For the last few months, I’ve blocked off the first 3 hours of my Mondays to plan for the week. I keep my computer off and my phone in another room, and sit, usually with come chai tea, at my desk with my notebook and colored pens.
First, I brain dump, journaling style, to get rid of the cobwebs from the week and allow the assumptions and anxieties I can make about the world to fade with each line of illegible handwriting.
Then, I reflect on the vision I created for myself and my business earlier this year and challenge it, questioning whether it still resonates with me and what values I get to honor in what I’ve set out to do. If it all still feels good, down to my bones, I move forward with identifying what I need to do this week to make even just a smidge of progress with it. Maybe that means blocking off a day to enjoy the sunshine in Vermont’s temperamental spring, maybe it means locking a 3 hour deep dive into one subject, or maybe it means calling a friend.
This structure allows me to continuously create a compass out of my values and regularly check in with myself regarding the destination I’m moving towards. It gives me the clarity I need to adapt if necessary and most importantly, it gives me the space to throw myself into deep, focused work because I’ve already confronted any doubts ahead of time. By having the space to mull over the bigger vision, I can get right to work and for a procrastinator/avoidant/restless person like me, it’s been a game changer.
Curious to know how to create a container of your own? Join Emily Holland and I on the first Monday of each month for our Co-working Strategy Sessions. Together, we’ll move you through a monthly vision planning exercise, help you identify your main goals for the month, and get your to-do list set so that you can ease into 2 hours of deep, focused work. Get all of the info here: https://www.justawildthought.com/coworkingsessions Or register here: https://www.justawildthought.com/product-page/strategic-co-working-session