Stop Inconveniencing Yourself

Creating Your Weekly Action Plan Based on Self-Awareness

My name is Jada Davis, and I am an engineer currently working as an Energy and Sustainability Manager while earning my MBA at Rice University. Recently, I ramped up to take three classes in the evening instead of the recommended two…and my classmates think I’m crazy!

It has certainly been a challenge to balance work and school, especially because I also want to relax and have fun! So, I am constantly asked the question: "how do you do it?" I tell everyone, design a plan that works for YOU!

I believe that you can do anything with a strong sense of self-awareness and an action plan. This means that you must reflect on what non-negotiable activities must still be a part of your week when you designate time to pursue your goals.

There are four key questions you should ask yourself when planning to undertake an endeavor that requires hard work, consistency, and significant amounts of your free time.

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Creating an Action Plan

1. When are my favorite times to be lazy? Whether you call it lazy time, relaxation, or “me” time, this question is an essential first step in budgeting time for a new endeavor. It encourages you to reflect on the times when you know that you are notorious for not wanting to do anything that involves effort or focus. For me, this is one hour after work and on Sunday mornings. I know that these are my meditating, Spotify-vibing, Netflix-and-chill hours. As you’ll see in my MBA Action Plan, I do not schedule homework during these times.

2. What kind of fun do I want to have this week? This is a weekly question because plans vary week-to-week. I know that it can be cooler to do fun stuff on a whim, but if you reflect on this question early enough, you can make time for all of the fun! For example, this week I want to get dinner with friends on Thursday and do movie night with my family on Saturday night. No homework will be scheduled during those times.

3. Which tasks are going to be the most difficult? If you’re like me, you may have the habit of starting with the easy tasks first to get some early wins. Do not do this! Part of being self-aware is reflecting on what difficult tasks you are likely to avoid and prioritizing those to be the first on the list. You are setting yourself up for success later in the week.

4. How long is it really going to take? This question is the ultimate test to your self-awareness on how much time you must truly allow to accomplish your tasks. As an employee, student, gym-goer, or Etsy business owner, be realistic with your time estimates. Do not schedule only one hour to go to the gym every morning if it takes you 17 minutes to drive there, 10 minutes to stretch and get to the right machine, and 19 minutes to stretch, shower, and wait for a smoothie. When you allow for the right amount of time to chase after your goals, you will stop inconveniencing yourself and start seeing results.

So now that you have reflected on these four key questions, what’s the plan?

An action plan is a time-bound task list. It can take many forms, but for my MBA, I categorize my tasks by subject matter. I then include the number of hours that I think it will take to complete the weekly tasks, and exactly when I plan to complete them. See below for my simple weekly homework action plan.

Weekly MBA Homework Action Plan

Subject	Tasks	Hours Required	Schedule	Complete (Y/N)
Finance	Quiz Video Lecture Homework	7	Fri 3-6p Sat 8a-12p	N
Government	Readings Video Lecture Group Project	9	Thurs 6-8p Sat 12p-3p Sun 1p-5p	Y
Strategy	Readings Video Lecture Case Essay	8	​Fri 6-8p Sun 5p-8p Mon 6-9p	Y
Overflow			Tues 6-8p

Creating your action plan requires self-reflection and a few minutes to envision your upcoming week. The goal is to create a realistic and achievable plan that empowers you. However, often times creating the plan is easier than following it, and that's when reflection comes in handy again. Take some time at the end of the week to reflect on the rigor of your plan, adjust as needed, and repeat weekly!

Be Great,

Jada Davis

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Fill out my Contact Form, I’m available to chat.

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