Chapter 6

Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Planning

I've always been in the right place and time. Of course, I steered myself there.

—Bob Hope

Deciding to insert Gain into your life is half the battle; now you have to commit to getting it done.

Think about all the commitments you make every day: to appointments, meetings, work projects, assignments, events, and more. You also have a commitment to yourself to survive—and to do all the Prevent Pain tasks that ensure that this happens. In return for your commitments, you get a paycheck and a life that is free of the fear of consequences. The way to make it all happen and keep those commitments is to take on one more commitment: to planning.

There are three levels of planning—monthly, weekly, and daily—that serve the different levels of A, B, and C tasks and activities that you do each day.

Monthly planning is for your Gain tasks—your A-level commitments. Look at the next month on your calendar and go through the brainstorming and flowcharting steps we outlined in Chapter 5 and get them on your calendar. Planning for your Gain tasks on a monthly basis allows you to see your life moving forward from a higher level than you do when envisioning each day's tasks and deadlines.

Some months will of course allow more time for Gain than others. Events such as regional meeting dates, business travel dates, doctor appointments, celebrations, vacations, and social events are usually scheduled in advance—all things you put on your calendar when you ...

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