Why is sticking to a plan to dang hard? Let's dive into that topic and discuss the three things you need to help you STICK to a plan!

I recently posted a poll in my Facebook community and asked people to vote on what challenges they were having.  An overwhelming number of people responded that they were really struggling with sticking to a plan. I am pretty sure just about everyone has struggled with this from time to time, including me.

Planning is one of my most favorite activities.  It de-stresses me and helps declutter my brain. However, sticking to a plan is a whole different ball game.  

So today, I am sharing the three things you need in place to help you stick to a plan.

1.  Get Crystal Clear on Why

First things first.  Do you know why you want to achieve this thing that you say you are not sticking to?  If you don’t have a clear and powerful reason WHY, it is going to be really dang hard to stick to a plan when the going gets tough, and trust me, the going will get tough.  If you have a plan to go to the gym 3 mornings a week and that alarm goes off at 5am and it is 25 degrees and dark outside, willpower alone will not get you out of bed.  You need a powerful, motivating reason why you are getting up and going to the gym.

For more details on this check out a previous blog post HERE.

2.  Create an actual plan, not just a goal

Ask yourself…do you have an actual plan or just a goal?  I was recently on a group coaching call and 2 people said they just couldn’t stick to their plan.  So, I asked them to tell me their plans. Their answer was their goal…NOT an actual plan.  

For example, let’s say you have a goal to launch a new blog.  You write down the statement “I want to start a blog.” Guess what? That is not a plan.  That is a statement of intent or desire. If days and weeks go by and you have made no progress, it isn’t that you can’t stick to a plan…..the issue is that you didn’t have a plan in the first place!  Too many people confuse a goal with a plan. 

So how do we turn this blog goal into an actual plan?  First, start listing out all the steps you need to do to get started.  In this example, these steps might include naming the blog, creating an account on WordPress, creating the blog site, writing the  first blog post, etc. Now you are starting to create an actual plan while laying out actionable steps you can take!

3.  Prioritize and Create the Time On Your Calendar

Once you have an actual plan in place, you need to reserve the time on your calendar to execute your plan.  This means you need to prioritize these activities and create a physical appointment on your calendar to get them done.

What you prioritize, you plan.

If you are just starting out and this concept is new to you, you should actually create a calendar appointment with yourself for the specific time you are going to complete a task on your plan.  Treat this appointment with the same importance as anything else.

Believe it or not, writing is not easy for me.  I set a goal to write 3 blog posts per month. I create an actual appointment on my calendar each week that is my writing time.  If I do not do this and simply put the task on a task list, I will continue to move that task from day to day telling myself that tomorrow will be different and I will get it done then.

So, the next time you find yourself struggling to stick to a plan, ask yourself these three things: 

1. Why do I want this?
2. What is my actual plan to get there?
3. When exactly am I going to take action on my plan?