you just want happiness and fulfilment in life, you need to plan for how you're going to get it and then work at it. Many people neglect to plan their lives and then get disappointed and discouraged when they do not get what they want. Just like planning anything though, planning your life is just the same as having a road map that helps you to reach where you want to go.

Unless you have already been somewhere numerous times and know exactly how to get there, then you will need to get a good map or your sat nav out. Otherwise, you would be stupid to get into your car and try to get there. All you will do is drive around aimlessly, make mistakes, probably go back on yourself, get frustrated and then if you do eventually reach where you want to go, you will do it in a lot more time than it would have taken you if you had had a map in the first place. Apply this to life and having a road map to getting to where you want to go, it makes sense, doesn't it? However, so many people in the world today fail to plan their lives and end up lost or stuck where they are.

But taking time to plan your life, means that you are not only taking the right steps to identify and reach what you want from life, but also to do it in the most efficient way possible. Rather than relying on pure chance in life or in business, a life plan will detail the exact route and steps that you need to take. It helps you get there in the shortest time possible without and running out of fuel.

This planning can be applied to both big and small aspects of your life. It could be that you want to wake up earlier than you have been, stop smoking, start going to the gym, move to France, be closer to and spend more time with your partner and children, or be a kinder person, or start your own business, or lose some weight, or get a promotion or better job. 

By planning, you can reduce so much stress and frustration which allow for a better experience on holiday with your friends or family. So, if you can translate that planning to every other part of your life, then life could be one big holiday. 

Not only does planning reduce stress but it also means that you can then be flexible, once you have a plan, then if there needs to be a small change, then it can be done with little to no effort.

Planning offers direction

Whether it's a holiday or a business, planning helps you to create your goals and then take the first steps towards achieving them. Planning a direction for your business or your holiday or anything involves creating a roadmap and this planning can take many different shapes and sizes, and as you create this roadmap for accomplishing your goals, you will find your planning offers you the direction you need to get there.

Planning uncovers problems

When you create your goals and know the direction you're going in, it means that you are prepared for what is coming next and the more prepared you are, the better you can handle problems as they arise. In fact, it won't just be a case of handling issues as they appear, with clever planning you will uncover the potential problems before they even occur. When you work to plan out a direction carefully, you’ll undoubtedly reveal possible obstacles you may run into along the way, but if you aren't careful when planning, you may never discover these issues until its too late.

When you uncover problems, you also find solutions there and then and can implement them before the problems even become a reality. Being able to resolve and work around issues is invaluable in business and in any area of life. 

Finally, planning gives you perspective, and it provides you with a clear view of what matters and what you can accomplish. As you plan your goals and focus on what you want to achieve, working out how to achieve those goals will force you to get organized, prioritize and put them in perspective. 

There is no point working on something that isn't important; no one wants to waste time doing that. However, it can be easy to get distracted and for your objectives to get lost in the daily grind. Planning helps you to stay focused and to keep your perspective on your purpose and your future and on what you really want, no matter what it is. Then you will experience success and will see the rewards for your planning.

As much as people love to believe in overnight sensational success stories where people who came from nothing simply fell into selling something online and made millions, the truth is that it while this might have happened to the odd person, success really does take planning and the planning makes it rewarding too. Planning makes perfect, and the benefits of planning far outweigh any disadvantages. Once you start planning, it will just become an essential part of your life and success will follow.  

How to Make Your Small Business More Efficient

Running a small business can be challenging at the best of times. You may wonder how you’re ever going to be able to find time to get everything done and as if that wasn’t enough, you also have to worry about your profit margin. One way for you to get around all of this would be for you to try and make your business more efficient so that it requires less manpower yet yields more profit.

Create A Solid Business Plan

If you don’t have a great business plan then this will really hurt your company’s future. Your business plan will outline your goals, the steps you need to take in order to achieve them, and your projected growth too. A business plan can be written in almost any format, as long as it relates to your company and future ambitions.

Always have a Website

A website really is an effective marketing tool for just about any business. Website development is essential if you want to increase the power of your organisation and it also helps you to attract new customers too. If you are unsure about building your own site, then there’s no harm in having a professional do it for you. Sure, this can be expensive, but the end results are well worth it and you’d be surprised at how it could make a difference to your company overall.

Outsource Activities that are Not Essential

You don’t need to take care of absolutely everything yourself. In fact, you may be harming your business by trying. It’s so important that you outsource any activities that are not essential to your business operation. This can include payroll, administration, and even website promotion too. This will give you more time to run your business and it will also make it way easier for you to reach a higher level of success.

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Have a Plan for Technology

Technology is changing the way that we do business. If you want to stay on top, then you have to make sure that you do everything you can to invest in it. This could involve doing research to see what new products are hitting the market, or even trying to expand your software usage.

Network as Much as Possible

Networking is a fantastic way for you to increase your business presence. If you want to help yourself here, then it’s a good idea to join up to a niche organisation. It may also help to do interviews with magazines or participate in community events. This will raise your brand awareness and it will also make potential clients aware of the services that you are able to offer.

Automate your Process

The more you can automate your business, the better. It will free up more of your team’s time and it will also be much more cost-effective. If you’re not quite sure how to automate your business then start out by investing in automatic order updates, or even email responders. Sure, this may be basic, but it can save you hours of time and it can also provide your customers with a much better service overall.

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Communication Methods

Communication is the foundation of any relationship. If you do not have a high level of communication, then you may find that people misunderstand you and that you experience conflict in the workplace too. This is the last thing that you need when you are trying to run an efficient business. If you want to help yourself here, then think about how you come across to people and try to be clear and concise when giving instructions. It also helps to invest in other communication methods too. This could include phone, email, live chat, or even text to speech. Different situations will call for different methods of communication, so it’s all about finding what works for you.

Invest in Yourself

Sometimes, investing in yourself is the best thing that you can do to make your small business more efficient. Consider going to the University of Alabama Birmingham, or even think about trying to sign up to a training course. When you do, you will soon find that you are able to understand the world of business more efficiently and that you are also able to expand your skills at the same time. If you want to try something different then it’s a good idea for you to find a mentor or an influencer in your chosen industry. They can then share their knowledge with you while also giving you the chance to grow as a professional.

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