All of us have had a day where there were more things to do than hours to do them. This makes us stressed and anxious and causes us to make simple mistakes. We may forget things that are time critical. I have found one solution to this problem.
Have a daily organizer. I like Franklin Covey systems and Jim Rohn’s philosophy about journaling. But any organizer will do. Make sure you have a current year organizer with a date and time.
The Night Before :
Before you go to sleep, write down
- Three things that you did well that day
- Three things you learned (For example, things you could have done better. It is OK to make mistakes; that is how we learn)
- Write down 11 things you need to take care of the next day
- Your daily appointments (by time)
- Your priority tasks (by number; 1 highest – 11 lowest)
- Include family time
- Include 40 minutes for exercise.
- Be thankful for the day and wish yourself goodnight
The Day of :
- Start with a simple prayer, mediation, or relaxation exercise
- Before you start your day take 10 minutes to preview the day’s tasks and appointments and make edits as needed.
- Be prepared for unforeseen and unpredicted tasks that pop up. That is normal and it happens. Be OK with it. Make adjustments as needed.
- Write down notes for your daily hours. This is only for you so spelling and grammar mistakes are OK to make. Have at least a sentence or a phrase for each waking hour. The goal is for you to review at the end of the day and reflect. Be honest with yourself. What did you learn? Can you do better? If so, how?
- Give yourself credit for doing this each day as you go through with it. Good job!
Remember that you are unique and have something to offer to the world (everyone does). Don’t let anyone tell you anything different. If you don’t know this yet it is your mentor’s job to help you figure it out.