I woke up to darkness yesterday, the lights were off and I had no idea what was in store for the day. The grand plan was to do what I have been doing the last few weekends which has felt like self-inflicted punishment; work.
But the good Lord had other plans, it was a day of reflection, I let my mind roam around and thought about a bunch of things. I will share just a few which I hope will help you kick off your week to a powerful start.
Am I on track?
This was the question that kept swimming in my mind not just yesterday, but most of the past few weeks. As every week, ends, I ask myself if my daily schedule is contributing to my annual goals. There was an unfortunate resounding, “no”. It’s been fits and starts and it was apparent to me why that was the case.
Routine? What Routine?
This is the big habit builder, and ties into the first point, is my body and my mind building a daily productivity rhythm? What experience has taught me is that once you build a personal routine, you tend to find yourself innately driven to work toward your goals and you’re not easily distracted by other negative emotions. Had I built a routine, the answer was ‘no’.
- Am I getting enough rest?
The answer was obvious, my mind was so mentally preoccupied finding answers to all these various questions. My mind wasn’t resting and that also meant falling asleep got harder, and this translated into lower productivity during the day.
How is my propriety list?
Every day I draft a to-do list, I signed up to todoist.com which provides daily reminders of what I need to do. But I realise that however much I do complete daily tasks, as planned. The spillover of pro bono work is taking centre stage. Why? Because I realized I was trying to run away from the actual personal goals. Why? Subtle fear sneaking in.
This may not sound great, but I think it is. Why? It shows me that I am being more deliberate and living more consciously. I found this out in mid-February and not at the tail end of December when the year has rolled by and I have nothing to show for it. Being conscious of the fact and allowing my mind to process all of this made me crack the whip on myself.
I know what I need to do, I am aware of my discomforts and I need to find a way to address those discomforts now, to get back on track. Finally, I need to ensure that I get rest not just physically, but mentally on all weekends.
Have you had time to reflect on your progress thus far this year? What have you learned? What kind of changes are you making to ensure you stay on track to meet your 2018 goals?
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