“Until you commit your goals to paper, you have intentions that are seeds without soil.” (Anonymous)

Yesterday I wrote about how I do not have a Vision statement written down because those do not work for me. That doesn’t mean that I never write down my goals and use a written plan. Today’s quote reminds me of the power of a written plan.

As I have written before, I am a list maker and a plan maker. When I have an important project to do, I pull out a pad of paper and start writing down all of the things that must be done to complete the project. My family can tell stories about the pages-long lists that are kept for everything from Christmas preparation to Graduation Parties. I use the same method at work.

A while back I wrote about the Time Management for Busy Teens class I once taught. One of the more powerful things I included in that class was the idea of making a daily to-do list. I find it very powerful to write down the things I want to accomplish in a particular day, and then check things off as I go. For me the act of checking the list boosts my energy, while also documenting what has been accomplished.

I often get a bit of teasing from my children for my seemingly-archaic use of paper and pen. I actually do keep notebooks and paper lists for these kinds of projects. I have powerful, electronic tools available to me for my lists, but I eschew them for the simplicity of the written plan. To me there is something cathartic about taking a pen and drawing a harsh line through a difficult task on the list. That catharsis just doesn’t happen when I click with my mouse or thumb.

Today I feel affirmed by this quote. I am affirmed in the notion that a written plan will always accomplish a goal better than one that exists only in my head. Now, what can I write a plan for today? Hmmm.