Today's TQ

Daily Lessons in Intentional Excellence
Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Can You Fix Your Unexpected Stresses?

Keep your stress level down by scheduling in flexibility. Plan time into your schedule to handle last minute situations.

Unexpected things are always going to come up during your day. Plan time for them.

Today's TQ Challenge: Make Planning a Routine Part of Each Day.

Choose to be METHODICAL! Is there enough flexibility in your schedule today?
Choose to be PREPARED! When was the last time some "flex-time" saved your day?
Choose to be DETAIL-ORIENTED! What will you do with your flex-time today if no emergencies come up?

Maximum personal productivity is entirely dependent upon how quickly you can go from a concept to a completion. To be as productive as possible, you must have an organized system for keeping track of all data, dates, numbers, people, goals, plans and to-do's. You need a single system that helps plan this entire flow of detail -- from idea to implementation to completion in the least amount of time -- without losing anything through the cracks -- or driving you crazy in the process.

"Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader." ~ Paul J. Meyer

Think about it. How well and how often do you actually DO Make Plans Factor 5F?

"I plan every day from my Master List, to my To-Do List, to my Schedule... to done."

A high commitment (5F rated 8 or better) suggests you're highly organized and very productive. You're a master at checking off tasks, one-by-one, and never lose track of important details. You have instant access to all the dates and details in your immediate future, and a single list that contains all the things you want to get done. Your calendar provides a clear view of short and long-term goals. Each morning begins with a careful review and a systematic selection of the items you will complete that day. Each day ends with the satisfaction that a multitude of tasks have been successfully completed and major progress has been made overall.

On the other hand...

A lack of commitment suggests there's "no method to your madness." Your list of things to do is often chaotic, disorganized and rarely complete. Notes and reminders tend to be scattered everywhere, and you have to check for appointments in two or three different places. With no comprehensive process in place, you lack both the far-sighted vision of what you want to get done, and the near-sighted view of what needs to be done now. Each day is somewhere between busy and frantic -- and you wonder if you're really making any progress at all.

What happens when you CHOOSE to do Factor 5F a bit more frequently?

You have a simple, yet thorough, system for planning all your projects and tasks. You accumulate performance positives like "Methodical, Competent and Systematic" -- immediately moving you towards the results you expect.

What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 5F?

Things get lost, misplaced, delayed and forgotten -- most of the time. Negatives like "Inconsistent, Chaotic and Scattered" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.

Now Ask Yourself This...
Is Factor 5F Causing You Problems?

If you believe this factor is a key performance obstacle -- and that it's preventing you from realizing your personal dreams and goals -- then you need to improve it.

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