Audio Transcript:
The In-View Planning System is very flexible.
With that said, to make progress toward our goals, we need to put healthy systems in place to guide our actions.
For example, do you regularly run into the same frustrating situation day after day? Why not take 5 minutes to think of a simple system that might simplify your life? Maybe brainstorm with a friend or loved one. Then write your system down and post it for as long as you need to for it to become a habit. Add it to your Weekly Page each week and to your Daily Page each day, for as long as you need to. I think it’s important to put your new system in writing because systems quickly break down when we forget about, or simply ignore, the guidelines. If you have ADHD, you might spend all day Friday developing a new helpful system, and come Monday morning, you’ve forgotten all about it.
Here’s an example of a simple system in our house. Whenever we realize that we need a certain grocery item, we write it on a tablet that is stuck to our refrigerator door with a magnet. Then, when it’s time to shop, the shopping list is mostly done. This is a big help! I don’t have to go searching through the cabinets, the fridge, and the freezer to find what is missing. But if family members aren’t consistent about writing down items when they notice that we’re almost out, the system doesn’t work as well. “Sweetie, did you buy butter?” “No, it wasn’t on the list, and I didn’t think of it.”
Similarly, there are a few simple guidelines for the In-View Planning System. So that you don’t forget, they are written right into the system itself to help you stay on track. If you respect the guidelines, they’ll soon become a habit.
One is “Always return clipboard to stand after use.” This is written on the upper left-hand corner of your Daily Page. Why? Well, if you always put your clipboard back on the stand when you’re done with it, you’ll always know where it is, and it’s always there to guide you. If you get into the bad habit of leaving your clipboard wherever, you’ll soon lose it, or you won’t feel like going to get it when you sit down to plan, and the system soon breaks down.
Another thing you’ll notice is that your first to-do each day on your Daily Page is “Plan Day: Check Monthly Planner & Weekly To-Dos.” Before you start your workday, or your day off, take a few seconds to check your Monthly Planner and your Weekly Page. This will save you from a lot of stress and broken commitments down the road: you hear the garbage truck outside and you realize that you forgot it was garbage day, or worse, you get a call from the doctor’s office to ask if you are coming to your appointment today.
Another guideline written into the system is to put your Weekly Page directly under the Daily Page. That way, all you have to do to check your weekly to-dos and priorities is to flip up the Daily Page.
And finally, the simple rules for this system are printed on the back of your Monthly Planner.
If you start out respecting the simple guidelines, you’ll form good habits that may serve you for a long time to come.