It seems obvious to say, but the more special moments you fill your life with, the more special your life will feel.

That goes for planning, too.

That’s why we love not only creating products that help people plan out their big dreams, but help them do the planning itself.

Our number one tip for how to make planning a part of your life that you adore is to make it feel really special.

Here are three ways to do that so that your time spent planning feels more like a treat than another item on your to-do list.

1. Set aside time and treat it like a date.

Because it is! It’s a date with your future self. Set aside time for your planning dates and let them be really special. Lots of people in our community like to do their planning at what feels like the start of their week, whether that is Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

Pick what feels right to you! You may find you work best when planning on Friday evenings with a glass of wine & jazz music playing, or on Wednesdays after your favorite yoga class. Whatever you choose, see if you can create a plan that honors your life, your schedule, and what feels fun to you.

2. Weave your big dreams into your day-to-day life.

So often we have a disconnect between our big picture goals (write a book someday, start a non-profit eventually) and our daily to-do list (pick up dry cleaning, prep for meeting) – how can you incorporate more of the big picture into your tasks?

3. Set small goals and follow through.

You’ll find that you get better and better at planning as you practice, and something great to do if you’re just starting to get into it, is to set small goals that you know you’ll be able to follow through with. This will help you build your self-trust and deeply know that you can tackle larger and larger tasks. So, rather than set yourself up to fail by planning to go to buckram yoga at 5am every day next week when this week you didn’t work out at all, how can you set a small goal that will feel good? Maybe you just take your morning tea on a walk to a local park, and aim to do that a few days this week. Then, add more and more. That way, you aren’t feeling overwhelmed or defeated, instead, you feel like you are truly the boss of your own life and that your #1 employee (you!) actually does what they say they are going to do.

Once you start implementing these habits, you’ll find planning is one of the most useful tools you have for creating a life that feels like it is truly YOURS everyday. You’ll look forward to your planning dates, because they are really just chances to get your priorities, preferences and big picture dreams INTO your actual life.

The next time you set up your ritual for planning or jot down a space for your big dreams in your schedule, tag us on social media @thedragontree so we can see and cheer you on!

Love,

The Dragontree