Thirty years ago I became self-employed without a boss. Since then I have drawn up an annual work plan. Recurring questions: what remains the same, what needs to be different, what do I want to stop doing? Here are a few simple methods that help me avoid stupid resolutions.
First a week, then a year
Overseeing an entire working year is complicated. But I can tell you when I’ve had an acceptable week. That’s where I like to start: describing a good week.
What ingredients does such a week contain in my case? A day without interruptions working on this column. Going out for a few days to give a lecture or seminar. That kind of thing.
My weeks also become more fun when I plan regular blocks of time for to-do’s. With an hour every working day for unexpected tasks.
After describing a good week, I look at the annual calendar. Which weeks do I actually work this year? And which busy periods could use a few days off?
Adjust or start over?
After the previous step, I know approximately how many hours I will work in the coming year. But I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do during that time. It often resembles last year’s work, with a little adjustment. But sometimes a big reset is needed.
Adjust a little. I tend to continually expand and embellish my activities. At the same time, I would actually rather work less than more. So every year I go through my working life with a dust comb. Which recent addition was valuable and should remain? Which activity no longer serves a meaningful purpose and can be eliminated? The trick is to learn and grow every year, without working more hours.
A big reset. Sometimes I know that small interventions are not enough. Then I imagine being forced to start all over again. A new job. A new company. What would that look like? I literally sit behind my desk with a blank sheet of paper and try to come up with a new version of myself.
Three questions that help
You can only take the previous step if you have thought about three questions in advance. I based them – years ago, for a book I wrote – loosely on the Theory of Planned Behavior by psychologist Icek Ajzen. They help me to discover again and again what motivates me in the longer term. Here they are.
1. What do I believe in? Which values are important to me? What is the Beautiful, the True and the Good for me? What do I want to try to live for?
2. What are my strengths? What am I good at and what gives me energy? At what moments do I lose track of time? Which activities would I like to pay more attention to?
3. What do my loved ones value? Who exactly are they, my loved ones? Whose opinion really matters to me? And what do these people like to see me do?
I don’t ask myself these three questions every year. But I do write down the answers again and again. And regularly rereading these principles helps me to cope with the issues of the day. A little.
Multiple people, multiple places
It matters where and how you work on your plan. For example, it helps to discuss your plans with various people.
At some point you know your own thoughts. Thinking on your own for longer will no longer yield anything. But a conversation with an old friend or a new acquaintance does. Moreover, as I mentioned, it helps when your plans are supported by your partner and other loved ones. And for this it is necessary to involve them in a timely manner.
It helps to discuss your plans with various people
It also helps to think in different places. That may sound strange, but your private environment triggers different feelings and thoughts than your work environment. A simple example. If I think about my work on holiday, I would like to retire early. But on a good working day I don’t want to think about quitting before I’m 77.
Practical
And. Does this help? Does it help to set goals and make plans? A little.
I could start a whole argument about that Goal Setting Theorybut stick with anecdotal evidence today.
During Christmas, our grandson discovered a crossbow in the games cupboard. A toy version with suction cup darts. Irresistible when you’re four. At first the arrows flew around our ears. But when I made a square on the kitchen window with white tape, it not only led to fanatical targeted shooting behavior in him, but many adults also couldn’t wait to give it a try.
Goals and plans do something to us. They help us to focus and adjust our energy. How long? Well. The tape worked for about an hour. My annual plans usually help for a few months. Then they are thwarted by the plans of others. But for thirty years of working according to plan for a few months at a time, I actually don’t think that’s such a bad result at all.
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