The Magic Bullet
I am a self-help junkie. It’s always been my favorite section at any bookstore. I could spend the majority of my life learning and trying to become a better person and I’d be happy. If only I didn’t need to make a living, I would make self-improvement my full time profession.
In my quest to find work-life balance, I needed to first find a way to be more efficient. Efficiency would mean accomplishing more in less time, and therefore, freeing up more time for friends, family, and myself. Sounded simple enough, but why was it that the days always seemed to run me, instead of the other way around?
My first adjustments consisted of trying to fit in exercise. I figured exercise would give me more energy to be able to tackle the tasks of the day. I’d wake up, put on my workout clothes, take the girls to school (already dressed so I’d have no excuse to back out) and I’d continue for a jog/walk.
On my walks, I’d listen to podcasts. This is one place where multi-tasking is definitely more productive and it was great because I felt I was getting more out of my hour. Not only was I getting a workout for my body, I was also getting inspiration and food for my mind. This plan worked out pretty well for a while and as I’d walk, I’d take mental notes of what other adjustments I needed to make in my life.
The advice was pretty consistent across channels. Wake up earlier. Keep a gratitude journal. Plan your day the night before. Think of the 3 most important things you need to get done tomorrow and write them down. Do those first. Meditate. Work in blocks of time.
All the recommendations seemed doable, but I just could NOT find the time- or motivation- to fit them in. I was making slight adjustments but I still didn’t feel like I was in control. And then… one day… I found the magic bullet! (thank you cookies and targeted ads 🙂 !) I was scrolling Facebook and came across a product that grabbed my attention!
The Best Self Journal. Hmmm… sounded like something right up my alley. I quickly grabbed my credit card and processed the order. When it arrived, I was excited and intimidated at the same time.
I read through the instructions, carefully measuring how and when I would get started. I didn’t want to feel like I was failing at this as well!
Finally, one day, I decided, to Just do it! I worked up my courage and started filling out just one day. That first week was pretty rocky and I was pretty inconsistent, but what I found was that on the days that I was actually disciplined about it, time seemed to STRETCH.
I cannot even begin to explain how trans formative this one new habit has been. Just the simple task of filling out the journal daily makes my days last! There’s a space on it to reflect on lessons learned and one of my first ones was that when I take the time to fill out the journal and plan out my day, I’m a lot more productive!
Suddenly, I feel like I have plenty of time to do everything I want to do as long as I just schedule it in! All the recommendations I had listened to or read about in multiple podcasts, TED talks and articles have been addressed in this journal! Hint, Hint: Put first things first. Yourself, your family, your relationships… stuff you definitely want to make time for, and then all the work stuff. That way you’ll make sure you’re making time for the stuff that helps you feel balanced and keeps you energized!
This product is absolutely amazing and I completely credit it for helping me make the time to finally start this blog, so if you want to try it out for yourself, I’ve included a handy little link below!*
You’re welcome! 🙂
http://shrsl.com/1vk86-1jgs-lki7
* This link is an affiliate link, meaning I will receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase through this link, but this is at no additional cost to you.
