​Planning Ability

By Tchiki Davis, MA, PhD

*This page may include affiliate links; that means I earn from qualifying purchases of products.

What Is Planning?

Planning refers to the thought process, strategies, and actions you take to solve a problem or reach a goal. It involves prioritizing and making compromises. Good planning is essential for reaching any desired outcome, including happiness.

Why is it important to build this skill?

Planning is probably the most overlooked, yet useful, skill for boosting happiness. Carefully thinking through the processes that will help you achieve happiness greatly increases the ease, speed, and likelihood of successfully reaching your happiness goals. Developing a well-supported strategy and approach ensures that you do eventually achieve your happiness goals.

​Activities to develop this skill:

Scheduling Happiness

There is no “right” amount of time to spend on your happiness. What is important is that you have a regular time scheduled - a time that your honor just like you would honor any of your other appointments. In this activity, you learn to schedule time for practicing your skills.

Accountability

​One of the ways people stick to their goals is by telling other people what their goals are. Then you have someone to check in on you. In this activity, you learn to be accountable for increasing your happiness.

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About Dr. Tchiki Davis

Dr. Davis is founder of The Berkeley Well-Being Institute. After getting her PhD in psychology at Berkeley, she started creating online content & programs to boost well-being—some of these have reached more than a million people. As author of Outsmart Your Smartphone, and contributor to Psychology Today, The Greater Good Science Center, and Shine Text, Dr. Davis aims to share her insights on happiness & health with people all across the world. Learn more about Dr. Davis.

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