Episode 51: Why I stopped being scared to talk about planning

00:47 Welcome to Unfrazzle, a podcast for solo business owners with a big vision who are ready for a kinder more sustainable approach to productivity. I'm Louise Miller and each week i share bite-sized insights to help you step away from the hustle stop faffing and stay focused so you can make your brilliant ideas happen and make a bigger impact in the world So grab yourself a cuppa and let's get started I was recently asked the question, what are you an expert in? And part of my response to that was that i'm an expert in slow sustainable productivity and gentle flexible planning. That represents a bit of a breakthrough for me because I've avoided using both of those P words productivity and planning for a very long time! I used to shy away from using the word productivity in case it was misleading to people and they were going to think

01:39 Peddler of Hacks or Quick Fixes or One Size Fits All Magic Bullets, which if you've been in my world for any amount of time you'll know I don't believe any of those things exist because we're all so very different. And talking about planning never feels very exciting it doesn't feel like something that people are going to prick up their ears and want to listen too I've avoided talking about planning overtly. Of course it comes up every now and then, but i've avoided leaning into that word too much just in case it turns people off and feels really boring or you feel like you know it all already why would you want to listen to me? All of that stuff! But the truth of the matter is I have helped many business owners like you transform their relationship with planning so they are actually following through on getting important stuff done

02:24 So I'm going to talk about planning a little bit today and i'm going to do it loudly and proudly in the hope that you will find something in what i'm sharing today that will help you think about it differently too. so, im gonna talk about what planning means & doesn't mean in my world but first i want to address the elephant in the room because i know people bring their own agenda to the table when it comes to this subject maybe you've been told that planning needs to be done in a certain way maybe someone's given you a spreadsheet template for example Or maybe you've sworn off planning altogether because you've never been able to stick to the plan you created and that always leaves you feeling that you're not good enough or there must be something wrong with you. And I absolutely get it, on the surface it feels like this idea of planning should be a kind of neutral benign thing that we can all just do but so many solo business owners are carrying around such a lot of baggage when it comes to planning

03:18 Crystal Clear So I don't mean you should create a plan that tells you exactly what you're doing with every single half an hour in every single day from now until forever. And over the years, I've actually only worked with one client who wanted to map things out in that much detail and for whom that approach felt good and worked

04:01 But for most of us mere mortals, approaching planning in that way would be really counterproductive because when things are planned out to that extent all it takes is one false move and the whole house of cards comes falling down. So I don't want you to create a plan that requires you to be a productivity robot where you're being 100% productive 100% of the time because that's not how human beings work And I don't want you to create a pie-in the sky plan that has no basis in your reality right now and sets you up to fail. And, I understand the appeal of planning in a way that feels aspirational but let's be honest unless you're going to have a personality brain or life transplant chances are those sorts of plans those sorts of aspirational this is what I wish I could be doing plans are gonna leave you feeling really frustrated and riddled with self doubt

04:55 When I talk about planning in my world, I really don't want you to create a plan that ignores the fact that you're a multifaceted human who is more than your work. There is more going on in your life and just your business so factoring that into your planning is going to make sure you're leaving space for everything that's important to you not just your work And most importantly, I never ever want you to create a rigid inflexible plan that you'll bash yourself around the head with if or let's face it when you don't follow it perfectly. That is something that I repeat often in Make It Happen Club right? The aim of our monthly momentum planning sessions is not to create the perfect plan that your going to follow perfectly every day of the month

05:39 Because life happens and we all under or overestimate how long things will take. And so beating yourself up because of that is neither helpful nor necessary, and in my world planning is never a pass-or-fail situation Yes we can feel disappointed and we can learn from what happened when things didn't go according to plan but there is no need to turn that into some huge drama because not getting everything done doesn't mean anything at all about you your abilities or your value as a human In my world, planning is very simple. Planning means making conscious intentional choices about how to invest your time energy and attention and that's it right? Whether you're working with me or going solo I want you to create plans are grounded in your reality that take into account your capacity what's going on in your life and how you work best. I want your plans to give you just enough structure that kind of Goldilocks amount that's just right for you

06:39 Where there's also space protected in your diary for what is most important and there is enough flexibility that it feels spacious, expansive and motivating to you. And I want you to actually use your plans so they can serve as a anchor or guide, that they can keep you on track and show you the progress that you're making So that... You know, your plan are actually helping you see what you are capable of when you have clarity & focus. I want the plans you create to acknowledge your humanness So they include space for fun and for rest, and for all of that life admin that we have to make space for. I want you to create plans that you are excited to take action on and will keep you moving closer to your vision goals. I want you feel good about planning in your business And i can't help with that if im too scared to use the word planning

08:09 Thank you for listening to Unfrazzle. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who needs a dose of calm productivity in their life and I'd love it if you could leave me a rating and review as that will help more people discover this podcast! If you would like to hear more from me to help stop faffing and take back control of your time, you'll find the link to join my mailing list in the show notes and I would really love for you to join us. So thanks so much for your support and I look forward to seeing you next time