Planning is an essential skill for success that involves making large goals smaller. It involves giving these smaller tasks importance and doing them in the most meaningful order possible. Planning is a crucial cognitive function that takes place in the future and the present. When you plan, you are imagining the an outcome and a way to get to that outcome.
An easy example is to think of a game of chess. If your opponent plans 40 possibilities but you plan only 5, they have a higher chance of winning the game. Imagining 50 possibilities gives you an advantage and increases the odds of your victory.
Planning and Future-Thinking
Most people actually have a very difficult time imagining 50 different chess moves. Even in everyday life, thinking into the future is not something we are always doing. When we set goals, we are usually thinking of a certain outcome. We sit down, contemplate, write down our ideas, or store them in short term memory, and then do the things we think will get us to the goal.
Really good planners actually do it a lot and it is how they are able to achieve their goals with high accuracy. For any single task, you should be re-assessing your plan at key stages so that any errors or problems can be corrected on time.
Imagine being asked to close your eyes and walk to a flag 100 metres away. Without vision, you are more likely to walk in circles, or even worse go away from the flag. Opening your eyes every few seconds lets you get to the flag accurately.
Common Planning Challenges and Benefits
Like we said before, planning is a very difficult task for most people. It usually results in underestimating how difficult things are, how long they will take, and what challenges will be along the way. This results in increased pressure or stress as deadlines get closer.
People who can plan properly can see how much time is needed for the tasks, how hard they actually are, if they might run into issues, and what steps they need to take to achieve the goals. This results in confidence, making the work feel manageable.
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Circle To Sphere educators know that it takes good planning and practice to stay ahead of school work and learning. You will learn how to assign importance, gain good habits, and set impactful goals. But it doesn’t just take planning to come out on top. Check back into the skills library to learn more.
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