Mastering 2023
Plan ahead. Plan often. Plan.
Introduction
Author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, Nir Eyal, wrote an article this year called If You Don’t Plan Your Time, Someone Else Will. The title itself reveals a truth about our upcoming year: we must plan in order to master our habits, ideas, and happiness. Many people around the world have bought into the hyperconnectedness model of work provided by tech companies. The model, referred to by Cal Newport as the Hyperactive Hive Mind, demands the attention of workers by continuously placing them into a system filled with endless chat platforms, unclear email threads, and so-called knowledge bases. It demands more and more of our time by reducing our rest periods and creating artificial connections provided by the likes of WhatsApp, Slack, or Facebook. It creates stress, provides for a low quality of life return on our time, and does not facilitate flourishing. Therefore, it is crucial to plan ahead, plan often, and plan with purpose. Over the next couple of paragraphs, I’ll share how I plan and what is my priority when using the quarterly system.
The Quarterly System
I plan in quarters. It’s the easiest and most stress-free way for me. While I may know the usual plan for the holidays in 2023, it is seldom that I can ascertain what will happen by June or October. Thus, I plan each quarter 6 weeks before it starts. This means January to March is planned by the end of November, April to June by the end of February, and so forth. It’s an efficient system that I have adapted to work, life, and leisure. Here is my ordered list of what goes first and last into the calendar:
Vacations: Often forgotten, but truly necessary. They go first! I book my vacations 3 months in advance and notify my work that I will be absent during the specified days. The sooner you let them know, the higher the probability you’ll get the days off without a hitch. After you are known as a planner, they will tend to approve it expeditiously and without remarks. I place my vacations in red on a paper calendar and set up auto-replies for my work email in order to not be disturbed.
Leisure time: Second, I write in black activities that enrich my cultural or social well-being. My wife and I enjoy the occasional play or symphony performance at our local theater. However, these are not the only activities that make it to the calendar. My pickleball evenings or board game nights take priority over work and are placed in the leisure category. Dinners and special celebrations are also marked down well in advance. Finally, I make sure to place time for reading, digesting the news, and walking the dog. All of these help me to perform my work with precision and energy.
Work: Last, but not least, I write in blue my work hours in the calendar. Whether you have a predictable schedule or not, I welcome you to analyze what needs to be done, what can be reduced, and how to work a bit less each week. My sweet spot for work is about 7 hours. I plan for 3 hours online, 3 hours offline, and a 1-hour break while at the office. The closer I get to it, the better I feel.
Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash
The Weekly Review
After planning my quarter, I do a weekly review on Sundays. I have been using the Paperian Weekly Planner since I enjoy horizontal arrangements and spiral bounds, but you can use whatever suits you best. I know some prefer the vertical layout to save space and have more information, but for me horizontal is king. During my weekly review, I confirm appointments, calculate the number of hours I’ll work, and send preparatory emails for any meetings or important information that needs to be disseminated. It is my way to catch a glimpse of the week to come and make any arrangements necessary if I feel that my time is not well spent. Planning my time in this way has helped me recognize that my well-being must come first and my livelihood after that. While money is necessary, a good break is important if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Final Thoughts
I’d like to finish my short post by saying that it has taken me 3 years to construct a schedule that honors my time, my hobbies, and my work. It hasn’t been easy and it is in constant revision. Thus, if you feel like you don’t have a grasp of your schedule and are overwhelmed, I understand. I used to have double bookings, too many things to do, and zero time for leisure 3 years ago. It was hard, I was in a bad place, and it took a bad case of the flu for me to stop and say enough with the overwhelmed lifestyle! Therefore, take one step at a time and create space for yourself each week.
If you cannot see that far in advance or have a job that doesn’t offer as much flexibility, do not be afraid of asking for a break or simply plan for what’s within your realm. If it’s one night every 6 weeks, it’s 1 night off every 6 weeks. Baby steps and incremental progress are better than no progress at all. I hope 2023 is a year of flourishing for you and those around you!