We all want to be more productive.
It doesn’t it matter if you're the CEO or the unpaid intern. You want to increase your productivity and reach your goals. We know we should watch less TV, spend less time on Facebook, and hold ourselves more accountable.
But we don’t. We procrastinate. We put off important tasks. We are unproductive.
There are numerous tips, tricks, and tutorials in the world to boost productivity. Some are good, some not so much.
I recently came across a product called the Self Journal.
The Self Journal calls itself a simple daily planner, but it’s much more than that.
It’s a guide to optimizing your life.
My days where chaotic. I would start the day with good intentions, but would inevitably be pulled in 10 different directions. The Self Journal added structure back to my day and focused my goals in a unique way.
The Self Journal is divided into two sections: the 13 week road map and the daily planner.
13 Week Roadmap
This section is about reverse engineering your goals and creating a road map to reach those goals in 13 weeks. The Self Journal takes a different approach then just listing each goal. It forces you to dive deeper into how you will reach that goal.
See mine below:
Result Goal
Here you list your goal and why it is important to you. Pick something that would truly make a difference in your life. We are trying to reverse engineer what a future you would look like. Reach high.
Progress Goals
You have the main goal. What ways do you need to progress and advance in order to reach your result goal? What abilities do you have to obtain or what smaller goals can you set that will make it easier to reach your result goal? Be specific.
Actions and Tasks
What do you need to do on a day to day basis to hit the goals you have set? This step is key. Here you list out what you will do each day, this is where you get your hands dirty.
My Commitment
You will make a commitment to your goal with a completion date.
When you reach your goal how will your life improve? Write this out to clarify and cement in why this goal is important to you.
You will also reward yourself if you complete the goal by the targeted date. Such as taking a vacation or buying a new laptop. This will give you something to look forward.
You also write out 3 things you will do everyday to make sure you use the Self Journal.
Daily Planner
This section is where you start to focus and structure your life.
Daily Timeline
Here you to break your day down into 30 min time slots. Either the night before or the morning of, arrange your day.
Morning Gratitude
Start your day with positivity. List 3 things you are grateful for.
Be specific.
Don’t say I’m grateful for my family. Say I’m grateful for the home cooked meal I ate with my family last night.
My Goal
Define your goal. It can be a daily, monthly or lifetime goal. You could say "I want to have a focused workout today, or I want to gain two pounds of muscle this month, or I want to maximize the amount of muscle I can build".
Today’s Targets
This section can be powerful.
List your 3 intentions for the day. Make them count. They should be the type of task that if you complete them, you will be significantly closer to your goal.
Writing this article was one of my 3 intentions for today. By completing this article I continue to grow my blog and inspire others.
Lesson’s Learned
This is your opportunity for improvement section. What could you have done better during the day? Make it actionable.
For instance, I noticed I checked my phone for text messages too often when trying to write this article. Tomorrow I will leave my phone in the other room when I write to eliminate the distraction.
Wins
Did you finish your 3 intentions? Brag about them here. Write out that you rocked your workout or made that business call you where putting off.
Evening Gratitude
You started your day with positivity, now end your day with positivity.
Again be specific in each gratitude.
The Self Journal has made me more productive and accountable. The amount of time and effort you put in is paid back ten times over. If you are struggling with productivity or want more structure to your life, buy this book.