I have been focused exclusively on making each day the best it can be. Waking each morning and contemplating what I could do to make today awesome and to work toward achieving my goals. Of course I fail, and fail often. However, I think the habitual pattern of doing this every day for as long as I now has netted far more “good” days then I would normally get without the commitment to begin and end each day with a focus on my commitments.
10 weeks ago, I started a routine where on Sunday morning I would contemplate the week as a whole. I would ask myself, what one thing could I do this week that would really propel me forward in achieving my goals? Then 1 week later, I follow up and see if I got it done. Then every morning, I contemplate how I could further advance this one thing each day.
This has had interesting results. For one, I have discovered how weak I am. How easy it is for me to slide off and not do the things that are important to me. My mind really does not appreciate being reminded of something that requires work, or effort. I would much rather do nothing! So adding a thing to do once a week has been an interesting experiment. I have noticed that I when I actually accomplished that one thing, how much better I felt and how closer I felt to my goals. Out of this last 10 weeks, I think I did the one thing 4 times. That is a 40% success rate.
However, 40% was way better than 0. That was what I was doing before this experiment. Through a small process on Sunday morning, reviewing what I could do to advance myself this week – I have been able to accomplish 4 important tasks that have furthered me down the path of achieving my future self. In this manner, even my failure has been success because I have been doing the process for 10 weeks now. Just the habit of doing that has reminded me of how important it is to start the week focused on your goals.
In the same manner the day works out. The more I get done early in the day, the more likely it is I will achieve my commitments. The more I get done on Monday, and Tuesday the more likely it is that I will achieve the week’s one big thing. If I keep waiting until Saturday – it is just not going to happen!
So now I just finished and I have my weekly thing now. The one big thing this week I am going to get done, or face disappointment with myself next Sunday. The core point here is holding yourself accountable on a regular basis. Daily, Weekly whatever works. Many of you already have routines on the weekend, why not add writing down in a notebook, the one thing you are going to get done this next 7 days?
Guy Reams
365 Alumni
29 Days Left to 1st Marathon
