Last week I shared a plan with me video and then found myself sick by Tuesday which meant all of my pretty plans didn’t happen.
I am trying to be very conscious this year about what it is I am trying to accomplish and making sure it aligns with the things that matter to me most. Adding something to a list every week that I am just not doing isn’t going to help me reach any goals and not giving myself grace when things happen is also not going to support me and the goals I have.
We get sick, we have bad days and plans don’t work out. What I am trying to do this year is to really connect with my plans and re-visit with them each week to make sure they are still in alignment with what I am working towards.
Handwriting my Habit Tracker and Time Blocking schedule is really helping me with that. I am able to recognize that right now, focusing on my dissertation and course work isn’t best suited for the headspace I’m in right now. I don’t want it to fall to the wayside but I also need to be realistic about where I am right now.
So I removed a few things this week like my coursework, editing my writing and daily walks. Since I haven’t been writing daily-which is my highest priority, there is no sense in focusing on editing. With the weather right now and the fact that I am just starting to feel back to my normal energy level letting daily walks go for this week made sense so I can focus on stretching instead.
I really like this way of connecting with the habits I am trying to cultivate. It’s my hope I won’t be beating myself up for not doing something and rather looking at why it wasn’t done, do I still need to do it and if there is a better way to approach it. It also keeps me from having things on my list that I think I should be doing rather than the things I am meant to be doing.
With the time blocking I am basically splitting my day into 4 parts and deciding what activities are most like going to be done during these times. This isn’t for tasks like “laundry” but rather meant for the things that really matter to me and I want to make time for. I took in to account how I feel at different times of the day. Since I am not a natural morning person (much more a “noon” person) that wouldn’t be the best time to try and practice my flute or work on my French lessons. My brain is not nearly awake enough for that.
By plotting the general time I am planning to do certain goals it feels like I am leaving more space for things to happen spontaneously throughout the day which I also love. As much as I love the idea of planning out each minute of the day I am not that person. I love leaving lots of room for the unknown or to follow a burst of inspiration here and there.
So that is what I am working on today. I hope you enjoy this little look into my planning day. If you have any questions about what I am using please feel free to comment.
Until next time…
–Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante
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