stick to a schedule

Three days ago I started over on this goal for the third time since setting it! I can’t believe I’ve gone through my entire life without ever using a planner consistently. It’s really time to make that a top priority – unless I have a to-do list to keep my time organized, I’m not likely to make much progress on any of my other goals.

I originally said that I’d consider this accomplished when I’d stuck with it for three months straight. So with that in mind, I’ve made it my personal challenge to do that by November 18.

That happens to be the day that Tomb Raider: Underworld comes out. Now, although I mostly abstain from video games these days – due having been basically addicted to them for years, and having many other things to which I want devote my attention instead – Tomb Raider is the one series that I make an exception for and follow sporadically. Hey, I don’t know – I just really love it. I’d really like to get the new one when it’s released, but it’s pretty obvious that if I can’t even stick to a schedule and keep my life organized, actually doing the things I want and need to be doing every day – I really should not be playing games. So, as I’ve written in my personal challenge, I won’t get Underworld until I can stick to a schedule and finally get this goal off my list!

Well, one month later, I’m starting over on this… again! I really haven’t been paying attention to this goal at all, which is ironic considering that keeping a schedule and prioritizing my time is pretty much essential to accomplishing most of my other goals. I keep being lazy and just thinking I’ll remember what I need to do each day, but I inevitably don’t, and besides, all that trying to remember just clogs up my brain unnecessarily. I know it works much better for me to write things down.

So this morning I got out a fresh notebook and restarted my planner system. I have lots of things on the agenda for today so I’d better wrap up this entry and get started!

I resurrected my planner and used it for a few days, but then end-of-semester mania set in and I fell off the wagon—just hoped my overloaded brain would remember what I was supposed to be doing. I started over today, though! Classes are done, so I’ve got some time to regroup and get back into this.

For the first time in my life, I did this successfully last year, though I only stuck with it for a couple of months. I had never had much success using systems or planners designed by other people, so in a moment of clarity I just grabbed an empty notebook and developed my own.

Each day had its own page, on which I put the date, a “high priority” section, a “medium priority” section, and a place for random notes, such as specific times I needed to do things. (There was no “low priority” section, as I decided that anything designated low priority probably wasn’t really worth doing.) My rule was that I had to do everything on the high priority list for each day, so I had to be very realistic about what I put there. Things on the medium priority list were optional and would carry over to the next day if I didn’t do them.

It was that simple, and it worked amazingly for me. I got so much more done and felt great about it. I even started writing down at least one thing I learned on each day, which was neat.

After a while I got lazy again and abandoned my schedule, but starting tomorrow, I’m reviving it. I just have too many responsibilities and too many interests to avoid this any longer. When I keep it up consistently for three months, I’ll consider the habit formed!