It’s Easier Said Than Done… Unless You Plan It!

There is a common trope that states, “it’s easier said than done.” This is entirely true. It is easy for a friend to give advice, but it is much more challenging to be the one who has to follow it. This also applies in therapeutic settings; it’s easy for me to give guidance but much more difficult for the client to follow through (understandably!!).

How Can We Ensure That the Things We Say Are Easier to Do?

One approach we can draw on is psychological cognitive behavioral therapy and the principles within that framework.

In cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the techniques used is called behavioral activation. This approach adopts an outside-in perspective, where instead of waiting for motivation to do something, we take action before we feel motivated and observe the results.

As an example, if I wait to go for a run until I feel like it, chances are I will not go for a run. However, if I create a structured plan to run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 6 and 7 PM, I have established an actionable plan that I can put into my calendar!

This outside-in perspective helps you act as if you feel like doing it. You can then put on your detective hat and see what happens.

Usually, once you start doing the activity, it is not as difficult as you think and is often more pleasurable than anticipated, even though that is not how you feel before you begin. This underscores the importance of having a plan and the necessity of documenting and scheduling what you want to do.

Relatedly, if the activity you want to do seems insurmountable, you can try a sub-goal analysis. Read more on that here.

How To Identify the What… and Then DO IT!

One question I frequently ask my clients as a psychology intern is, “If you could have your life any way you wanted, within reasonable boundaries, how would it look?” For example, let’s not wish for a Ferrari if you are a student, but reasonably speaking, if you could shape your life as you desire, what would you be doing differently than you are today? We then map that out and create a plan.

For instance, if someone expresses a desire to exercise more, that is a great starting point. However, we then next need to determine what more exercise looks like for you at the moment, and then we schedule it in. We put it into the planner.

I personally use a calendar, specifically a Notion calendar linked to my Google Calendar, and I have developed a whole system around it. You can read more about it in the link here.

Essentially, the approach I’m trying to lay down here centers around planning activities and then acting as if you want to do them. Following a plan makes it much easier, as it reduces decision fatigue, helps keep you on track, aligns your behavior with your values, and enables you to accomplish more.

This increased productivity is generally a positive outcome, as most people want to get more out of life. To achieve this, we must plan accordingly.

How Do I Use My Calendar As A Servant Instead Of A Tyrant?

To conclude this discussion about the importance of planning, I want to discuss how to effectively use a calendar.

Most people are aware of the significant benefits of using a calendar, and these benefits are indeed vast. However, we need to consider how we set up our calendar.

If we treat our calendar as a tyrant that dictates our schedule—such as saying that between 8 and 9, I must do this, and between 9 and 10, I must do that—it can disrupt our flow and take us out of a productive state.

When devising a plan for the week, we need to consider a couple of important factors.

First, we should include pleasurable activities. What do you enjoy? Some people find joy in hiking, attending book clubs, knitting, watching TV, going to the movies, enjoying theater, bowling, or playing badminton.

There are extensive lists of pleasurable activities that you may relate to. See here for an example of a large list of pleasant activities.

However, I find it even more helpful to sit down and reflect on my values and what I want to achieve in life.

This brings us back to the question: if I could have my life as I wanted within reasonable bounds, what would it look like?

Here value-based activities are KEY to direct what to do!

From Abstract Values To Actionable Behaviors: A Personal Anecdote

If I want to be a better son to my mother and father and I currently live in Iceland while my father is in Sweden, I need to consider what being a better son means. This might involve being in more frequent contact with my parents and scheduling time to meet them.

For instance, I could plan a lunch or shopping trip with my mother or organize a family dinner night. With my father, I might schedule a visit or set up regular Zoom or WhatsApp calls for more frequent communication.

By breaking down the abstract notion of being a better son into actionable steps, I can then incorporate these into my calendar.

So What’s Effective Calendar Organization Then?

The first step in effective and helpful calendar organization is to ensure to include pleasurable activities in our calendar.

Another important consideration is that tasks usually take more time than we anticipate. For instance, if I have an assignment due and I think it will take an hour, I should block off at least 90 minutes to complete it. If it only takes an hour, I gain 30 minutes that I can use for other tasks or to take a break, which is also crucial.

How I Personally Leverage My Time?

I recently heard a wonderful talk by a Swedish professor named Åsa Burman, who discussed the Pomodoro technique. While I personally find that my flow state lasts longer than 45 minutes, for the sake of argument, let’s consider the 45-minute work blocks. She pointed out that a productive PhD student achieves 2 to 3 blocks of focused work in a day, which is significant because critical thinking is challenging, and putting those thoughts into writing adds another layer of complexity.

Conclusion & Key Takeaways

In summary, we need to plan ahead and ensure our plan includes both necessary tasks—for me that’s doing things like my clinical intern rotation work, PhD studies, and reading relevant literature. Equally important is to schedule some time for ourselves, like going to the gym or running.

The calendar should serve us, not control us. We should use our time productively, balancing responsibilities with relaxation.

Never underestimate the importance of taking breaks, even if they are short. Standing up from your computer and doing something else is vital, but scrolling on social media does not count as a break for your brain.

Regardless of how we approach it, tomorrow will come, and so will the day after. If we set a plan, we must consider how we want to spend our time and reflect on our values.