In recent years, I've read quite a few books of this type and found that Japanese recording methods are more inspiring and applicable to me. Therefore, for "time management" and "notebook recording," I tend to prefer books written by Japanese authors, and this book's author is also Japanese.
Although I've had the habit of writing schedules since high school, it was only to record exam schedules and review chapter ranges. After university, besides academics, there were more schedules to record. Although phones could achieve the same effect and might be more convenient, due to my declining eyesight, I still prefer recording on paper, which allows for quick browsing and a comprehensive overview when flipping through.
Below, I will share several key points from the book that left a deep impression on me.
The Difference Between "Reverse Planning" and "Accumulative Thinking"
"'Reverse planning' is about imagining what is needed to achieve a 'desired' future. 'Accumulative thinking' doesn't consider the future but thinks about things that 'anyway' seem feasible."
The so-called 'reverse planning' means always clearly looking at the target position and continuously moving forward, having your own set of standards while incorporating others' opinions for reference.
On the other hand, 'accumulative thinking' means that even when encountering crossroads, you don't know which direction to go. Such people easily move forward based on 'feelings' and, because they lack personal judgment, are prone to follow others' opinions and go with the flow.
Accumulative thinking repeatedly thinks 'anyway...', 'it seems like,' easily falling into an infinite cycle of wasted effort. Therefore, clearly knowing what you want and don't want is a very important aspect.
Saying "No" to Unimportant Things
Most of the time, there are always unclear blind spots troubling me, such as: 'Keep this thing for future use, maybe I'll need it someday.' Such thoughts lead to bookshelves always being cluttered with many books I've read before, thinking I'll read them again someday in the future because they might still be useful. I keep this and that, accumulating a lot, but in reality, very few things are used within a year. 'If you don't know what's most important to you, you won't understand what you don't need or what's not important.' This sentence deeply awakened me.
Left image: Writing examples and explanations for project planning forms (p.233).
Right image: Writing examples and explanations for the 'Do Not' list (p.237).
Why Some Things Don't Bring Anticipation
Sometimes when doing things I've planned for a long time, after completion, there's no sense of anticipation or satisfaction, and I'm not happy at all. The author proposes the following reasons for not being happy:
1. Going from negative to zero is not something to look forward to
2. Because it's just maintaining the status quo, it's not exciting or anticipated
Regardless of which reason, their common point is 'thoughts always stay in a negative state.'
Always thinking about negative things, no wonder it's hard to be happy. If you're dissatisfied with the current situation, try thinking: 'After eliminating this dissatisfaction, what else would I want to do? What would I want to become?'
Blindly pursuing past states is also a trigger for staying in negative thoughts. To direct consciousness toward the future and not let consciousness stay in the past, try thinking 'become the best version of myself in life history' and 'discover the unknown self.'
Mindset adjustment: Although the current me can't do it no matter what, if I could do it, I would be very happy!
Making the Future Concrete
To reach our destination, we must clearly know which direction to go next. With direction, we can move toward our goals. 'Making plans is to create a path to achieve desired dreams, solve predictable problems in advance, and realize dreams as smoothly as possible.'
Mindset adjustment:
1. Don't create perfect, flawless plans; create flexible plans.
2. Use the whole to guide details, not details to guide the whole.
Methods for Project-Based Implementation
Often, something cannot be completed because it lacks a method to complete it. Making each thing you want to do into an independent project is one way to get things done. Following the author's steps, you can complete plans step by step from the main body to details and achieve your ideal goals.
Project planning writing example 1
Project planning writing example 2
When a project reaches its end, we need to look back and review the problems within it, conduct a project review for ourselves, so that the next time can be better.
Project review writing example
Three Methods to Break Through "Unclear" Situations
Often, we don't know how to proceed or plan things because we know too little about the 'overall picture of things.' Therefore, the author proposes three solution methods: 'investigate, consult, and find people who have had (successful) experience.'
While investigating and searching for information, list your own 'question list.' Besides listing questions about how to move toward goals, you can also write down things that might fail, how to handle failures, etc., to avoid being caught off guard when these problems occur.
'Carefully investigate necessary items, decide on efficient progress order, estimate the time needed for each item, decide on key points for confirming progress status, decide when to do things.' As long as you follow these five steps, you can initially plan out a blueprint.
Mindset adjustment: Don't be confused by things like 'it's better to have' or 'it's better to know first.' Just reach the minimum level needed to complete the goal. Never have the idea of 'starting only after everything is fully prepared.'
Vision Refers to an Exciting Future
When making plans, don't write down how the future 'can become,' but write out 'if it becomes like this, I would be very excited.' Make goals clear and make accepting this thing important to yourself. Then our priority in deciding things will change.
Small Sense of Achievement
After having specific goals, the next step is 'action.' To keep yourself continuously acting, timely rewarding yourself for reaching small-stage goals is a method to motivate yourself forward. Using 'stickers' and 'stamps' in notebooks can achieve the same effect, which is also a method I've been practicing recently.
The first time I bought souvenirs at Disneyland, the clerk heard me speaking Chinese. After we finished checking out and had a pleasant chat, they gave me an extra sticker. Just that 'tiny one,' but a sense of joy naturally arose in my heart. This is completely different from getting points when buying things at convenience stores. Maybe everything at Disneyland has magic!
Using stickers and stamps to gain a happy sense of achievement (p.199).
Where Can I Buy the "Reverse Planning Notebook"?
After reading this book, what I was most curious about was 'where can I buy it'? It seems like using this 'Reverse Planning Notebook' can make dreams come true! Searching online, I found that Amazon currently sells Japanese versions of the 2018 and 2019 Reverse Planning Notebooks, A5 size with a minimalist design style. Interested people can check it out (here).
The Japanese version of the Reverse Planning Notebook is currently available at all four Kinokuniya bookstores in Taiwan!
Postscript 1: Kinokuniya Bookstore in Taiwan
I took time to visit the Kinokuniya bookstore at Breeze to see the real face of the 'Reverse Planning Notebook.' The store only had one 2019 notebook for browsing, which was entirely in Japanese, unlike the Chinese-translated text in the book.
The 2020 notebook needs to be reserved and ordered at the counter before you can buy it! It's not something you can buy on-site.
Postscript 2: PDF Download Links
In the Reverse Planning Notebook's Facebook group, there are many PDF files of pages mentioned in the book available for download. Here are the links for easy access:
1. My Wish List 1-100 (here)
2. My Wish List 101-200 (here)
3. Do Not List (here)
4. Project Planning《screening》(here)
5. Project Planning (Base Design) Basic Design (here)
6. Project Planning (Stage Design) Process Design (here)
7. Project Review Sheet (here)
8. Beauty & Health Format (here)
9. Diet Format (here)
10. Lesson List (Additional) (here)
11. Overall Relationship Diagram_A3 (here)
12. Overall Relationship Diagram_A4 (here)
13. Reverse Planning Notebook Official Website (here)
14. Booklet "How to Make Dreams Come True with Reverse Planning" (here)
The above files are provided by the author, sourced from (here) and (here)