Mayah Riaz, 39, a celebrity manager and publicity coach, admits she plans her life “somewhat obsessively”. Mayah plans her days in half hour slots and has broken her 2022 goals down by the month, week and days, which she says will make her more likely to achieve them.

She also prepares all her meals and exercise sessions (plus the accompanying podcasts or audiobooks) for the week ahead, and schedules her downtime meticulously, using a Trello board to list the Netflix series and audiobooks she wants to listen to. She stays on top of her social life by arranging to see as many friends together as possible, or arranging to call them while she’s driving or on the treadmill. “I guess if you’re not a planner, this sounds extreme, but I hardly ever end the week thinking I’ve not done all I need to do.”

Mayah admits there are downsides to this level of organisation. “When something happens that I haven’t planned for, it does put me out. Last week my car wouldn’t start as it needed a new alternator. That totally threw off the plans I’d made around my car and it took time to sort out as my dealership couldn’t get me in within a reasonable time. It was a headache I didn’t need and meant a lot of time was spent on it when I could have been doing other things.”

Would she alter her personality if she could? “I could perhaps relax a little more but it’s just how I prefer things, and if it’s not hurting anyone or becoming annoying then I’ll continue.”

Tammy says she wouldn’t change her propensity for planning either. “I’m very happy with it as I’ve accelerated my life, and clients, suppliers and employees are attracted to me because of the speed with which I can achieve my goals, both business and personal.”

Being an over-planner has become easier with today’s technology, Mayah believes. “Whether that’s shopping while preparing a meal or watching the news, accessing your bank with your fingertips, or being able to automate processes within your business.”

What happens when planning stops being productive and starts being obsessive