If you live by your to-do list, you're probably overwhelmed. Do this instead.
This practice will sharpen your discernment, give you fast clarity, and put power in your hands to make the changes you want to make.
When talking about their to-do list, many share how overwhelmed they are; that their tasks never end. They feel like to-do machines, stuck with no clue how to step out of this way of being. The low hanging fruit and urgent items with deadlines and accountability get crossed off, some get added on after-the-fact for the mere pleasure of crossing them off, and what seldom get crossed off are the luxuries they dream about that would make them happy if only they could find the time. What gets done day after day are the urgent rather than the most important items, which is why many new clients report waking up dreading the day.
Ditch the to-do list. Use your calendar instead. And color-code it.
Morning meditation is GOLD because it starts your day off right, focused and attuned to your soul (read: deepest desires, values, and priorities).
Your outside-of-work, personal fulfillment & nourishment activities are BLUE.
Work that connects you directly to the outside world, and invites them directly to you, is GREEN.
Errands, chores, and activities you can delegate (or were delegated to you) are RED. These can be work and non-work activities. Even if you fully enjoy time with your children, for now, make all things children and relatives Red. This way, you can clearly see how much you time you invest when you look at your Blues.
Your color coded calendar sharpens your discernment
Not only does calendaring cause you to think in color (a practice in discernment), you actually have to schedule what you say YES to so you can put them all in your calendar. Totally different from adding things to your to-do list.
When you study your calendar, your body will have something to say about it. Pay attention: you’ll feel weaker, or light and energetic, or somewhere in between. You’ll get good at what your YESs and NOs are very quickly, and you'll forge a stronger connection to your internal navigation system. The more you honor it, the more you’ll trust yourself to do right by you.
Promise me this: if you feel more dread than excitement about your day(s) ahead, don’t beat yourself up. Your soul (the deepest, most authentic part of you) is simply giving you information, telling you to make some simple shifts instead of making up stories. Some things on your schedule might take longer to shift than others, but this visual (the calendar) elicits visceral reactions from your body that will prompt change to happen faster than your to-do list. It’s measurable, specific, and informative.
You gain clarity fast
You’ll gain clarity around how much time you really have, how you’re spending it, and why your energy level is where it’s at. It will become a lot easier to practice healthy boundaries; to say NO to things that make you spiral or stay stuck, and to make space for what moves you forward and makes you happy.
Put everything on your calendar.
When you don't, you take on more than you realize. And, people understand busy calendars when you have to say NO. And so do you. To-do lists aren’t treated with the same respect. Everyone has one, and activities on a to-do list often “cut in line” based on urgency and mood, not true importance. Not only do they know that; you know that. When things are scheduled, they’re real. By calendaring, you’re telling yourself and everyone else that things in your life are important enough to take time to schedule. Which makes it easier to say NO to the stuff that clogs up your day, zaps your energy, and holds you back from living the life that you love.
Love, Savitree
What calendar has large enough blocks to write everything down?