How to create a plan for flexible people
That you can stick to as long as you need to
Having a detailed plan and a set of goals is now the number one indicator for success (or at least that’s what some productivity gurus say). But how good is a plan if you don’t use it?
As a teenager, I was often told that I’m too rigid. I loved to follow rules and was enticed with the idea of a strict schedule. A specific time to wake up, eat, a fixed time for all classes, lunch, dinner, and night prep (what we in Nigeria call studying at night). It made me feel powerful and gave my esteem a great boost.
I thought could stick to any routine whatsoever.
Fast forward to 2022 — I now dread the thought of a strict lifestyle. I set goals, but they’re not too rigid. I have plans, but I leave some room open for creativity. I am more spontaneous, not because I lack discipline, but because it makes my life more enjoyable. More like an adventure I’m creating for myself rather than just a straight path I must stick to.
But of course, a plan (the goals, to-dos and all) is still super important.
The big question is: how do you create (and stick to) a plan when you still want to maintain flexibility?
1. Don’t write it all out at once
For my birthday in December 2021, my sister gifted me a personal journal for the new year. The next day, I filled up a lot of the blank spaces asking questions about my current mindset, habits I wanted to change, and what I would like to see in myself moving forward.
But when it was time to fill in my goals for 2022, month by month, I could only fill it up till March. Maybe like one or two things for Q2. But the second half of the year, I left blank.
If I had forced myself to fill the rest at that point it time, I may have written goals I wasn’t passionate about, just to feel like I had something going. My example is a bit extreme, because it helps to have a broad idea of what you want to achieve throughout the year.
The goal is to leave a little bit of room, should your plans change.
2. Focus on systems
A famous quote from Atomic Habits by James Clear says “You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” And like the author says, it doesn’t mean that goals are irrelevant, but the fact that you set a goal alone doesn’t guarantee success. For someone who already has a problem sticking to rigid goals, this was obviously a good read for me. So every day, I focus on creating an environment that allows me flourish as the kind of person I want to be. Now, it’s not just about achieving a goal. It’s about having things that naturally point me towards the right habits. With the right habits, achieving a goal comes with less effort.
3. Reduce the friction
One best practice with developing a plan is writing it where you can see it. Write out the habits you wish to maintain, the goals you want to achieve, resources you need, etc. all where you can see them.
Don’t write them in a book you will tuck away and won’t open till after three months.
Reducing the friction simply means making it as easy as possible to interact with your goals. To do this, you can get creative and use apps that track productivity (if that works for you), sticky notes, the notes app on your phone, alarms, or anything else that works.
Just be practical. If something doesn’t fit into your lifestyle, find a replacement and move on.
4. Carry out periodical check-ins
The aim of being flexible is to stick to what is working and ditch what is not.
Every quarter, all employees at my office are asked to fill and submit a check-in document, which is basically two questions:
(i) What went well?
(ii) What didn’t go well, and how can it be improved?
You can use these questions to do a quarterly check-in with yourself, or even monthly. Be honest and adjust according to your answers. Your adjustment should not be limited to your goals, but should include your processes, habits, productivity tools, and anything that needs improvement.
The best check-ins are the ones done consistently and objectively. A check-in may sometimes even mean pivoting away from the original plan and goals. As long it’s a thoroughly thought decision, why not?
If you love your flexibility, don’t let the productivity police take it away. I hope you find the courage to remain flexible and creative while achieving your goals.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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