Clarity and purpose starts with this

I find my calendar to be my biggest ally in identifying my priorities, creating space for, and accomplishing them. Monday mornings, I sit down with my calendars and map out my week. I list what I want to accomplish for the week, and schedule them in my calendar. This helps me create a balance between cerebral and creative work, tasks and leisure time. When an item in my calendar is a priority, I give myself ample time to complete it and save items that could lead to distractions for later in the day. 

This process will give you clarity. Once you’ve mapped out your week, you’ll clearly see what you have planned. Many weeks have recurring appointments. While there may be change in the content week to week, there is little change in the structure. Recurring appointments help you evaluate if you’re giving enough time to a particular item and make adjustments as needed. 

Calendaring also gives you insight into how and where you’re spending your time. If you aren’t sure what your priorities are, calendaring your week will give you a clue. How and where you’re spending the majority of your time suggests that is a priority for you. Don’t like what you see? Use calendaring to help you identify where you need to make a changes in your priorities! Your calendar may show you that you’re spending the majority of your time taking care of others while you keep rescheduling your haircut because you “just don’t have time”. If that haircut is important to you, put it on your calendar. As you do this, be sure to calendar in travel time. Not only are you prioritizing your haircut, giving yourself ample travel time means you can actually enjoy your appointment without feeling rushed to get to the next thing. You can even calendar in time to stop for a coffee on your way there. After all, it is your time. 

Through this clarity and insight, you’ll be able to sharpen your focus on your priorities. You’ll live more intentionally and with a greater sense of purpose. Download our free guide to Calendaring and get started. Pick one appointment or priority, put it on your calendar, color code it, and see how that feels for you. You get to choose how fast or slow you adopt this practice. The clarity and insight will come either way. 

With love and gratitude,
Jodh

Photo credit: Geralt