I develop my “Lessons for the Month of…” post ideas from the month that just passed. Usually, after I finish a blog post, I’m mentally drained.  That is a good time to just “tune in” to my inner self and think about what I’d like to write about for the next month.  The blog post begins at that point with my writing the title, a few sentences of my idea for that month, and then I let it “stew” for a bit until I’m ready to write.  What is fascinating to me is how much the topic correlates to actual events in my life, like I had planned the event to support my blog post idea!  And, the realization hit me this morning: I’ve been executing on my ideas all month and see the accomplishment.  (BTW, as I edit this, there is a loud snoring coming from my dog who graces me with his presence today. It is a comforting sound to hear a creature so trusting that he sleeps soundly on the floor next to me.  I’m enjoying my present today. ❤ )

Here are the notes I wrote to myself last month: “Write about how important an idea is, and that one must “execute” the idea because an idea without execution is just a dream.  Make your dream a reality through planning, planner peace.”  Well, Dear Reader, once I put my idea in storage for the month, I usually let the idea go to either root for further examination in the following month, or to totally get dumped with a new and emerging idea or event.  I have given myself the ability to pivot whenever I feel the creative juices flow in a different direction. Funnily enough, however, I’ve never done the latter and just scrapped an idea for my ideas have always had some kernel or nugget of truth in the month that just passed.  Isn’t that interesting? Anyway, I had planned to discuss the importance of acting on an idea and that is just what I’m doing these days and, to my surprise, it feels great!

In my notes, I mention “planner peace” which many of you may not relate to this, or be familiar with the term.  (For me, this is a key tool to anchor me in my thinking.) For those of us who enjoy all things productivity, planner peace is like a type of Nirvana.  For those uninitiated, planner peace is defined as “…When you find the perfect system and style….w(h)ere every planner wants to be. There are many options to consider – size, functionality, style and much more.”  Planner peace is something I’ve strived for each day – trying to be better and accomplish everything in my heart’s desire, all rolled up into a paper journal or organization system. I’ve recently found this planner peace in my life but not in the way you may think. After years of videos, different planning styles, using “Frankenplanners” which are combinations of multiple systems, studying technology for productivity, and everything in between, I realized that nothing works if you don’t use it — which kept happening to me.  I felt like a personal failure each time I failed.  Then, I watched a Skillshare course on “Planner Peace” by this instructor who is so inspiring to me.  Rather than beating myself up over yet another failure, I began to accept that this try did not work – AND it was only a try so rather than wallow, why not  assess what worked and what failed…. and why, and gave myself a bit of tolerance to try again.  (Not my normal M.O.) In doing so, I realized that I loved writing things down but not everything, that I wanted something that was pretty and made me happy (sorry, plain paper), and that I could also add my own flair – if I wanted to. I settled on a Happy Planner  for my pretty needs, a horizontal layout which gives me just enough room for what I want to record, and stickers for little notes and to add some bling.  I can be found adding stickers to my planner during long meetings where I’m in listen only mode.  I found that if I’m busy with my hands, I can listen a bit better, too, as I’m not mentally distracted from the subject matter.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?), after this month of endless meetings, my planner is decorated all the way through October!  (And, having this all set up makes me so happy!)

And, speaking of endless meetings, I also began to write down my One Thing each day in the different areas of my life that are – right now – extremely important and part of my focus.  They are: personal, home and work.  That is it, folks.  Three One Things done each day for me to feel like the day was a success.  And, that, right there is the key: Feeling like a success.  While my planner for this month really shows how busy I was, the colors, notes, and stickers really enforced that I am busy, and that I was able to really “level up” these areas of my life through this extreme focus.  My house is clean, my work is caught up, and I have found such a great new You Tube inspiration that I’m not willing to share…yet.  Throughout the month on a few too many days my One Thing was “meetings” which, in the past, I never accounted for.  However, when you have ten meetings in an eight-hour day, “meetings” become a work task.  (I never recorded my meetings as a “task” before, always wondering why I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything that day.  When you think about the schedule, it’s a wonder I even had lunch!)  I also stopped deliberately multi-tasking during these meetings by focusing on other work that needs to get done; adding stickers to my planner doesn’t require a lot of thought so my attention can be directed to the meeting and not what I’m not accomplishing by sitting in “listen only” mode.  I also recognized that the idea of multi-tasking is not a healthy mindset for me.  I mentally benefit from the ability to focus on my One Thing, complete my tasks, and then, if I have time, add any additional work or chores.  To try and be or do so many things at once dishonors myself and the work, too, for it cannot be my best work.

This realization allowed me to really use my planner in a more productive way; a tool that helps me to mind the future and today.  Anything related to the past is documented and I can easily go back to view that, too, so the past is in my mental past, too.  Keeping my mind in focus for “today” has been a struggle as I tend to live my life in a future mindset. I’ve realized that I haven’t always been happiest in the present moment, living with a mindset of “In the Meantime“….like I’ll do this right now because future me will want something else when X happens.  Well, folks, X ain’t coming any time soon so why not enjoy right now, give it all you got, and let X take care of itself? I defer many times to “future living” which I plan to write a series about (How ironic!).  “Future Living” is my term for my mindset each day and how I can sometimes be so focused on tomorrow that I miss out on today.  (Do you do this?)  I, unknowingly,  compromise today for the idea that tomorrow brings something better.  In the planner world, however, we can be about the future — recording appointments, goals, birthdays…you name it! However, if you aren’t also recording the “today”, you may not act on any of those wonderful goals you have written in your planner because there was no action plan.  I improperly used my planner as I had no “action plan” for today to reach those goals; I only recorded future events and goals and failed to construct the steps needed to reach (Key pro-tip, folks!) those future goals through changing my today. (Enjoy this TedTalk on the gap between planning and execution.) Because of the lack of planning for “today”, I did not open my planner each day and missed being able to execute on my long term goal through a short term activity for today. So, by finding my Planner Peace, and allowing myself to fail a few times, I’ve actually been more productive!  Now, as I look back at July, I don’t dwell in what I didn’t accomplish because I can see by all of my entries, my color coding, stickers, and post its — I was damn busy!  By creating a daily plan with my One Thing identified, I can do these small incremental tasks to achieve the larger goal. Because I’ve taken the time for myself each day, I don’t worry about what I didn’t do (past) or what I have to do (future) because today is where my head is at and my action plan for today says “Begin Wobble (August) post.”  And, there it is.  Check. Peace.

(Note: As I edit this post, it is August 29th and I wrote it a few weeks ago when inspired.  Since then, I failed to properly plan each day and fell into old comfortable habits of letting my email dictate my priorities.  I’m editing this feeling a bit uninspired and lethargic.  The inspiration in my post renews my faith that, in all things, today ain’t no guarantee. Be okay in the struggle for, in it, comes a diamond of an outcome. I’ve added a new link of a TedTalk about filling the gap between having a plan and executing on said plan.)