“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

This adage, penned by the wise Benjamin Franklin, is as simple as it is VALUABLE. Creating a plan of action and a schedule is one of the most productive things you can do in life.

“I’ll just wing it.”

Many of us say the above all the time, if not out loud, at least using the voice in our head. Our task could be shopping, finishing your job’s daily workload, or hitting the gym for a workout. In each and every case, NOT planning will usually lead to a much less productive outcome. In the case of shopping, without a solid shopping list, you may end up buying foods you don’t need. You will likely spend more money than you intended AND purchase foods that will go bad before you get a chance to eat them. In the case of completing work at your job, lack of planning can lead to your jumping from task to task before one is ever truly finished, mistakes caused by lack of attention to detail, and the feeling of compounded stress as disorganization rules your daily life. The same is true of our health and fitness routines.

Sure, you may feel good about hitting the gym and getting some exercise, and rightly so. Just about ANY exercise is better than none at all. But, if you have specific goals that you really want to achieve, then creating a solid action plan and schedule is the best way to help you get there. Following a list of daily habits (healthy ones) can really add up over time and can result in a more stress-free life. For example.

7 am: wake up, perform 20 minutes of light cardio to start the day.

7:30 am: breakfast of oatmeal, berries, protein shake.

8:30 am: start the workday.

11:30 am: 45-minute gym routine (see DAILY GYM SCHEDULE for today’s focus and workout routine).

Creating daily habits that support your goals and following them leads to a host of benefits. As mentioned above, stress reduction is a key one. When you know what your day will consist of it can result in less anxiety throughout the day. In addition, due to the accomplishment of fulfilling each of the listed tasks, your self-esteem can get a healthy boost as well.

BUT WHAT IS SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND MY SCHEDULE IS CHANGED!!??

This is an excuse given by many who just WING IT…the fact that life throws you curveballs means there is no reason to plan anything. WRONG. If something pops up and throws a wrench in your daily schedule, just STOP…and take a few minutes to re-plan the rest of your day. While the schedule or plan may have changed a bit, it will still be a PLAN and your day will still be more productive as a result.

So, whether you use your smartphone notes feature, a Word doc on your laptop, Outlook, Google, etc.…start planning each day and create consistent habitual routines to help you reach your goals. You will be more stress-free, more productive, AND happier as a result. Sounds like a good plan, huh?