By ALLAN MKANDAWIRE –
PLANNING is defined as an orderly sequence of action aimed at achieving future goals and objectives.
It can be practiced at different levels for different purpose worldwide.
At an individual and family level planning can be done to achieve personal and family goals and objectives, at national level planning is done to achieve the national development goals which can be in terms of health, education, infrastructure or agriculture.
Well most of planning has been done at the national, provincial and district level.
There have been little or no much planning activities at personal and family level in most of our communities.
If at all it has been done, then it is at a very minimal scale and only by those who at least are considered to be educated.
However, planning simply putting ones activities orderly with regard to time and resource of which should be done by every member of society if there is to be development at all levels in our communities.
At personal and family level planning can be done in the following areas:
resource allocation human needs and desires are endless but resources are always in short supply. Therefore, proper planning is necessary in every part of human life.
This can include the allocation of materials, money and human resource to various development and consumption activities.
Under this a person or a family is required to plan for monthly and daily food consumption and for its source.
A family has to plan for children, medical care charges and day to day spending to avoid overspending.
For those involved in business activities, proper planning is required in terms of money and labour allocation to avoid uncertainties.
Time planning or scheduling
Time is the most factor of development at all levels. However time is taken for granted by almost everyone in society.
This has resulted into people in communities being stagnant for many years in terms of development. Due to lack of time management a lot of people have failed to see change in their life to the extent that they have given up try to improve their lifetime management has managed separate and create a very big gap between people who were once in the same class at school.
In shorty good time managers have developed far much better as compared to those who have failed to manage time.
Therefore each and every member of the community is required to safely guard his or her time if they are to develop themselves and the community.
People should be accountable for each and every minute they spend day and night.
Family planning
Much of high levels of poverty at community and nation level have been as result of unplanned population increase.
This has also lead to the maximum increase of street kids and youth unemployment in the country.
These are group of people who have not been planned by the community and government.
In  most of our communities, people bear children first before planning for them.
People should first look at their financial capacity before they decide of having another child.
At a large scale members of society should also look at a wide picture of a national population and help the country in balancing its population and resources.
A balanced population at community and national level will lead to fair distribution of resources in the community.
Therefore, family planning is also major factor of development at family, community and national level.
When all this is achieved by each and every member of community will be able to see communities where; everyone is economically active as result of more people being accountable for their everyday hours.
This will also reduce unemployment levels in the country.
Also as result of family planning, the national population will be maintained at the level which can be sustained by the countries available resource.
This will lead to societies where everyone will have equal chance to education and health services as there will be enough resources for everyone.
When each and every member of society plans for everyday life, the nation will have less Government dependant communities.
Therefore, planning should  be a citizens daily activities for the development of themselves and for the development of the nation at large.
This will lead to a country with responsible and accountable citizens in all economic sectors of the nation.
(The author is a thirdyear student at the
C/belt  University)