When you woke up this morning, did you have a crystal-clear idea of what your day would look like? Not just a vague sense of a few meetings here and there, but a detailed plan of what you were going to do and when you were going to do it?
In this video, I want to focus on the importance of pre-planning.
I’m in Melbourne—a stunning day here—and I’m working with a large retail company. I’ve been working with their CEO and leadership team for years, and today, I’m with a big group, a few hundred people, talking about workload management. One of the key topics we’re discussing is planning and, more specifically, pre-planning.
I recently came across a study that revealed only about a third of people start their day with a clear idea of what they want to accomplish. The vast majority only have a rough idea and nothing concrete.
For me, having a clear plan is absolutely essential. Planning and pre-planning happens on three levels:
1. Quarterly Plan:
Every quarter, I create what I call my “compass plan.” It’s a 90-day roadmap outlining the priorities I want to focus on. This gives me a high-level direction for the next three months.
2. Weekly Plan:
This is so crucial. Every week, I sit down for an hour and write down everything I need to do for the upcoming week. I organise it in great detail, making sure that I have a clear structure for each day. If you’re interested, I’ve got a weekly plan template that you can download from our website, wslb.com. It’s an important step that I can’t recommend highly enough.
3. Daily Plan:
Each morning, I review my day, which is already pre-organised, and make sure nothing has changed or that no new urgencies have popped up. This doesn’t mean I’m inflexible—things can change, and I can adapt—but it does mean I’m focused. I know what’s most important, and I can tackle the tasks that will have the most impact. Plus, I end the day with a real sense of achievement, knowing I’ve progressed on the things that truly matter.
So, my question to you is this: Do you start every day with absolute clarity about what you need to do and when you need to do it? If not, I suggest spending some time on it—quarterly for the big picture, weekly for the details, and daily before you kick off your day. Clarifying everything and having meetings with yourself about what really needs to be done is crucial.
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Have a lovely day!
A bientôt,
Cyril
