Please do the following at night before you go to sleep. Preferably, this should be the last thing you do everyday. HERE GOES...
Things you need: A notebook, A planner, A pen
Lets get started:
Step1: Fold a page from your notebook in half vertically. This divides the page into 4 parts since you will be using it back to back.
Step 2: Label these 4 divisions as follows: "To Do", "Purpose", "Bearing" and "Relevance".
Step 3: On the "To Do" portion on the page, write down all the things you need to do. By "need" I mean prioritize your tasks based on the level of importance. Remember, a lot of things that are urgent aren't necessarily important. You may want to write tomorrow's date beside each task too (or the deadline for it).
Breathe...
Step 4: On the "Purpose" part of the page, write down exactly WHY you need to do the specified task. Ask yourself how doing that task will affect the people you love or how that task will contribute goodness in a major way. Let's say I need to clean my music studio... my purpose would read something like this- "The atmosphere in the studio becomes more welcoming and conducive for creativity". Heck, who wouldn't want that?
Step 5: On the "bearing" part of the page, write down possible things that could arise should you not work on the specified task. This should keep you on your toes and keep you responsible. This is, as my father would put it, a form of "uncertainty reduction". Now back to cleaning my studio... My bearing would read something like this "Artists may get turned off with all the mess in your studio and thus not bring out their full creative potential"
Step 6: On the "relevance" portion of your page, this is where you write down how significant doing the specified task is in your life. Take note, this is different from purpose because this time, you're evaluating how this affects YOU. How would you feel after its accomplishment?
For cleaning my studio, my relevance would read something like this- "I feel neater and my studio is a good example of cleanliness. What a confidence booster". Would you feel more responsible after doing the task? Would you be happier?
Step 7: Now that you've jotted all that down, you're ready to move on to your planner. Don't worry, I know it seems like a lot of work but once you get the hang of it, the notebook part should only take a few minutes.
"Write it like a headline".
Choose which among "Purpose", "Bearing" and "Relevance" moves you the most. Take the statement that you wrote and fuse it with the task you need to do BUT write it in past tense as if the task was already done. Write it like a newspaper headline (with only good news).
Here are a few examples of what should appear on your planner.
IF you choose the PURPOSE as the HEADLINE - "Studio is now more conducive for creativity after cleaning the studio".
IF you choose the BEARING as the HEADLINE- "Averted bad impression from artists after cleaning the studio."
IF you choose the RELEVANCE as the HEADLINE- "Confidence boosted after cleaning the studio".
The reason why you need to write it as if it already happened is because magic will start occurring in your mind when you do so. After you practice this a few times, your brain will start to tell you've accomplished a lot instead of looking at your planner and seeing nothing but things to do.
STEP 8:
You're not done yet! Sorry:)
It is imperative that after you write down your task for the upcoming day, you also need to write down all the blessings you received during the day that just ended. You need to express gratitude for even the smallest things. In doing so, you will be aware that despite anything that happens to you, you are always blessed. It's on print! It is a must that you express gratitude for God's graces. I believe you will receive more blessings if you learn how to acknowledge the ones you get everyday.
STEP 9- Make a wish
Randomly just jot down any dream you would like to attain, no matter how silly it may sound. Just do it. It won't hurt a bit.
There, you're done.
There are no guarantees that this will work for everyone. For many, this may be too much work. Some may be too busy for this kind of activity. For me, however, it has done wonders. At least now when I look at my planner, I don't see a mountain of things I need to do. Rather, I see things I've accomplished. During bad days, it helps to open your planner and read all the blessings you have jotted down. You will never be able to deny to yourself that things aren't that bad after all. There is proof that you are blessed because you wrote it down yourself! This method helps me create the kind of day I want to have when I wake up because I map it out before I sleep. Take note, I said "create" which means it prevents me from merely reacting to circumstances I would have otherwise thought I have no control over. As one of my favorite sayings goes, "1 hour of planning saves 3 hours of execution". This only takes 10 minutes tops. The whole point here is having a method of putting positive thoughts into effect; Having positive thoughts but making it clear and definite, writing it down, and ultimately putting it into action! Try it out... Goodluck.
