The Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review

 

December 04, 2015 Use Plans to Focus Yourself, Not Test Yourself Planning out your week can help you navigate life gracefully — but overplanning your day-to-day tasks can make you neurotic and stressed. The best way to reap the benefits of daily and weekly planning is to take a more relaxed approach, and to understand the role spontaneity should play in your plans. Here’s how: Be intentional but flexible. Decide in advance where you want to end up, but accept that your route may change along the way. Redefine a 100% score. For most people, a great day is when they accomplish 60–70% of their goals. Think about a “perfect” day as one where you made the best choices possible, not one where you finished everything. Don’t think of your plans as a test. If your self-worth depends on how accurately you implement your plans, you’re on shaky ground. Life is meant to be lived, not just “done.” Adapted from "How to Stop Overplanning (Even If You're a Perfectionist)," by Elizabeth Grace Saunders

BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials | HBR's 10 Must Reads Boxed Set | HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations | HBR Guide to Better Business Writing | HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done

FEATURED PRODUCT HBR's 10 Must Reads Boxed Set HBR Press Book The most important management ideas are all in one place at a great value. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles on topics including leadership, strategy, managing people, and managing yourself and selected the most important ones to help you maximize your performance. From Clayton Christensen and John Kotter to Peter Drucker and Michael Porter, each book is packed with enduring advice on our most sought-after topics from the best minds in business. Buy Now

FEATURED PRODUCT HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case Ebook + Tools HBS Press Book This enhanced ebook version of the HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case includes downloadable tools and templates to help you get started on your own case right away. You’ve got a great idea that will increase profitability or productivity – but how do you get approval for the budget and resources to make it happen? By building a business case that clearly shows your idea’s value. Available exclusively through HBR.org. Buy Now

ADVERTISEMENT

HBR.ORG | TOPICS | THE MAGAZINE | BOOKS | CASES | STORE | SUBSCRIBE TO HBR UNSUBSCRIBE | NEWSLETTERS PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT Copyright © 2015 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing 60 Harvard Way Boston, MA 02163 CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-988-0886 (US/Canada) 1-617-783-7500 (outside the U.S. and Canada)