Overplanning vs Reality: Where to Draw the Line?

We all love to plan. We even love overplanning.

All thanks to the meticulous strategist residing in our skulls一brains.

Now, our brains rely on planning to keep us safe. They are like risk-calculating machines that try to avoid the unfamiliar at any cost.

Studies prove it. According to the Oxford University study in the journal Neuron, our brains constantly try to predict the outcomes so we feel ready for life’s twists and turns.

Interestingly, the study also showed that the brain, specifically the anterior lateral prefrontal cortex, can “tell us” how well we will do on a task even before trying it. Moreover, a well-functioning anterior lateral prefrontal cortex is responsible for accurately gauging future chances of success. This means that we are great at assessing and planning future achievements.

So, why does the overplanning happen?

Well, when you stop your anterior lateral prefrontal cortex from doing its work by being anxious about the future, you slowly move towards overplanning and overplanning anxiety.

That’s when researching and thinking about various scenarios and potential outcomes stops being fun.

You start circling back to the plan and entering a downward spiral of excessive planning. You start adding more details to the plan and don’t get any actual work done.

Sounds familiar?

If overplanning has been stopping you from progressing with tasks and projects, lowering your productivity, this article is here to help.

In the blog post, we explore overplanning vs. reality, explain why it can become a trap, and how to break the cycle of overplanning and let go of perfection. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick video summary from our colleague, Marita, covering the main takeaways. You’ll get all the highlights so you can dive in right away:

Ready to dig deeper and fully understand the ins and outs of the topic? Read on!

What is overplanning?

Overplanning occurs when you spend a lot of time researching and thinking about your next steps.

In such a state, you are determined to collect ALL the data and information so you can choose the correct, optimal path to completing a project, task, etc.

And the reason behind it?

Because you want to avoid wasting time. It’s a fair reason一no one wants to spend additional time doing something important. But overplanning in itself is a time-consuming activity and, ultimately, a trap.

Why is overplanning problematic?

Overplanning embodies your desire to predict and control outcomes despite knowing you have little control over reality.

So, think of overplanning as a hideout. It’s a safe haven where you willingly hide to keep yourself from actually starting whatever you need to do. The hideout keeps you shielded and protected, keeping you away from all the uncertainties and risks of taking action.

So, overplanning is just your mind’s trap. Here’s how your brain uses overplanning as a hideout:

• You don’t have to worry about failing if you don't start something.
• Your brain doesn’t like flexibility; it likes predictability. And when you are overplanning, you are not leaving much room for adaptability.
• Overplanning can be considered a synonym to overthinking. Overthinking is just another way of stopping yourself from starting the work.
• Overplanning hinders creativity and spontaneity.
• Overplanning allows you to enter and stay in a “freeze” state, constantly switching between options and never committing to actual work.

How to recognize you are overplanning

Here are some common signs of overplanning:

• Taking a long time to start projects
• Constantly revisiting plans
• Procrastinating or delaying decisions
• Inability to delegate tasks
• Having a lot of abandoned projects
• Feeling stressed or burned out
• Being inflexible
• Neglecting other areas of life

What’s so dangerous about overplanning is that it gives you a false sense of control; no matter how much you overplan, there will always be circumstances you didn’t think of and/or can’t control.

So, the only way to stop overplanning is to focus on what you can control to plan more efficiently.

Overplanning vs. underplanning

How does the popular saying go 一 between two evils, choose the lesser?

In the case of overplanning vs. underplanning, I say run from both of them. I truly don’t know which is worse.

Overplanning leads to procrastination and inflexibility. Whenever unforeseen obstacles appear, your overly elaborate plan may no longer be viable, trapping you in a situation with little room for adaptation or improvement.

Underplanning, often masked as “being agile”, is like building a house without a foundation. It jeopardizes meeting deadlines and compromises quality and focus.

How to stop overplanning and start doing

The secret to stopping overplanning lies in letting things happen, letting them flow, and trusting that you’ll be able to iterate and shift paths as you go.

I understand that the “go with the flow” approach is easier said than done, so here are three practical tips to help you change your mindset from control freak to flow pro.

#1 Do basic planning

Instead of creating a perfect plan, develop a basic, flexible outline. A “loose” plan. Making such a plan allows you to be agile and adaptable.

Also, when planning, be intentional with your time. Here are some examples of designing a plan promptly:

• Set aside time for planning, like taking 30 minutes of your day; pick a time and date.
• Create an outline of a plan with ideas and steps.
• Reflect on past experiences to inform your planning.

And remember: your plans should not be set in stone; they are just plans not God’s commandments.

Plans vs. reality

“Loose planning” is great because it prevents overplanning and allows for greater flexibility.

However, even those loose plans need to align with SMART goals, and achieving goals is non-negotiable. So, you want to ensure you stay on top of your plans by making every work day aligned with the plan.

For this purpose, you can use Memtime.

Here’s how.

Once you determine your plans for the week or day, download Memtime and start working as you usually do, keeping your plan and objectives in mind.

Memtime is there to provide you with a “reality check”, showing you data on how your work day(s) went and whether your efforts are aligned with your goals and plans.

Here’s what Memtime does:

To see how your plans stack up against reality, you can start our 2-week free trial and create an account (no credit card information required). The 14-day period should be sufficient to see the benefits of tracking your days in relation to your plans.

#2 Time-block planning activities

To avoid overplanning, make regular planning a habit.

Perhaps, on Monday morning you’ll set aside 45 minutes to plan your week.

Or you’ll use the last 15 minutes of your workday to plan the next day.

As long as you develop a pattern, a planning tempo if you will, you’ll know you have a dedicated time just for planning.

#3 Determine deadlines & take accountability

A great recipe won't make a cake without a timer; similarly, a good plan needs deadlines to achieve success.

Understandably, the goal of planning is to create a reasonable timeline, ensuring you have a deadline which you plan to achieve. And if you want to drastically reduce your stress when planning, give yourself a personal goal to complete tasks or projects one day or multiple days ahead of a deadline.

Knowing that defining a deadline can sometimes be insufficient, find something or someone to hold you accountable. In a working environment, I suggest creating a business group or Slack chat where you will give regular updates about plans, goals and projects to your team. You can share your progress every couple of days, bi-weekly or however frequently you and your team see fit.

Wrapping it up: Is there a middle ground to planning?

Before we determine how much planning is enough, let’s recap.

Overplanning is like trying to name and map out every star in the galaxy before you decide to stargaze.

Planning means bringing a map to a treasure hunt; you know where you're going, but you’ll likely get surprised along the way.

That being said, planning is one of those things in life that requires moderation.

The best approach is to create daily, weekly, and even bi-weekly or monthly plans. Here’s a suggested breakdown:

• Weekly planning. Spend about an hour each week to outline your major tasks and goals.
• Daily planning. Spend no more than 15 minutes each day, using your weekly plan as a guide.

Here are some final tips to help you plan more intentionally and stay relaxed:

Happy planning! And may all your plans be as smooth as a GPS with no recalculating moments.