In Chapter One of Manage Your Day to Day they cover:
- Laying Groundwork for an Effective Routine
- Harnessing the Power of Frequency
- Building Renewal into Your Workday
- Making Room for Solitude
The first step is to create a schedule for yourself. I stay at home with my kids every day. My "job" is to take care of them, the house, my oil business, and my blog. In order to get my raging to do list complete - I need a routine. Not just any routine, a realistic one.
I started building my daily routine by making a list of what is important to me. What do I need to accomplish everyday? What are my non-negotiables? Daily devotional time, exercising, and reading were my must haves. I also wanted to create time for working on my Young Living business and this blog. These five things typically get ignored since they only affect me. My world won't come crashing down if they don't get done, but ignoring my faith or creating some solitude will affect my soul and my attitude.
I added every item on my list to my Outlook Calendar. It looks a bit crazy, but it works. We each have a color and our every day activities are mapped out.
Does every day go as planned? Not in the least, but at least I have a plan. It is up to me to execute and follow through. My main objective every day is to be present in the activity at hand and to spend each minute with intention. Here are a few tips to creating a solid routine as suggested in the book.
- Start with the rhythm of your energy levels.
- Use creative triggers
- Manage the to-do list
- Capture every commitment
- Establish hard edges in your day
I really liked what Gretchen Rubin said about frequency. She mentions doing activities every day makes them easier to do. I couldn't agree more. Working daily on something creates a habit. Once a habit is formed it is hard to stop, just ask me about my diet coke problem.
What I do every day matters more than what I do once in a while.
Apply this motto to all areas of your life. The weight you want to lose, the business you want to launch, the house that is never clean. I could go on and on.
I thoroughly enjoyed Chapter One. There were a lot of nuggets of information. I was able to commit to a schedule and create pockets of time to work on ME and the things that are important to me as an individual - not just for my family.
Do you have a schedule? How do you manage your routine?
How do you keep your creative juices flowing?
I would love to hear your thoughts on Chapter One and how you plan on implementing these techniques in your daily life. Comment on this post or join the Facebook Conversation.
Purchase Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind (The 99U Book Series) and join our book club.
