3 Common Planning Misconceptions to Stop Believing This Year
Listen to the podcast version of this blog post and subscribe on your favorite podcast app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | Pod.link / Pick Another App
I wouldn’t be shocked if you’ve said one (or more) of these planning misconceptions to yourself since starting your online business.
No judgment – I totally get it. However, I’m a planning gal and I want to help you enjoy it too because the truth is, planning can really help you get closer to achieving your goals quicker.
So let’s go ahead and debunk some of these common myths about planning so that you can stop grunting every time it’s time to plan LOL.
Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if clicked at no extra cost to you. Though the opinions remain my own
Common Myths About Planning that Could Be Hurting Your Business Growth
It’s true that planning shouldn’t be approached the same way by every single entrepreneur as everyone has their own unique circumstances and situations.
But I also know that when you find a planning method that works for you and your brain, it makes everything so much easier, even if it may seem hard at first. Let’s cover the common planning misconceptions you shouldn’t believe are true as they could be hurting your business growth.
Planning Misconception #1: Planning is rigid and inflexible
The most common planning misconception is that planning is rigid, and I completely understand why it seems this way.
Planning may feel like you’re about to be tied down to something incredibly inflexible that’ll make it hard to pivot if and when needed. But look, I’m a mom of two and I know first hand how much plans can change within a matter of minutes, or even seconds.
What To Do Instead
But that’s why I love the concept of flexible planning, which I know is something that isn’t necessarily taught that often, but is the concept behind my planning systems inside of Level Up Your Biz with Trello.
When you incorporate flexible planning, you’re allowing space for life to happen so that you’re not left feeling so behind and lost when it’s time to pick back up where you left off.
This is the part where I see many go wrong. They completely fill up their schedule or perhaps even timeblock every single minute of their day and hope that all goes as planned… which we know usually won’t happen.
So instead, make your plans work for you by keeping them flexible and use a system that’ll make rescheduling your tasks easy.
Related Post: How to Use Trello to Organize Your Business
Planning Misconception #2: Planning is time consuming
The second planning misconception is that planning is time consuming, and as someone with little time in your hands, this may sound scary.
All you want to do is jump right into whatever it is that you need to do because you’re trying to make every minute count. I mean, you already have an idea of what needs to get done, right?
So you’re likely thinking there’s no need to plan, especially since it’s just going to take time away from actually doing the thing. I get it. I used to think that too once upon a time ago.
However, planning doesn’t have to take long at all. Sure, the amount of time you spend planning will depend on a few different factors like what the project you’re planning is, how often you do it, how well you know it etc.
What To Believe Instead
But I’ll be the first to tell you that regardless of how little or how long it takes you to plan something, it’s going to be time very well spent because by planning, you’re getting ahead in knowing what to expect and what needs to be done by when.
This is another reason why I love strategic systems, because they also help reduce the amount of time it takes to plan anything. Even creating simple workflows can go an extremely long way in helping you plan things faster.
So like I said, not all planning will be time consuming. Of course some things will take longer to plan than others, but it can save you headaches and loss of time later on. Plus, just like anything else in life, the more you do this, the better and quicker you’ll get at it.
Planning Misconception #3: Planning doesn’t work for me
The final misconception about planning is that someone believes planning just doesn’t work for them.
O-M-G. You have no idea how many times I’ve heard this and honestly, this is a huge mindset thing (check out this mastermind here for business mindset support).
Why This is Untrue
Planning can work for literally anyone and is actually a crucial part of running any kind of business including your online biz. Even the chronicles for small business say so.
Yes, there are ways that you can do lazy planning and there are also times when you may not need to plan at all (especially if you have already implemented systems or workflows in the past).
However, planning is still needed for many aspects of your business. So even though it may feel like you can’t plan because x,y,z where x,y,z could be all the different distractions like your kids, pets or health, other priorities like your job or household duties etc.. you can literally do anything you set your mind to and that includes planning.
It’s just a matter of finding a planning method that works for you and thankfully, there’s way more than just one. There is no single “right way to plan” as everyone has unique brains that are wired differently – but you CAN find a planning method that works for you.
My preferred method as a busy mom of two littles is what I mentioned – detailed but flexible planning using strategic systems and is one that I feel can work for you too because hey, who doesn’t want a little bit of flexibility in their plans, right?
But you won’t know unless you try. To find out what type of planner you are, take this free quiz here.
Myths About Planning Debunked
Now, with all that being said and hopefully changing your mind around some of these planning misconceptions, you’re able to stay open-minded and dare I say excited to plan your next business adventure.
Whether you’re just getting started or have been in business for many years, it’s never too late to start planning. Once you do and you find a planning method that works for you, you’ll see how much easier and faster it’ll be to get things done and reach your goals.
Find out what type of planner you are by taking this free quiz here.
Lastly, if you haven’t yet, I invite you to tune in to the Cheerful Productive Chats Podcast here, where I release a new episode every Wednesday to help you stop feeling overwhelmed with ‘all the things’ and help you boost your productivity along the way.
