Ever feel like your carefully crafted plans go out the window once life gets busy? In this episode of Productivity Hacks, we dive into real-world strategies for sticking to your plans, without feeling like you’re chained to them. Learn the importance of realistic planning, discover practical tools like time-blocking and the Pomodoro technique, and explore how to regroup when things go sideways. Plus, I’ll share how my word for the year, ‘Aligned Adventure,’ keeps my planning personal and purposeful. Ready to make your plans work for you? Grab a cuppa and join me!
01:27 Today’s Topic: Staying on Track with Your Plan
02:36 The Importance of Sticking to a Plan
03:14 Realistic Planning and Self-Reflection
05:05 Paper vs. Digital Planning
07:56 Top Tactics for Staying on Track
12:59 Scheduling High-Quality Leisure Time
15:00 Regrouping When Things Go Off Track
Links to the books I referenced (affiliate links):
Deep Work: Rules for Focuser Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport)
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (Cal Newport)
Atomic Habits (James Clear)
Eat That Frog!: Get More Of The Important Things Done Today (Brian Tracy)
Have you ever started the week with a solid plan, only to see it unravel by Wednesday? Even the best-laid plans can go sideways when life gets busy, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon them completely. Today, we’re diving into practical strategies for keeping on track with your weekly and daily plan in real time.
From being realistic with your to-do list to knowing when and how to adjust, I’ll be sharing my favorite techniques to help you stick to your plan without feeling chained to it. Let’s get started!
A plan is more than just a list of tasks—it’s your roadmap to clarity, reduced overwhelm, and meaningful progress toward your long-term goals. When you have a plan, you eliminate decision fatigue and gain confidence in knowing exactly what you need to do next. However, a plan is only useful if it’s realistic and adaptable.
Many of us fall into the trap of overloading our schedules. We write epic to-do lists that would take weeks to complete, and then we feel like we’ve failed when we don’t tick off every single task. If this sounds familiar, step one is making sure your plan is actually achievable.
Before jumping into a new week, take time to reflect on the previous one:
Did I take on too much?
What worked well?
What didn’t work?
Planning isn’t just about looking forward—it’s also about learning from the past so you can adjust accordingly. A simple review of what went well and what needs tweaking can set you up for success.
One of the most common questions I get is whether paper or digital planning is better. The answer? It depends on you! Here’s a breakdown:
✅ Great for people who love writing things down ✅ Helps with memory retention ✅ Less digital distraction
✅ Ideal for those who need flexibility ✅ Easy to adjust on the go ✅ Syncs across devices (great for family or team coordination)
I personally use a mix—a paper planner for jotting down daily priorities and a digital calendar (Google Calendar) for scheduling and time-blocking. Try both and see what works best for you!
💡 Tackle your most important (or hardest) task first.
This concept comes from Brian Tracy’s book Eat That Frog, and the idea is simple: If you start your day by tackling the hardest, most important task first, everything else will feel easier. Prioritize the task you’re most likely to procrastinate on and get it done early!
💡 Work in focused sprints (25 min work / 5 min break).
The Pomodoro Technique is a fantastic way to boost focus and beat procrastination. Set a timer for 25 minutes, work with full focus, then take a short 5-minute break. Repeat until your task is done!
💡 When planning becomes a habit, consistency follows.
If you take five minutes each evening to review your next day, planning becomes second nature. Books like Atomic Habits by James Clear provide excellent insights into how small, consistent actions can transform your productivity.
💡 Schedule your key tasks into your calendar like meetings.
Instead of just writing a to-do list, allocate specific times for your tasks. When tasks have a set time slot, they’re far more likely to get done.
💡 Turn off notifications, close tabs, and protect your focus.
One of the biggest productivity killers is constant distraction. Consider muting notifications, using “Do Not Disturb” mode, or even going offline while you work. Protecting your focus is key to sticking with your plan.
Even with the best intentions, sometimes plans fall apart. Here’s how to recover:
Take a moment to breathe and ask yourself: What absolutely needs to get done today? What can wait?
Sometimes, you need to let go of a few tasks and focus only on the essentials. That’s okay!
Even if your day didn’t go as planned, do one productive or uplifting thing before the day ends. It could be a small win like tidying your desk or prepping for tomorrow.
At the end of the day, planning isn’t just about productivity—it’s about making sure your actions align with your values, goals, and vision.
Each month, I ask myself two questions:
What am I doing to align with my values and goals?
What adventures (big or small) will I have this month?
By keeping planning personal and practical, it becomes more meaningful and easier to stick to.
Now, I want to hear from you! What’s one change you’ll make this week to help you stick to your plan? Will you try the Pomodoro Technique, schedule your tasks like meetings, or minimize distractions?
Let me know! If you enjoyed this post, subscribe, share it with a friend, and stay tuned for next week’s episode, where I’ll be sharing the books that have changed the way I live and work. Until then, happy planning!
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Hi everyone and welcome back to another episode of Productivity Hacks. I’m your host, jasmine, and I am so glad you’re here. I’m celebrating this week as I took the big step of incorporating my company rather than staying as a sole trader. That’s how the UK works. I’m not sure about other countries for my international listeners, but a good friend asked me why I did this today and the reason I did this is because I want to build for future scale. I’ve got big visions, big plans. I want to show myself and the world that I’m serious about this. The plans may take a while to come to fruition, but you are very welcome to join me for the ride.
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I chose the name Zest Productivity Limited because having a zest for life means approaching life with enthusiasm, energy and a genuine passion for living. It’s about embracing each day with a sense of purpose, curiosity and joy, and people who have a zest for life find excitement in both big adventures and simple pleasures, stay motivated by their values and goals. Adopting this zesty mindset encourages resilience, positivity and an appreciation for the present moment, helping to make life’s challenges feel more manageable and its successes more fulfilling. So if I can get more of this myself and help others increase their zestiness, then that would be a job well done for me. So if you want more of this zestiness, keep with me. I’m so glad we’ve connected.
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Today’s episode of productivity hacks is inspired by a great question that I got from Victoria on Instagram and she said can you talk about your tactics for keeping on track with your weekly and daily plan in real time? Such a good question because, let’s be honest, even the best laid plans can go sideways when life gets busy. So in this episode, I’m going to share with you my favourite tips and tools for sticking to the plan without feeling like you’re chained to it. We’re going to talk about being realistic, using planners, staying focused or even how to regroup when things don’t go as planned. Before we get started, I just wanted to shout out some new locations. Productivity Hacks has now been listened to in 40 countries, with 307 cities represented. New countries recently have been the Maldives, saudi Arabia, nigeria and Hong Kong. Get in touch if you want a shout out, and I’d love to google your hometown. Okay, back to today. Grab a cup of tea, get your notebook out or take me along with you on your walk. Let’s get going.
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So why does sticking to a plan matter. I wanted to start by talking about how important it is to stick to your plan, or at least try to. For me, having a plan is about more than just ticking the boxes. It’s about creating that clarity, reducing overwhelm every day. It’s about linking my day-to-day to my long-term dreams, as I’ve shared in my last three episodes about planning. When you’ve got a clear plan, you’re not constantly wondering what should I do next? It is like giving your brain a roadmap for the day. It’s making your decisions in advance and it’s being your future friends that you can help prevent decision fatigue in the future. That said, plans need to be realistic, and this is where many of us go so wrong, because we write these epic to-do lists that will take three days or three weeks to get through, and then we tell ourselves that we failed when we only tick off half. Does that sound familiar? If you want to stick to your plan, step one is making sure it’s actually achievable, and this brings me to something really important, which is knowing yourself and your limits.
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Over-stretching yourself is a surefire way to feel burnt out and frustrated. Instead, how about using your weekly planning time to reflect on the previous week before you jump into the next week plan so you can learn what works and what doesn’t and edit your plan. Ask yourself did I take on too much? What worked well, what didn’t? Planning is not about just looking forward. It’s about learning from the past so you can set yourself up for success.
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My wonderful friend shared with me recently about a week she’d had. That was just too much. She took on too much as she wanted to help someone else out, but she didn’t realise that she had taken on too much until she spent the time reflecting. At the end of the week. She asked herself why am I feeling like this? She explored why she took on what she did and then she put some plans in place to try and not make this same mistake in the future. She put in those solid boundaries in place and communicated them, and she even wrote a list to remind herself of the consequences of taking on too much. How good is that? It wasn’t great that she had a challenging week. I really felt for her, but it was great that she used that to learn and adapt for the future.
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So there’s some tools you can use to stick to your plan, and I wanted to talk about specifically paper versus online planning. This comes up all the time and the truth is there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Some people love that tactile feel of a paper planner. Others swear by the flexibility of a digital tool like a Google Calendar or Notion. You need to try things and decide what works and lean into things you already like or use. If you love notebooks and pens, perhaps leaning towards a paper planner is a great idea. If you love apps and tech, then try that. There are great to-do list apps with reminders that can easily take the place of a paper one. I personally don’t like using lots of apps because I try to reduce my phone notifications where I can, but I have used these in the past and loved them.
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Also. Adjust Something works until it doesn’t you change. The world changes. So reflecting on what works is a really good thing. If you can enjoy the planning, then that is a win. I was sharing that with someone in my Productivity Hacks Facebook group. If you can enjoy the planning, that’s great, but if you can’t enjoy it, if you can use something to make it quick and painless, that is also a win. But personally, on the whole paper versus digital debate, I use the mix. I love jotting down my daily priorities on paper and doing my planning system the planning system I shared with you last week because it keeps everything front and centre. I also love using highlighters and making it look attractive. I find it really helpful to write things down because it kind of gets more in my brain.
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But for scheduling stuff, I completely rely on my online planner, especially for time blocking, because I need to be able to book something in on my phone and then see it on my computer. I need to be able to book something in and my husband sees it as well. If I just used a paper diary to write all my appointments in, it would really frustrate me. So I have different calendars on my Google calendar. I’ve got one for the kids, where they are, what activities they’re doing. I have my work one. I have personal. I see my husband’s shifts as a train driver. I see all there and I can see where my space is.
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If I just use the paper diary to write all my appointments in, it would really frustrate me, because I couldn’t just add something in when I was out and about. I couldn’t see if my husband had put something in. I couldn’t see what the plan for the kids was, if you’re not sure which is for you paper or online? Try both and see what feels right, and don’t be afraid to switch it up if you need to change. So where do you lean towards? Paper, digital, a mix? Do you love notebooks? Do you love tech? Where to start? Where do you lean towards? So I want to now get onto the nitty-gritty about how to actually stay on track with your plan in real time, and these are my go-to tactics and some books that you could check out if you want to explore this concept further. On the topic of books, I love them, but next week I’m going to be sharing the books that have changed the way I live and work, so check out that episode when it launches. So I have five things to share with you.
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Number one is eat the frog. I have mentioned this before, but if you’ve never heard it, it comes from Brian Tracy’s book Eat that Frog. It means tackling your hardest or most important task first. It’s based on a saying that says that if the first thing you do every morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day. I cannot imagine the horror of eating a live frog. But imagine it with me for a second. If you can Think of how you’d feel about the rest of your day if you’d got that over and done with, and if you translate this to your tasks, think of that important task, which is often the thing that we put off and procrastinate over. That’s your frog. When you start the day by eating the frog, you build momentum and you feel accomplished early on and it makes it easier to stay on track. This approach is really helpful if you tend to procrastinate on big tasks. If I’m procrastinating on something, one thing I do is I have a little stash of chocolate bars in my desk and they’re Freddo frogs which you can get in the UK. I do is I have a little stash of chocolate bars in my desk and they’re Freddo frogs which you can get in the UK. They’re just little chocolate bars but they’re frogs and it is a reminder to eat that frog. I also had a little soft toy frog on my desk, but my little seven-year-old Jamie has adopted it and it’s now his frog. So my little frog now lives in his bedroom, but at least it’s loved.
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The second method or technique I wanted to share with you is the Pomodoro technique. I have also mentioned this before, but it is so good and so many people tell me how much of a game changer this is. So it was introduced by Francesco Cirillo and it is a game changer for focus. You work 25 minutes and then you take a five minute break and it’s perfect for breaking those big tasks into manageable chunks and keeping procrastination at bay. Plus, those little breaks keep your energy up. If you’re new to the Pomodoro technique, there are lots of apps to get you started, or you can just use a simple timer. I’ve recently discovered a great company which sell these amazing candles which burn for 30 minutes, which is a novel way to help you keep that focus for a stint of time, and there’s something about the flame that makes it even deeper. You know what I mean. I like them to sprint with something or to focus when I journal. They are brilliant. I’m not going to say much more, but message me if you you want info. I will be having the owner of this business onto the podcast this year, so watch this space. Some of my lovely coachees have had these as gifts from me recently, as of most of my family, because I am a big fan.
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Number three is habits and routines, because a lot of sticking to your plan comes down to your habits. For example, if you make it a habit to plan your day the night before, you’re less likely to wake up feeling scattered. Or if you always work with a 10-minute focus session, it becomes second nature. Books like Atomic Habits by James Clear can offer excellent insights into building habits that stick, and that is one of the books that’s going to feature next week. Number four is schedule yourself. Time blocking is so powerful because, instead of just writing down the tasks, you give them a specific time slot in your day. You add it to your diary, your calendar or your planner like a meeting. It forces you to be really realistic about what you can actually get done and it reduces that decision fatigue. Plus, having a set schedule makes it easy to say no to things that aren’t as important and you don’t have time for.
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Number five is minimise distractions. This is a big one and I’m going to really try and not go off on a rant. Turn off your notifications, close unnecessary tabs and let people know you’re unavailable. Protecting your focus is key to sticking with your plan, and I would go so far to say to think about your notifications even when you’re not having a focus sprint. I made the decision last year to be really selective about my notifications on my phone and I regularly review it. I want to go to my phone when I want to, not when it summons me. And if you struggle with this? Deep Work by Cal Newport, I’ve heard, is a great resource for learning how to create a distraction-free environment. I haven’t read it myself, but I do love his other books and this is on my long wish list for books. So which one of these five will you try next? Eating the frog, the Pomodoro technique, looking at your habits, scheduling yourself, or looking at minimising your distractions? Write it down somewhere, add it to your plan, your to-do list, tell someone you’re going to do it and ask for that accountability.
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I also want to touch on something that’s often overlooked when thinking about planning, and that is scheduling high quality leisure time. It is so easy to fill every gap in your diary with work, but taking time to recharge is just as important. Think about activities that genuinely refresh you, whether that’s reading, spending time with family, going for a walk. Cal Newport talks about high quality leisure in his book Digital Minimalism, and it really challenged me to think about the downtime I have and if I’m using it the best way. For me, when you have meaningful downtime, meaningful rest, you’ll be much more focused and productive during the hours that you work and be able to stick to the plan. So what leisure do you consider high quality? What stuff really fills your cup? What’s coming to mind now? Are you doing enough of it?
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So this year, my word of the year is aligned adventure. I know it’s two words. It’s my word, it’s my rules and I’ve been using this aligned adventure as a guide in my planning. Every month, I ask myself two questions what am I doing to get to know myself better so I can align with my values and goals, and what adventures will I have this month? For me, planning isn’t just about productivity. It’s about making sure my plans reflect who I am and where I want to go. Keeping planning personal and practical helps it feel more meaningful. When I sit down to plan, I’m not just writing tasks. I’m making sure my actions align with my vision for 2025. This alignment keeps me motivated and grounded even when things get busy, or it pulls me back to what’s important when I’ve got too busy. How can you keep your planning personal. How can you align it with your word for the year? If you haven’t got a word or want to explore your word more, have a listen to episode 10 to help you do this.
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I wanted to touch on how to regroup when things go off track, which is linked to what Victoria asked, because even with the best intentions, there are days, weeks when plans go out the window, and here’s what I do when that happens. Firstly, I just pause and reassess. I try not to panic. I take a moment to breathe and I look at my plan what absolutely needs to get done today, what can wait? Like I shared earlier about my friend, her week, last week, went wrong and she could have spiralled, but she didn’t. She stopped, assessed, reflected, learned and this week she took the steps to make sure it didn’t happen again, to rest and recuperate. Also, adjust your expectations. Sometimes you just have to let go of a few tasks and focus on the essentials, and that is okay. I did this in December. I spent some time thinking about what I needed to do in December before I finished for Christmas, and I was super clear about my main priorities, but I realised I’d planned too much, so I reassessed, I deleted things off the list or I moved them to January. I decided to finish working earlier and have a longer break in December as well.
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The benefits of working for yourself. There are lots of challenges, but I will lean into the benefits all I can. And the other thing I do if my plan has gone out the window is I try to finish strong, even if the day didn’t go as planned. I end it by doing something productive or uplifting could be a really small win, like tidying my workspace or prepping for tomorrow. The main thing is to draw that metaphorical line the past is gone. You can’t get back the day, but you can have a great evening doing things you want or need to do to reset and then start tomorrow afresh.
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So how do you recover when your day goes off track? What tip are you going to take from this next time? Okay, so there you have it, my favourite tactics for sticking to your plan and staying on track in real time. Remember, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being intentional and flexible. Before we wrap up, I want to hear from you what’s one change you could make this week to help you stick to your plan. Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review. It honestly thrills me when I see one more subscriber. Share it with a friend who might need a little productivity boost if you think that it might help, and don’t forget to tune in next week. I’ve got a great episode lined up about the books that have changed the way I live and work. Until then, have a productive and balanced week.
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