I use the new years time to gain clarity.

Why?

Entropy. 

Without our help, systems tend to move towards disorder. If we don’t practice mental hygiene, our lives and minds will inevitably spiral.

Entropy ensures we cannot simply “coast” and rely on existing momentum. Sooner or later that leads us to feeling overwhelmed and picking up bad habits.

Some people are naturally good at maintaining order.

Not me!

About 6 years ago I realised this. Creating chaos out of order is my forté!

So I started looking into it and developed a simple system to help me feel better and stay more focused and organized.

Since then I’ve applied this system with good results.

I follow a quarterly schedule.

At the beginning of every new year, I schedule two full days for reflection, thinking, organizing and planning. (One day would suffice, but I prefer two to really break my normal routines and set my mind free.)

Then on April 1st, I take a half day to review and adjust. On July 1st, I take one full day. And on October 1st, I take a half day.

That’s it.

I used to make detailed plans in the past, but they always failed. These days, I focus on the big picture when planning and figure out the details as I go.

 Some things I think about:

• I go through both personal and work related things. I don’t make a distinction there.
• I think about my goals and aspirations. Sometimes I notice they have changed.
• I look at all my projects (I approach a lot of things as a project) and establish what are the most important things to work on right now.
• I look at my past quarters and plans. What went good, what didn’t, and why?
• I think about how I need to adjust my ongoing plans or projects. Is there something I can/should drop?
• I go through the important metrics related to my business. I write them down in a spreadsheet so I can track the progress.
• I think about what I want to learn. There’s always so much, but what will best support me at that moment?
• And so on – anything that feels important to note or think about at that moment!

I write things down succinctly. Not only so I can return to it later. Writing itself helps me think better and creates clarity.

This system has kept me sane for the past six years.

It feels so good whenever I create that clarity. I always look forward to it.

Why not do daily or weekly journaling/review practices, as often recommended? 

I tried it many times, but I never could stick with it. 

It probably works better for some people. I do like the idea of being that kind of person, but maybe I’m not? Maybe some day I will be.

In any case I think it’s critical to know when to stop planning. 

Don’t let yourself get caught up in activities that make you feel smart, but don’t move you closer to your ambitions.

I keep it simple by doing daily and weekly planning inside my head as I go (and of course, I use a calendar to keep up with the day-to-day things).

My quarterly practice is enough to know what’s important and that’s all I need to keep moving. So, less time spent planning and more doing.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I can take a moment to return to my notes and trust that it will put me right back on track.