The Ultimate Planning Kit: A Game-Changer for Achieving Your Goals

Life is a continuous learning process, and we all strive to be better, more productive, and successful. I came across a list of recommended books on various forums, and one that caught my eye was "Besideless Life. Key Skills for Achieving Your Goals."

I have a physical copy of the book, but it's also available for free online. I love underlining interesting information in books, and it's become a habit of mine. In fact, I think it's okay to work with a book and process the material, unlike what we were taught in school.

Besideless Life. Key Skills for Achieving Your Goals

At first, I was skeptical about books like this, thinking the advice was pretty generic. But I decided to give it a try, armed with a pen and notebook. I didn't just read the book – I tried to complete the exercises and make it a part of my daily routine.

The table of contents is surprisingly short, with just 10 strategies to help you achieve your goals.

Contents

My thoughts on the strategies

1. Your future depends on your habits

One of the things that resonated with me is the idea that life is not just a series of random events, but rather a choice of specific actions in a particular situation. The authors make a compelling case that habits are a crucial part of this equation, and that they can be changed and new ones formed. The book helps you identify bad habits and provides a list of 24 to get you started. You then get to decide which ones you want to work on or ditch altogether.

I've found that trying to change too many habits at once is a recipe for disaster. I've been using a daily planner to track my habits, and it's been a game-changer. Remember, "Keep doing what you've always done, and you'll keep getting what you've always gotten."

2. Focus on Your Strengths

The advice is to focus on what you're good at and delegate the rest. For example, if you're not exactly the next couture designer, it's better to outsource your alterations rather than wasting time on something you'll never master. Similarly, if you're running a business, it's better to hire an accountant than try to do it yourself.

I was surprised by the advice to not waste time on subjects you don't enjoy. I was taught in school that being well-rounded is key, but I suppose there's some wisdom in focusing on what you're passionate about. After all, success usually comes from being a specialist in your field.

Vision boards are all the rage, but I'm more of a pen-and-paper kind of person. I've always been a fan of Alexander Pushkin's quote, "We all learn a little bit: something and somehow..."

3. Do you see the bigger picture?

I'm guilty of not having a clear idea of what I want to achieve in the long run. I mean, I have some rough ideas, but they're pretty vague.

The author suggests: write down your goals on paper, and plan out your tasks for the week, month, and even years ahead.

You can't have unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines!

I've been trying to write down 101 goals for the next 10 years.

I know, it sounds cheesy, but I'm not used to planning that far ahead. I've only managed to come up with 80 goals so far...

To achieve harmony and balance, your goals need to be categorized into 7 areas:

Career and Business - what do I want to do? what kind of job do I want? what do I want to achieve?Finance (plan my income, expenses, investments) - where and how much do I want to invest, how much do I need to save?Leisure time - free time outside of work (vacation, trips, hobbies, events, clubs);Health and sports (weight loss/gain, training, eating habits, medicine, sports): what do I need to do to stay healthy?Relationships with people around me (including relationships with family members) - relationships also need work!Personal development: what do I want to learn? which courses do I want to take? which books do I want to read? which movies do I want to watch?Community activity (public affairs, charity, mentoring)

Nice and done!

Now let's break down those big goals into smaller ones using the same 7 categories and allocate a 2-month timeline

For example, here's what I came up with

1) Career and Business - attend a seminar on work, read a related book

2) Finance - read 2 books by Bodo Schäfer, think about how to apply the advice in practice;

3) Leisure time - read reviews on irecommend and write at least 3 reviews per month;

4) Health and sports: do 7-minute exercises 3 times a week. Read a relevant book.

5) Relationships with people around me - meet up with friends, go to the movies/theater

6) Personal development: read the book 'School of the Future'

7) Community Involvement: Participating in TCO (Tenants' Council of Owners) activities...

4. Finding Balance. B-Alert System. (Stay Alert!)

Every well-built home starts with a plan.

I'll explain the B-Alert system, as it's an acronym. The system involves creating a daily plan.

Preparation for the next day involves making a plan (a map of events for the day). (B: Plan Blueprint). I use a handmade planner (daily or weekly) made from a notebook.(A: Action) You need to take action to achieve your goals. Focus on the tasks you want to complete this week. (usually no more than 3)(L: Learning) You should also constantly learn: read books, watch movies, take online courses. For example, you decided to read a large book on Photoshop in 2 months and read a chapter every day.(E: Exercise) For example, you want to lose weight or improve your physical shape in 2 months, and it's a good idea to do at least some exercises every day.(R: Rest) Rest is very important. You also need to have free time to recharge and reduce stress. At least 30 minutes a day.(T: Thinking) Time for reflection. Think about the events of the day. I usually write down the events in my daily planner from Gleb Archangelsky.

Creating a B-Alert chart and recording your daily achievements.

I've gotta say, I don't use the planner, but I know it takes a day to get familiar with the 6 key points. Maybe someone out there is interested in seeing what the table looks like.

B-Alert System

I didn't end up with the system set up like that, but I did implement the category-based planning in my daily planner.

5. Building Ideal Relationships

Avoid toxic people who see the world as one big problem, and you're just a part of it.

The idea is that constant negativity drains your energy, so that's why they're suggesting it.

They also recommend finding mentors. Honestly, I'm not sure how practical that is, but it would be great to find a teacher who can guide and advise you.

I did chuckle at the advice about husbands and wives evaluating each other on a 10-point scale and then asking each other what they could do to get a perfect score. That's definitely an American perspective, and I'm not sure how well it would translate to our lives unless you're looking at it with a sense of humor.

6. The Confidence Factor

To feel confident, you need to deal with unfinished business first.

And also, the author says:

To fully move on from the past, you need to learn how to forgive

Forgiveness is key, especially when it comes to people who hurt you in the past – parents, relatives, friends, teachers. The author suggests reaching out to them, either by phone or letter. I think that's really important.

Confidence is about having a positive attitude towards life and taking positive action. Both are personal choices.

7. Ask for what you want

They say knowledge is power, but the author argues that the real power comes from using that knowledge. As the Bible says:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

The logic behind this advice is simple: the world responds to those who ask. The book delves deeper into this topic, and while we're often taught to ask for nothing, especially from those who are stronger, the author's approach is the opposite – and it makes sense.

8. Persevering consistency

This chapter is about the importance of consistent, persistent effort in achieving significant goals. Remember, the way you live today is the result of all your past choices.

9. Taking decisive action

The someday syndrome – a slippery slope!

And that's the crux of it 😊

10. Living for a purpose

At some point, we all start searching for the meaning of life. It's essential to feel significant in this world. Collecting material possessions is not the ultimate goal; it's about financial stability, but also about sharing our experiences and knowledge.

I came not just to survive, but to change the world.

Conclusion

I genuinely recommend reading this book to anyone who's into self-improvement. It's super easy to read and I found myself wanting to take on the advice and put it into practice. Planning on a monthly basis really works for me. Now I've got two daily planners: a weekly planner and a monthly planner 👍

Excerpt

I wish you a bunch of happy and positive events, and lots of inspiration!

Check out these other great reads:

The Secrets of Wealth and Money Multiplication

The Daily Planner by Gleb Archangelsky

My Honest Review of Livemaster with Lots of Purchases

My Review as a Cosmetologist with 4 Years of Experience

My Review of the Flylady System