Having a schedule is excellent. Nothing changes in our lives without a change to our schedule.
When it comes to emphasizing your health, whether that is physical, emotional, spiritual, or relational, you have to look at your schedule. If you don’t schedule when you will workout, spend time with your spouse and kids, when you will grow and read books, it won’t happen.
But, what if a schedule was only part of the battle?
I mean, you can change your schedule and only marginally move the ball forward. Meaning, you can make a schedule, but what if it scheduling the wrong things?
More important than a schedule is a plan, a strategy.
Too often, though, we confuse a schedule with a plan or a strategy.
A schedule is not the same thing is a plan, and in leadership terms, it is not the same thing as a strategy.
Just because you schedule emails or social media posts, does not mean that you have a plan or a strategy.
A strategy is the “why” that influences your schedule.
How do you know the difference?
Here are two simple questions:
- What do you hope to accomplish?
- What will it take to accomplish that?
When I weighed 300 pounds and wanted to lose weight, I went to the doctor and told him that I wanted to lose weight. He said, “That is a terrible goal. Make being healthy your goal and do that for the rest of your life,” and it changed everything.
So I set out to be healthy. It changed my mindset on things, and that strategy, that plan shaped my schedule. It affected my sleep because many people attempt to lose weight without doing anything with their sleep. But if being healthy is a goal, then sleep matters.
In your work, life, and relationships, what do you hope to accomplish? Write it out; be clear on that. A month from now, six months to a year from now, what will be successful? Be clear on that, so you know what you are trying to accomplish. Is there a number you can attach to it so that it is even more explicit in your mind? Too often, I don’t think we clarify what it means to be successful in life and leadership.
Second, what will it take to accomplish that goal?
Ten years ago, Katie and I looked at our marriage and realized that we didn’t have the time for each other as we wanted, and we found ourselves not being on the same page, which created easily avoidable frustrations. So we laid out what we thought would be a success for our marriage and family and some things it would take for us to accomplish it: weekly date night, weekly calendar sync, discussing finances once a month, to name a few. Now, we don’t always hit those each week and month. We have something to shoot for and have a way to know if we are moving towards our goals.
A strategy and a plan form your schedule in life, leadership, and relationships. It creates the way forward for you.
