Since starting the 80 Day Obsession (44/80 done!), I’ve been taking Monday as my rest day. This works out well because for me, Monday AM is where the magic happens from a planning perspective. I still get up early (5ish) but instead of spending 40-60 minutes with my beloved online trainer, I take the time to organize the week ahead, coming up with priorities and figuring out when I have time to get things done.
I review the week’s calendar landscape (currently putting it into my Live Rich planner, which was an unexpectedly lovely discovery!), figure out which days are full and which are more flexible, and decide which projects I need to work on when.
This is a big part of my weekly review process and honestly, without it I am lost. If I have to spend even a portion of my open blocks fo time deciding what to do, I will:
1- waste a lot of time triaging and spend a lot of time fretting over which loose ends I am probably forgetting
2- probably avoid the ‘important but not urgent’ work because it’s usually hard and therefore unappealing
Therefore, having a list of goals for the week — a mix of urgent AND important — is key for me. It helps me to use the working time I do have well.
(This applies not just to work days but also to days at home. This past weekend I finished my 2019 photobook, largely because it was at the top of my weekly list. Well, also because Shutterfly had one of their amazing ‘unlimited pages’ coupons which brought the total for my 100+ paged book from a whopping $180 to $65).
BRING IT MONDAY.
9 Comments
I have been lax the last few weeks about writing out weekly or even daily priorities so thanks for the reminder! It really does help to get stuff done. The key for me is keeping the list short. I had been doing those “Today’s 3 Things” lists for quite a while and was finding that really helpful too, but have let it slide a little bit. Need to get back into that.
I also like to take time in the mornings to organize my day and calendar but run out of time sometimes between trying to exercise and write a blog post! I agree having a rest day from exercise in the workweek feels nicer to me for that reason, versus taking it on the weekend.
I powered through my son’s photobook yesterday afternoon to get the discount code from Shutterfly too!!
I also finally did year book! YAY! loving the Monday organisation/planning idea. I wish I could be this organised.
Yay for finishing the photo book!!! I love checking off that task!!!!
Thank you for posting your weekly goals ritual–I created my own and it really helped me start the week strong.
I love your weekly planning! LOVE!
I have a question for you — are you/your family going to the dentist for regular cleaning and checkups now? I see something about dentist on your goals list.
My kids’ scheduled visits are coming up, but I’m in southern CA where cases are spiking similarly to FL (though we’re probably a week or so behind y’all). I’m scared of the dentist. Seems that no matter how much the employees are masking and screening, you’re sitting there with unmasked mouth open, in a place where dental work is happening which would lead to lots of droplets AND aerosols.
If we had a dental emergency or pain, we’d go and just hope for the best, but… I don’t know about just for cleaning and the once-over by the dentist. (Plus the x-ray, maybe… don’t know if they’re scheduled for one this time.) Anyway, I’m looking for input from people who know things… what are you doing? (Or your readers?)
I’m not planning on going now but set up appointments for later (hoping by that time surge would be over!) for both my own teeth & at least one of the kids. I do feel like I need to take A b/c there are some issues and also we were supposed to start working on braces (Yes already . . . her teeth are ‘ahead’ apparently).
I know I am debating things like . . . my first mammogram. Theoretically I am supposed to get one since I am 40. But is it worth it? Should I push it off until this is ‘over’? Certainly I don’t plan on going during a surge. I definitely don’t have all the answers either.
Thank you for your reply! It makes me feel a little less crazy — I ended up cancelling already, figuring I just needed to make a decision and stop worrying about it (though I rescheduled for August, living in hope) but the way the lady at the office was talking to me it was like she thought I was obviously paranoid. So it’s nice to hear that people with medical knowledge are at least thinking about it too.