New template for day planning

I have a new template for what I want to accomplish on a daily basis. In the past, it has been easy for me to get distracted. I am now committing to more discipline and focus. I am committing to making sure my priorities get done so I live the life of my dreams.

The following are my priorities for every day.

Every day
Meditation
Focus
Physical activity
Healthy eating
Feeling good/fun

Most days
relationships
dharma (life work)
learning

Initially, I made a list that encompassed all those things on a daily basis as my priorities. I realized that I might be asking too much. So I distilled it to the things that I felt were really essential to accomplish every day and then allowed some flex room for the others.

I also had "giving back" on the list, but I'm not sure where that goes. In a sense, it is every day. If I am doing my dharma and/or working on my relationships, I am giving to the world. (Although those things are most days.) I'm not sure exactly what I mean by "giving back". I know it is important, but not sure it's on the list yet or in what capacity. But I also feel the most important thing is keeping myself in order. Taking care of myself and giving back flows from there. If I focus too much on giving back, I could slip into self-sacrificer mode. That helps no one. If everyone took care of themselves, everyone would be taken care of, right? Sometimes I like to use that as a test question for my decisions, "If everyone did this, what would the world look like?" If it looks good, I feel it's a good thing to do. So anyway. It's not on the list yet. But it is in alternate orbit.

So, since I like repetition and I feel like the whole "giving back" issue hijacked the most important points in this post, I'll repeat my list for me and for you.

Daily
Meditation
Focus
Physical activity
Healthy eating
Feeling good/fun

Most days
relationships
dharma (life work)
learning

I like the word dharma better than work. It feels like a calling. It feels like meaningful work. It can mean many different things, in my opinion. The work I do at my job is my dharma, in some sense, but also is being a mom. Taking care of my home and family is part of my dharma. Dharma is not drudgery. The word "work" for me connotes drudgery. Dharma is joyful. Dharma is inspired. Dharma makes us say a loud "Yes!" When we are following our dharma, our spirit sings. We know we are doing what we are meant to do and it feels goods. It is deeply fulfilling. I suppose sometimes drudgery can be a part of dharma. But when we think of the larger reason we are doing it, we can infuse the drudgery with inspiration. I may not want to clean my refrigerator. It can feel like drudgery, but when I think of it as a gift to myself and my family, it can be a part of my dharma. (I'm still not doing it today, though!)

Ok, so that list again...

Daily
Meditation
Focus
Physical activity
Healthy eating
Feeling good/fun

Most days
relationships
dharma (life work)
learning


Ok, so far so good on today. I need to get off my butt and do some physical activity.

I guess I could be more specific about these daily goals, like I have about dharma and (dare I say it?) giving back.

Meditation--I do a simple breathing meditation that includes mudras at least once/day. It doesn't take long, but it helps me to feel much better and focus. It helps me connect to my spirit. Because it doesn't take long, I encourage myself to do it more than once/day. I found I was much more effective at work when I would take the time to do it at my desk before my day began. I am now incorporating it into my daily life at home, too. When I have some time in the evening before bed, I do it then, too. I am also incorporating it into any time of the day when I feel I need more focus or to relax a little. It infuses me with peace and energy.

Focus--My daily focus is a part of this. I also strive to be intentional and mindful in most situations. I strive to segment intend my day a la Abraham.



Physical Activity--Right now, I strive to move at least 10,000 steps on my pedometer. This is a realistic goal. In the future, I may choose to be more specific about getting in specific types of activity or more of it. For now, 10,000 steps is something I can achieve. Sometimes I need to work harder at it than others.

Healthy Eating--Moderation is a big part of healthy eating for me. I can still enjoy my favorite foods. For me, healthy eating includes getting 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables, drinking primarily water or herbal tea throughout the day, eating sweets or junk food in very limited quantities. I am not totally meeting these guidelines right now, but I am getting there. I love my coffee. I choose to drink it still. There may come a day when I quit it (I have in the past with no problem.) I am currently kicking a diet soda habit (1-3/day). Not sure if I will let it go completely or not, but I choose to drastically reduce it. Ideally, to none at all. I choose to focus on the water and herbal tea. It seems to be about beverages for me. I still enjoy an alcoholic beverage occasionally, but not too often. Again, moderation.

Feeling good/fun! Pretty self-explanatory. I try to make feeling good a choice as much as possible, regardless of what is going on around me. However, usually what is going on around me is pretty good. I have made it that way. :)

Relationships, too, are pretty self-explanatory. Giving time and energy to making sure the primary relationships in my life are functioning well. Giving time and energy to the important people in my life. Making it a priority. This can take many forms, from date night with my husband, to special time with my kids, to emails and letters to friends, or a girls night out. Whatever it is, it's about valuing the important people around me.

Learning--to me this is just about being a lifelong learner. I am curious about the world around me on many levels. My learning continues on a daily basis. I like to learn about astrology and spirituality and the law of attraction. I am currently engaged in increasing my knowledge of the financial world. It is important to me to continue learning and growing and staying current. It is important to me to focus my learning on things that will improve my life, my family's life, those around me, the health of the planet and her beings, and the world in general. It's important to keep learning to keep my brain sharp and to continue to be relevant in the world. For all these reasons, I'm a lifelong learner.

Now I have to go do some of this stuff. (Of course, writing all this is part of my dharma and my learning and giving back.)