I recently heard a concept that I want to share with you. ‘Make your future self proud.’ Do something today what will make things easier, better, happier for you in the future. (It’s sort of like chunking things down and doing a piece of it now.)
You can apply this concept to anything.
From drafting this email today knowing that it is just the first draft and it will be refined. I've moved things forward so later, it'll be much easier to edit it and get it out before the due date. Feels like the hard part is already done. I started.
To creating your schedule for tomorrow. This takes less than 2 minutes and you're then set-up for success tomorrow instead of spending your precious time trying to figure out what you need to do.
In Getting Things Done, David Allen suggests doing anything that takes 2 minutes or less instead of putting it off to the future. If you know it’s something that needs to be done, just do it. I started implementing this gem in 2001 and love that shot of endorphins I get when I get that thing done.
Making your future self proud can happen when you want to go to the gym, but not feeling like it. Just sign up for the class, or get your gym clothes on, it all moves you forward and will make your future self proud.
If you keep doing the things that make your future self proud, you will keep making the decisions that will get you to that future you want faster.
Another gem … Calendarize everything. Forget about the traditional to-do list.
Just make a list of everything you need to do, or think you need to do.
Prioritize that list
Estimate how long it’ll take to do the things on your list
Schedule a time to do them.
Do what’s on your calendar.
Now, when you look at your calendar, you have a plan.
I do this on Monday morning or Sunday night and then tweak it every morning. As you well know - things never go exactly to plan.
You can also calendarize when you’ll do your kids' birthday interviews. Create a recurring event for the day of their birthday. A week out, you can slot in the actual time for the interview. Done and done.
You’re making your future self proud just thinking about this.
xoBethany