You are probably reading this note from a smartphone. Imagine if to build it someone had simply taken the materials and tried, just like that, to see what came out. It is difficult for us to imagine that something good could be done that way. Not to mention, the resources that would be spent in vain. However, it is what you are probably doing with your year.
Becoming aware of what you want to achieve, how you can do it, when you can do it, what you can do it with, among other aspects, is key. Not to push yourself too hard or to propose extraordinary scenarios, but to know where to go.
Have you already thought about what you want to achieve in 2025? It’s not about fulfilling mandates or proposing spectacular things, necessarily. If your goal for 2025 is, for example, to maintain the economic stability that you had in 2024, it is a great proposal. I make this clarification because it is often thought that defining objectives or goals is equivalent to responding to a social demand for super high standards, such as: “you have to achieve a lot” or “you have to achieve everything.”
Mapping out your year allows you to hit the road knowing the destination you want to reach. It doesn’t matter if that destination is 100, 500 or 1500 km away.
Why do you think annual planning is essential to achieve personal and professional goals?
Doing annual planning is important because it forces you to get off autopilot and really think about what you want. It allows you to define your goals, see why those goals are important to you, thus helping you maintain your motivation. It’s very simple: if you know what and you know why, you can build the how. And then, 1 + 1 + 1 = Goal achieved.
This does not mean that it is easy or fast or without setbacks. But it has to be done.
It helps you achieve your goals, organizes, focuses and gives meaning.
Do you mean yes or yes we have to plan?
I think so, especially if one takes a long-term view. It is usually thought that either one lives in the present or one looks and projects oneself into the future. And they are not mutually exclusive things. Obviously one has to be in the here and now, doing consciously. But it is also important to know where you are going, what you want to achieve and why. Planning should consider all times; Think of it as if there were 3 levels of planning that one should do: one in the short term (for example, your week), one in the medium term (for example, the next quarter) and another in the long term (for example, your 2025).
If it’s so important, why don’t most people do it?
I think that sitting down to plan your own year involves thinking about yourself. Where one stands, where one would like to be, what things one is willing to do to achieve it, and all of that often overwhelms, generates anxiety, fear. And we tend to escape unpleasant emotions. Faced with this, doing it in a safe, trustworthy space and perhaps with professional help, can be a great solution.
What common mistakes do most people make when trying to plan their year?
The first and main mistake, from my point of view, is not doing it, as we were talking about before. Secondly, think about what you want to achieve but do not add the when or how. The third mistake is proposing a plan that not even Messi could achieve, I mean, unrealistic goals, ridiculous deadlines or challenges that I do not have the resources to face. And the fourth mistake that I see most in the people who consult me, is to propose planning based on what others see as good or on external mandates or demands, “what I am supposed to achieve this year”, instead of “what For me it is important to achieve this year.”
How does the lack of annual planning influence key aspects such as productivity, motivation and time management?
The level of productivity is directly linked to planning. According to a report published by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, 70% of teams that plan their tasks effectively achieve their goals successfully, compared to those that do not plan adequately. In the latter case, difficulties are faced in prioritizing tasks, which causes a decrease in the level of efficiency since, for example, a lot of time is dedicated to unproductive activities or activities not aligned with important objectives. On the other hand, the lack of clear objectives and a defined roadmap can decrease motivation, because it is not clear to the person how to evaluate the level of progress. You may think that you didn’t make enough progress or that you didn’t achieve anything. And, obviously, ineffective time management, derived from the absence of planning, can result in work overload, which causes stress, negatively affecting personal well-being and work performance.
Returning to the latter, what emotional impact does it have for people to start a new year without clear planning?
We are emotional beings by nature, what we live and what we think activates a series of emotions in us. In other words, your behaviors and thoughts will impact how you feel. The lack of planning generates erratic behavior that leads to experiencing a series of extremely unpleasant emotions for the person, generating a lot of discomfort. This discomfort increases as the year progresses and reaches its highest point in December. That is the month in which I receive the most queries. But the reality is that, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure; plan in January so as not to suffer in December.
When you don’t plan, you do a lot but with little sense, clarity and projection. This can generate demotivation, anxiety, frustration (because one does but has the feeling that one does not achieve objectives), insecurity, discontent, guilt, anger, and the list could go on. The problem with this, apart from the fact that obviously the person really feels bad, is that unpleasant emotions decrease the capacity for learning and performance, so the cycle of discomfort and low performance or productivity feeds back on itself, making things worse. .
What basic aspects do you recommend to create an effective and realistic annual planning?
First things first: annual planning is the equivalent of the design of your year and like every design it must exist somewhere outside your head, that is, it must be captured in some physical or digital medium. Considering this, you have to start by thinking about what areas of your life you would like to focus on, then set time periods and goals associated with those periods. It is essential for me to combine this with resources for measuring achievements, periodic reviews, anticipation of possible obstacles, and flexibility if required.
One last suggestion?
Planning is not only a tool to organize time, but also a powerful strategy to build the future you want. Make this the year you turn your goals into real achievements, starting by defining those goals with a clear vision and a solid plan.
Contact details:
Instagram: @constanzahoffman
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by CEDOC
