James Clear is my kind of hero. He wrote the book Atomic Habits and taught me the importance of developing a system to achieve a single goal or desired outcome. Targets have always been scary to me, especially as I crawl out of this pandemic like a hibernating bear. I have very little energy and lately, it’s hard for me to find instant joy. In his book, he reiterates that goals are not in vain, but a collection of Daily routine what you follow will be massive news feeds that will get you there. Even more important: your daily habits define who you are.
He challenged the following questions: Who do you want to be? And how do your daily habits define that aspirational person?
Good and difficult question, James. I struggled to answer this at first. I want order. I want to be healthy. I want to sleep well and take care of my relationships. I don’t want to multitask all the time. I want to call my grandma more, and I want nice manicure beds. I want to be the woman who is light, walks slowly and doesn’t pick up the phone in bed.
It takes a lifetime to build habits and shape yourself. So, after building a system that has helped me get there, I wanted to share it with W&D readers. Let’s dive in.
I went ahead and put together the first part of the “Calendar Reminders” in January, filling it with light to-dos that can make me feel calm, get things done, and last. overwhelmed.
On the back of the magazine, Martha Stewart publishes a monthly calendar with gentle reminders, helpful tips, and important dates. The calendar includes small and kind chores like chopping down Christmas trees, packing winter linens, pruning apple trees and saving branches for breeding, replenishing cat food and treats, planning vegetable gardening, updating address book, making homemade marshmallows… on. I pretty much just bought the magazine for that calendar by myself, until I realized I could do it myself.
So I made and put together the first part of the “Light Reminder Calendar” in January, filling it with light to-dos that can make me feel calm, get things done, and get things done. Finally, don’t be overwhelmed. In addition to the day-to-day tasks that paralyze my mind, I want to build them to have my legs and help me in different aspects of my life.
First, I separate what I want to accomplish/goals for the whole year into four categories and affectionately call them mine. The Space of the List of Infinite Possibilities. They are as follows: work, personal/hobby, friendship/family and at home. Category of work related to my work. Personal interests involve things I like to accomplish in my free time, including business endeavors. The at-home category focuses on things I like to get done around my home. And finally, I have the space to spend time with friends and family.
At the beginning of the year, I broke down these categories with sub-goals to propel me forward throughout the year. At first, the list seemed HUGE. There is so much to do! But when I break them down into cute little daily tasks, they seem achievable. They feed me longer. For example, I’ve broken them down into sub-goals below. Then I break down the daily chores that last for a month.
Work:
- Salary increased
- Write more
- Share knowledge with colleagues
- Become a business expert
- Create boundaries with email
- See more news
Personal / Hobby:
- Save more money
- Read 35 books
- Create a website for your personal writing business
- More physical activity
- Write to (2) pubs in
- Move slower
- Health: monthly massages, facials, pedicures, anything else
Friends/Family:
- Talk to her more
- Really focus on making the birthday special
- Tell me more about how much you love people
- Contact your friends to sign up
At home:
- Perfect wallpaper in the office
- Paint the bathroom
- Updating lighting equipment
- Repair deck
- Plan your garden
- Master bedroom remodel
Finally, every month, in my paper calendar (Writer’s Note: Using a pen gives me joy) I write down small daily tasks related to each type, a Space of infinite possibilities genre a day, break them down into small, weekly tasks. Sometimes, I get confused and set a theme for the month to stay focused.
This is what my January “Light Reminder Calendar” looks like (Subject: Organization):
January 1: Score the goal for 2022
January 2: Clear out the remaining packing boxes in the office
January 3: Stick a wallpaper wall in the office
January 4: Book an appointment with a gyno
January 5: Text some friends that they bring you joy
January 6: Reach out to partners about a business idea
January 7: Riding a horse
January 8: Exfoliate your feet (I know, gross but important!)
January 9: Clean out the linen closet
January 10: Calling grandma to say hi
January 11 : Organize wallets and wallets
January 12: Updated Google Photos backup; delete photos from phone
January 13: Sing loudly
January 14: Clear out the coveted trash drawer
January 15: Brainstorm future pitch story ideas (Only 3 will do!)
January 16: Deep clean laundry room
January 17: Develop a business strategy/plan for your business idea
January 18: Write down your 2022 work goals (broken down into small tasks throughout the year)
January 19: One-wall office backdrop
January 20: Write down a few things you want to show at work
January 21: Mask and facial steamer (mini spa)
January 22: Clean toilets
January 23: Text a friend how much you appreciate them and why
January 24: Freelance writing about a random photo in your office
January 25: Throw out old towels and buy new ones (PSA: These are the ones I bought and I love them.)
January 26: Wash makeup brushes
January 27: Plan happy hour with your best friend
January 28: Vacuum curtain
January 29: Send a check to the LLC
January 30: Try a new recipe (May I suggest this?)
January 31: Clean up your desktop
I’ve been doing this for almost three months now, and I can promise you, the productivity list is working in every way. I am a great planner. However, I can be easily overwhelmed by big goals and interesting to-do lists. Building my personal to-do list in an easy-to-understand way makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something. And I look forward to checking my daily gentle reminder.
As we head into spring, I’m excited to add some outdoor activities to my list. Like putting away the filthy doormats, planning my garden, cleaning out the curtains, trimming the bushes, buying myself ALL the tulips, and washing all of my winter coats I.
Building my personal to-do list in an easy-to-understand way makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something. And I look forward to checking my daily gentle reminder.
Also, when I theme my months, I can complete myself. What do I deserve that month? What do I need to separate from my busy life and keep in mind? That’s how I theme every month. I consider this practice an inner expression. And personal reflection Help inspire mission ideas throughout the month! If you need even more inspiration, here are the themes I’ve set myself up for this year.
My monthly theme:
January: Organization
February: Gap / Spotlight
March: Review
April: Growth (Courtyard)
May: Obviously
June: Celebration
July: Intention
August: Connect
September: Novelty
October: Rest
November: Lust
December: Rewards
I hope this doesn’t sound like much. Scheduling can be a form of procrastination, and the “Gentle Reminder” shouldn’t fall into paralysis. It can be as simple as adding small tasks to your daily routine without any structure. No problem, these little chores will put a soothing layer on your life. We are the product of the system, not our goal. In the news and on social media, we overestimate the result rather than the process because the system is hidden from view. We see, “Look, I’ve lost 50 pounds!” not “I went for a nice and peaceful walk today.”
According to James Clear, the four laws of behavior change are: make it clear, make it appealing, make it easy and make it gratifying. With enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without consciously thinking about the consequences of laziness. I think this “gentle reminder” can influence our behavior in a safe and manageable way. He also adheres to the “2 minute rule” to complete the task. For example, going to the gym should be “get your yoga mat out.” Setting up something small and using it as a leg to take to the next level can accelerate progress. And it should. There is beauty in that simplicity.
My “gentle reminder calendar” is the backbone of the person I want to be. It’s a little thread in my life that weaves in and ends in ritual. It takes care of many versions and levels of myself. It makes me feel like I can achieve anything and move forward. James Clear said it best, “You haven’t reached your level of aspirational courage [goal]. You fall on the level of the systems you have in place to make your culture brave. ”
Raise your small aspirations. Be brave for them.
Brittany Chaffee is a passionate storyteller, professional author, and author. Every day, she gets paid to strategize and create content for brands. Outside of business hours, it’s all about a well-lit place, warm bread, and good company. She lives in St.Paul with her cat brother, Rami and Monkey. Follow her on Instagramread more about her latest book, border lineand (most importantly) hug your mom.
