9 - Rule 3: Planning

Rule 3 – Plan Ahead.

            Seem redundant? Pretty close, but just having time and observations isn’t enough, you have to use them. “Thinking Ahead” is where you figure out what tasks need to be done to accomplish your goal. The “Plan Ahead” part is that you actually block out the time needed for each task.

            This means you have to give yourself a timeline. Set a deadline for choosing a gift. Set a deadline for choosing a card. Don’t panic. This isn’t like writing a paper where you need to edit two or three versions before you have someone proofread it and then you turn it in. Once you buy the gift, you don’t have to re-buy it, that’s a task checked off your list.

            Don’t forget that you need to think of something to write in the card, as well. If you use your time wisely, you may find the ultimate card and only need to sign it. It may only take you five seconds, or you may want to work on the phrasing to make it perfect. Don’t get stuck in a restaurant parking lot, scribbling gibberish into a blank card. Maybe you’ve already given a few cards that say, “this card is so pretty, it made me think of you.” Cop out! Don’t worry, everyone does it now and then, but you don’t want to make it a habit. People notice. You can change people’s perception of you with a single card.

            The combination of thinking and planning ahead may be as simple as making sure that if you are next to the gift wrap aisle on Sunday, you buy what you need for wrapping the gift you are delivering on Friday. Then, when you get to Thursday (the deadline you set for wrapping the gift) you have everything you need, not just a block of time to panic because you don’t have the right sized box. Also, knowing you are going to deliver a gift on Friday isn’t the same as knowing that you need to drive over to your uncle’s office before 3 PM on Friday because he’s leaving early. So, set yourself some benchmarks so that you don’t squander that generous amount of time you’ve allotted yourself.

If you're going to knit this for your BFF by Friday, you'd better get started!