Kelly McHann
The Importance of Planning Benjamin Franklin once said, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” I find myself agreeing with this statement. I plan to organize tasks, reduce stress, and to support purpose in my daily life. Organizing tasks allow me to avoid questions such as “what do I have to do next?” Planning ahead reduces the amount of stress I have in a tremendous way. By devising a plan and sticking to it, I have more free time for myself when my day-to-day endeavors are complete. Being responsible for myself gives me an immense feeling of purpose. It is satisfying to accomplish the goals I set for myself each day. Planning is key to success for it sets structure in one’s daily life. At the beginning of every month I think about all the tasks I have to complete, and all the goals I have to meet. After I know what assignments I have to carry out, then I can begin to plan. I begin by going through my class syllabi for that particular month. I write down every one of my assignments in my planner. This is extremely useful to me because I take my planner everywhere I go, so if there is ever a concern about an assignment I will be able to find out right away. Since I always have my assignments planned out ahead of time, it allows me to get a headstart on my school work. I know when I work on assignments in advance it gives me an advantage;it allows me to begin soaking up the information. Having strong organizational skills leads to higher success.
I also use my planner to set goals for myself. For example, on March twenty-fourth I wrote that I needed to apply for at least three jobs by Friday, and that I also had to clean my room before I would allow myself to go out. They are small goals, but I have learned from experience that tackling the small duties first makes room for the bigger projects that lie ahead. In addition to my planner, I use multiple forms of technology that are extremely convenient for a college student. I set reminders on my phone, computer, and iPad so it is nearly impossible for me to forget the tasks that I am ultimately held accountable for. After a while, I learned to get used to planning things instead of “going with the flow”. By setting certain study hours, proposing fitness goals for myself, and executing important obligations in a timely manner has allowed me to grow and become a more productive person than I ever thought was possible.
One thing I will always believe is that planning projects and possessing exceptional organizational skills will lead to decreased stress and anxiety. I plan everything ahead of time. Whether it is an outfit for the weekend, or a school project that is due two months from now, I always start the process early. For example, a business man without a business plan is not going to get very far. I know that I have to follow an appropriate number of steps to reach the finish line of my goal. When I begin planning in advance I do not have to worry about the sloppy, effortless product that had no true care put into it. Procrastinating until the last-minute and staying up all night to work on the task at hand is not only going to increase stress levels, but also keep the brain from retaining information. The