How to Reach Goals With Intuitive Planning
By MK Emerson
It may seem counterintuitive to reach goals while practicing intuitive planning, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Many of us were taught that detailed schedules and extra tasks on our to-do list are the only way to succeed. The reality is that these methods can lead to burnout, loss of momentum, and even abandon our goals before seeing real progress.
Momentum is simply another word for consistency.
And consistency, inevitably, helps us take even one step closer toward our goal. Naturally we need to tweak and refine the process, but eventually the old ways catch on to the new ways and we see some form of result. Burn out and give up before that catch up moment, you won’t meet goals.
Our old ways of planning often pile on too many tasks which causes us to feel drained or fed up before we get to the results we hoped for.
Where Burnout Begins
Burnout can start when we rely on traditional planning tools and methods. Maybe you have more than one planner plus color-coded sticky notes everywhere. You schedule every single detail and break bigger tasks into smaller ones–a method that works if you have one goal and little to do. But, if your workload is already stacked, those extra steps start to weigh you down. Think of it like eating a really big meal bringing you into a food coma.
Overly detailed planning can trick you into feeling accomplished without giving you a clear sense of direction. The act of checking items off feels good in the moment, but what is the bigger picture? Sometimes we chase every little to-do because it is on our list, not because it is the best next step.
We’re seriously excited just for checking something off, not for accomplishing a goal.
Our parents, teachers, preachers, and every other adult in our lives praised us for being hard workers. Sitting around on the couch was the cause of grief for many of us as kids, millennial, and up. Rest was bad behavior.
Why Intuitive Planning Works
Intuitive planning focuses on being honest about your capacity each day. Instead of forcing tasks into a tight schedule, you tune into your energy levels and priorities. You still hold on to structure by keeping track of your important tasks, but you stop shoving everything into a single day. This helps you move toward your goals without running on fumes. You let yourself adjust as you go, which supports consistency.
If you plan out every detail in advance, you may think you're a high-achiever, but to be a high-achiever you have to achieve. Lead to burnout, you won’t achieve anything. You can’t possibly know your energy level in a few day’s or week’s time.
For starters, to open up space in your schedule, don’t plan chores, self-care, or leisure activities. There are exceptions, and I explain this in the blog Example of Intuitive Planning.
Hard Work Does Not Need a Clock
You may be thinking that intuitive planning doesn’t encourage hard work at all, but rest above all. Or you think that using your time to work on your side business, or putting in more hours makes you earn more. You may think it’s the person who is disciplined and full of willpower to push, push, push through adversity that gets the prize. As an entrepreneur, I know the hours clocked in are far more than when I worked a 9-5. And yes, what you work on will grow in content, but:
Will it in quality?
And will you be consistent?
Can you actually track, measure, and strategize best without room for thinking, feeling, and being?
Where your energy goes, abundance flows.
On the contrary, intuitive planning is more inviting of work because it allows us to work whenever, despite it being the weekend or evenings after dinner, when the kids are asleep.
The 9-5 hustling with nights and weekends off trains the brain to be off during those times. With intuitive planning, if your intuition tells you to work more hours during the nights and weekends, so be it. That's where your energy is at.
I've found random energy bursts at 10:00pm, my usual time to sleep, and found myself inspired to outline a project until 1:00am. I worked on the project for three nights until it was complete. At first I thought I would be super tired and unproductive the next day. Rather, I woke up at 6am with high energy, refreshed, fulfilled, and anticipating the project.
Time barely exists with intuitive planning, so you essentially have all the Earthly time you need to take action, and better yet, working in that state increases productivity and quality in your work. That's a much better investment.
I do see where you’re coming from, where there is such a thing as too much rest, and I write about it in the blog The Problems of Relying Solely on Intuitive Planning.
Goals are not about punishing yourself with endless to-do lists. They are about staying focused on the few tasks that truly move the needle. That is how intuitive planning helps you reach whatever you have your heart set on. It ensures you have the energy and motivation to keep going.
Momentum. Consistency.
And remember, consistency does not mean you have to be perfect every day. It only means showing up, again and again, in a way that feels right for you. Give yourself the space to-do this.
If you are feeling stuck in the old cycle of overloading your schedule, step away from it and give intuitive planning a try. Read the following blogs to get started:
Key Tools for Intuitive Planning
Or contact me for more guidance.
I’m here for you!
MK
This blog was written to inform readers of how they can reach goals while using intuitive planning. It is not to be consider as professional advice, it is merely an opinion and experience practiced by the author. Take what you want from it and grow, or toss it away and move forward. We’re here for fun!