by The pandemic seems to have only compacted our schedules, making every day feel like a high-pressure ground hog’s day! Hopefully, that will abate as we begin to open up again, but I wonder if we’ve formed some bad habits along our journeys in the last year. (Hint: I have!) But another habit I’ve picked up–for better or worse–is learning to live and die by my schedule. And that it’s just as important to block off time for recreation as it is to do so for work productivity.
I’ll admit I’ve been accused of being a slave to my calendar. And it’s true! It felt like the demands on time grew exponentially during the pandemic. Then again, it also felt like everything that was once easy now took more work than ever. I’m not talking about anything complicated. Just navigating a regular workday at times has felt like doing it underwater, taking greater energy to do things that used to be so easy. Many times I’ve felt like I was moving in slow motion.
I’m sure like you, work is a high priority–especially if you’re the breadwinner. But aside from my work like, I have a host of other goals and objectives to achieve. So, how could I possibly make time for them when every minute of the day seemed to be accounted for either working or recovering?
This may not surprise you, but the secret is to make time for them. In Power Hour, author Adrienne Herbert writes about how to focus on your goals and create a life you love. Um…who doesn’t want that? In this quick read, she gives some practical advice about setting aside the first hour of the day to work on the projects that help you achieve your goals.
To set the intentions and mindset for the day, she defines six questions to ask yourself every morning before 6 am:
- What energy do you want to have today?
- From whom can you learn?
- Who can you help?
- How can you get closer to where you want to be a year from now?
- What are you most looking forward to today?
- What are you most grateful for today?
As an early riser, I’ve found putting this routine into practice has worked successfully for me. Like building the habit of working out so that it doesn’t become an “I should”, but rather an “I will”. I’ve taped the six questions to the wall by my computer to remind myself to ask them each morning. After a while, they’re pretty quick to answer because they’ve been lurking in the back of my brain, waiting to be asked!
If you find you’re struggling with how to set the tone for the day that allows you to successfully accomplish the goals you set out for yourself, give this book a read!
