Welcome back to Plan Like a Boss. I'm your host, Tanya Lawson, and today we're talking about something that frustrates just about every entrepreneur, and honestly, pretty much every human with a to-do list. Why your plans keep failing. It's planner season right now. And if you've ever bought a shiny new planner, hoping it would magically fix your chaos, only to end up right back where you started, this episode is for you. So grab your coffee, your tea, or maybe even that forgotten notebook you swore you would use. And let's dig in. So the first reason your plans fail is you buy a new planner every time you feel unorganized. I'm gonna start with the truth bomb here. A new planner isn't going to solve your planning struggles. Now I know it's tempting. Those crisp pages, the gorgeous layouts, all of those color-coded sections just waiting for you to fill them in. It feels like starting fresh, but here's the deal: the problem isn't your planner, it's how you're using it. So instead of collecting planners like Pokemon cards, try committing to using one system and giving yourself time to actually work it. Because consistency is way more powerful than novelty. You don't need a new planner. You just need to consistently plan. Now, the second reason your plans tend to fail is you plan too much in one day. I want you to raise your hand if you've ever written a daily to-do list that looks more like a wish list for a robot with 40 hours in a day. Yep, I'm guilty. I've done it. I still do it sometimes. When you plan more than you can humanly get done, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. You will feel behind before you've even started. So this is what I want you to do instead. I want you to cut your list in half. Then I want you to cut it again. Instead, focus on two to three things that are actually going to move the needle and then let the rest go. Or schedule it for later. Progress comes from priorities, not from cramming, because I've got news for you. Not everything on that list is important. So look and see which things are gonna truly move the needle towards what whatever you're working on, your goal, your business, your weight loss plan. And then I want you to focus on those things. Now the third reason, ignore your energy levels when you plan. And this one's huge. Your brain and your body are not machines that operate at 100% all day long. Maybe you're like me. Maybe you're a morning person who does your best creative work before lunch. Or maybe you're a night owl and your energy doesn't even begin to kick in till 3 p.m. If you schedule high-focus work for the wrong time of day, your plan is gonna feel like pushing a boulder uphill. So instead, start matching your tasks to your energy. Do your deep work when you're sharp and save the lighter admin type stuff for when you're running on fumes. Okay, the fourth reason. Your plans are just too rigid. I've got news for you. Life happens. Kids get sick, clients cancel, unexpected opportunities pop up. Literally, last week my mom ended up in the hospital, and I had to change all of my plans around. If your plan doesn't bend, it's gonna break. A successful plan isn't carved in stone. It's more like a GPS. You know your destination, but if you miss a turn, you just reroute. I swear my GPS hates me. Rerouting, rerouting, rerouting. Anyway, build in buffer time. Allow yourself flexibility and give yourself permission to shift gears without labeling it as a failure. Because life is good a life and we have to adjust for it. It doesn't mean you're failing. It means that something else is more important at the time. Okay, the fifth reason. You forget to look at your plan. I know this sounds silly, but it's true. The best plan in the world will not work if it stays closed up in your planner or buried in your notes app. So instead make your plan visible. Keep it open on your desk. Keep it open on your desk. Set reminders on your phone. Write your top three tasks on a sticky note and stick it to your laptop. The more you interact with your plan, the more likely you are to follow it. Planning is not about doing more, it's about doing the right things in the right way so that you can actually grow your business without burning out. I'd love to invite you to my upcoming planning workshop, Plan Your Quarter with Confidence. It's included if you're in my membership. But if you're not in my membership and you want to join us, you are welcome to do so. I will put the link down in the description. It's just tanyalawson.com slash plan. And in this workshop, I will walk you through how to set goals that you're gonna actually stick to. I'm gonna help you break them into realistic tasks and create a flexible plan that works with your real life. Like I said, you can grab your spot at tanyalawson.comslash plan. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. And remember, your plan doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to work for you. So until next time, keep planning like a boss.