Are you a planner or do you go with the flow?
There are two types of people (more or less):
1/ The ultra-planners. Тhey schedule everything down to the minute, know who they’re meeting three months from now, and already have their 2027 summer vacation mapped out.
2/ And then there are the freestylers. Тhey don’t know what they’re doing two hours from now, let alone next week.
Which one are you?
Personally, I’m somewhere in between.
I like planning ahead for some things. It gives me routine and mental space. But for others, I leave it completely open.
Case in point: I have no clue where or when I’ll take a vacation this summer. I know it’ll be in September and I want it to be by the sea, but that’s about it. I’ll figure it out later.
Curious where you land on the spectrum: planner, improviser, or a mix of both?👇
Replies
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@cholden_lewis I agree, what are you launching?
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@cholden_lewis Did it! Looks sick man! excited for your launch
@cholden_lewis why you prefer freestyle?
Haha, I feel this! I’m 80% freestyler—terrible at detailed plans (even though I’m weirdly meticulous at work). When I do make plans, they’re rough sketches because if I commit? Oh, I’ll obsessively stick to them. Zero flexibility mode activated—can’t handle disappointing myself or others! 😅
Btw, for your September seaside vacay: Bali or Lombok would be perfect! Gorgeous beaches, great food, and (aside from flights) surprisingly budget-friendly. Just avoid the ultra-touristy spots if you want peace.
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@rani_zagita Great tips!!
Honestly, I would rather strategically plan with some schedule (but it is sometimes limiting) so I am trying to be less anxious when things need to be fixed along the way :D
@busmark_w_nika How far in advance do you plan your schedule?
@byalexai It depends on what activity to plan. But generally, plan quarterly. 3 months.
I go in with a plan. I map out every section, estimate the time, try to be organized. Then I start working... everything falls apart, and I freestyle the rest.
@keremcan01 what's your plan for the next week?
@byalexai testing out yt shorts to find users for our product, and working on a new newsletter we are launching. All this asides usual networking on x, reddit, linkedin, etc. Busy lol.
I do a bit of both. I usually plan only the previous day instead of the whole week, which gives me better visibility into what I actually got done and what needs to be carried over (if any). That way, I can plan the next day more realistically.
Planning every single day of the week in advance (except repetitive everyday tasks) used to overwhelm me, especially if something unexpected came up or a task took longer than expected.
When it comes to regular tasks, I don’t assign rigid time blocks for each one. Instead, I set an overall time estimate for the group, just enough to give me a clear sense of how much time I should spend if I want to get through everything I’ve planned, but without stressing myself out with overly strict scheduling.
I also block out mandatory buffer time each day. If there’s extra work, I use it, and if not, I don’t treat it as relaxation time. Instead, I treat it as extra time (apart from allotted time) to read more about industry trends or tune into current conversations.
And of course, I set aside time for personal life and proper “me time” that’s honestly helped me stay way more productive than an always-on work mode.
And as for your Vacay, Andaman is serene, nature-heavy, and it's basically sea all around. Perfect to unplug, if that’s what you’re aiming for.
@betsykittu You're being really smart about it. I always get frustrated when I can’t finish my entire to-do list, but the truth is . It’s impossible to get it all done, especially considering I put 1,000 tasks on it.
@byalexai "especially considering I put 1,000 tasks on it." haha I feel that in my bones. I was like that, then kinda experimented with routines till I found this.
@betsykittu maybe you cracked the code
It depends on the situation. But I try to plan ahead. Think through every action. Sometimes improvisation can backfire.
It's probably much easier to follow a plan.
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I like that Tom!
Freestyle unless my partner is involved and then it’s plan the hell out of everything! 😂
@robert_nelson8 why? he loves to make a plan?
It's weird, I live somewhere in between. I know who I’m meeting three months from now. I’ve got the broad strokes of my quarter mapped out, and I tend to make long-term decisions pretty early - travel, projects, major commitments. Those things give me structure and vague narrative.
But when it comes to the day-to-day, I don’t use time blocks. I don’t tell myself I have to do Task A at 10:00am sharp. It's too stifling. Instead, I break my work down into pieces and assign them to days. I know what needs to be done, and I make sure each day has its role. But I don’t let time control the process. I try to work fluidly.
Some of my best work has happened outside “productive” hours: late at night, on a walk, or in those strange in-between pockets of time that schedules usually overlook. So I plan the big picture, but I leave room. This balance works best for me.
@dheerajdotexe tell me your plan for the next 3 weeks
Finden
Definitely a planner. My calendar’s stacked, my to-do lists have to-do lists, and I get weirdly excited about scheduling things in advance. I do leave a bit of room for last-minute stuff, but honestly, I’m way more relaxed when things are mapped out.
I'm both. Can't plan too much and won't freestyle beyond a certain threshold. I like the wiggle room and structure and I'm balanced.
Not planning out everything down to the minute, but even in my side project I am using a Kanban style dashboard in order to sort my tasks. I am a person who needs some kind of structure, otherwise I'd never get to a release when being distracted by hunting from side quest to side quest 😅 Doesn't mean though I strictly stick to what I planned weeks ago
@fr31b3u73r 100% Love the Kanban style!
Three years ago, as a Ukrainian forced to make an urgent move to Slovenia, I lost the luxury of long-term planning. When your world collapses, plans become fragile. It compelled me to shift from planning the future to designing the present. I discovered that the only real control we have is the choice of where to direct our energy today. It's an existential choice. not just going with the flow, but consciously rowing toward your values, even when you can't see the shore.
@dmytrotomniuk That's terrible. Have you been able to go back to Ukraine to visit your loved ones, or is it not possible?
I’m a mix of both. I plan my weeks in detail - meetings, workouts, personal stuff- but I’m not rigid about it. I like having structure, but I also leave space for spontaneous plans, especially when it comes to travel or weekends.
@borja_diazroig Yes, I try to do the same. I don't want to always plan where I'll go with my family, but rather to have freedom when making that choice.
I’m firmly on the freestyler side not because I don’t value structure, but because the process drains me. Opening a calendar, clicking through forms, typing every detail… it’s exhausting. I still plan my day (and even long-term goals) in my head.
The problem is, “for work” apps have turned into heavy automation machines integrated with everything — powerful, but overwhelming. And daily life productivity apps try to cover everything — habit tracking, goal management, calendars — until it’s hard to tell what they’re actually for.
Exactly the problem my team’s been working to solve, thanks for starting a great discussion.
@trace__subin Yes, sometimes this overload with tasks and calendars becomes too mentally draining. You end up doing more clicking than actual work.
@byalexai Exactly. There should be less clicking!
OFFLIGHT
It works both ways for me. Hard things (funding, launching) goes under the plan. Every less important thing goes as freestyle.
@daniel_hong And do you plan your operational day-to-day work, or not?
OFFLIGHT
@byalexai I used not. But since my cofounder who does the operation work for the team is now gone, I am thinking about setting a specific routine.
@daniel_hong Gotcha.
So now you're the main driver?
I like planning the things I don’t want to think about later. That’s usually logistics, meetings, ops stuff. The creative work like the strategy, copy, actual idea, stuff like that, I might leave those a bit loose. Most time the perfect execution for those do not show up on command, so I don’t pretend they will.
@a11yexpert I like this approach. Still, even for those things, you need to plan some time, because otherwise, you might never get to them.
I’m definitely a planner, but with a twist. I plan knowing full well that things will probably change. I love having a roadmap (it gives me a sense of control and direction), but I’ve learned to stay flexible. My main rule? Don’t get stuck in one way of doing things.
@lina_huchok what is your plan for the current week?
@byalexai Everything this week is orbiting around our Product Hunt launch, we’ve picked the date: September 23. I’m in the middle of pulling together our Core Team and mapping out the plan. If you’ve been down this road and have any tips (or things you wish you did differently), I’d seriously love to hear them. Always up for learning from people who’ve been in the launch trenches 🙌
@lina_huchok Happy to hear about your upcoming launch!
You can find me on X or Linkedin and we can chat! Have plenty of things I can share with you about a launch!
I am an Agile planner, if thats a term. I plan the basics and then always ready to improvise to the need of the hour!
Planning is very much required to do what's right for us so s to avoid the things that not to be done, for out of the box situations, those will be figured out later on. Since no one has to dwell over thinking rather doing.