We’ve got a couple (crazy) weeks of 2021 under our belt and today I want to get super practical and share with you my own daily process for staying organized, staying focused, balancing productivity and fulfillment and NOT feeling overwhelmed.
Like you, I have a lot of areas of my life that I want to improve. I’ve never been the kind of person to have just one priority or goal. When you want to eat better, workout more regularly, invest more time in self-care, save more money, improve your relationships, reduce clutter and spend less, it can be super easy to feel overwhelmed or not know what to focus on. For years, I felt like I bounced back and forth between so many goals that I didn’t really make substantial progress on anything, even though I felt like I was always trying so darn hard!
I tried dozens of different approaches, planners and programs but I always either felt scattered, or like I was so focused on one area that all the others were falling apart. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to just be productive. My goal in life isn’t to knock out my to-do list every day. I also want to have amazing relationships, make meaningful memories and generally be happy.
I have a solid daily process for this, and I’m psyched to share it with you. This is an abbreviated version of the process, but I’ve got a special bonus episode of the podcast that goes into a lot more detail.
Daily Process for Productivity and Fulfillment
- I begin every month by brainstorming what would make the month exceptional. I give a ton of examples on the podcast, but I want to make sure I’m including work but not limiting myself to work. I want to include finances and relationships, but I don’t want to limit my thinking to just those areas.
- I define which of these things would be the most impactful. Of all the ideas I brainstormed, which would improve my life the most or make me the happiest? That becomes my primary focus for that month. It’s not my only focus, of course, just the primary one.
- Each day, I commit to 3 small action items that drive that primary monthly focus. My goal, when possible, is to knock these 3 things out as early in the day as possible.
- Every day, I identify 3 other areas of my life that I want to invest in and one thing I’ll do for each. These other areas are outside the area of my primary focus and might include my marriage, my business, finances, etc.
There are some nuances to this strategy that I explain in the podcast episode, but that’s the crux of it.
After our daughter Dagny died in March, I had a renewed desire to make sure I wasn’t just going through each day doing what “had to be done”. I’ve been guilty of that in the past…most days were about work and other essential chores and responsibilities. I hadn’t been intentional about fun, adventure and connection.
So, early in the summer I created this template for what I described about and I found it incredibly helpful. I was able to focus and eliminate overwhelm while driving forward priorities (including the fun and most meaningful parts of life).
After using the template for a month or so, I felt compelled to make it into a hardcover journal/planner and share it with you! The Change Makers Journal can now be YOUR tool, too!
Since it’s brand new, I’ve only ordered a limited quantity and I thought we’d do something extra special for the inaugural batch. Before I tell you about that something special, let me clarify what the Change Makers Journal & Planner is all about.
It is a TOOL. It’s not a blank canvas for your unruly thoughts. It’s designed to help you:
- create clarity about what you really want for your life
- focus daily on actions that move the needle
- balance productivity and fulfillment
- invest in the areas of your life that matter most
- hold yourself accountable to progress
- eliminate overwhelm that comes from a multitude of priorities and obligations
- follow a clear and simple process for productivity
A few things to note:
- One of the cool things about the Change Makers Journal is that it includes QR codes you can scan if you feel stumped on a given question or you want some examples to encourage your own thinking.
- If you have additional questions, please listen to the podcast episode before reaching out – it’s likely answered there.
- Below are a couple pictures of the journal. If you want to know more about the contents of the journal, please listen to today’s podcast.
