In a world where we rely on gadgets and technology for so much, we’re all extra careful to be never too far from a charging cable or Wi-Fi connection… but how do you go about keeping yourself operating at full potential?
Planning, setting objectives and drawing up goals you want to achieve should be done purposefully and with intention; but it’s important to keep your planning realistic, not too over-ambitious and not too heavy. It's a fact that some events will overrun, extra work will be added to existing tasks and cancellations and postponements will have to happen as priorities change and update.
You likely have a whole host of conflicting priorities spanning places, people and activities. As caring and compassionate individuals, we all often allow these things to burden upon us and put ourselves further down the to-do list in importance. Yet self-care and mindfulness are one of the most important things we can spend time on and betters our ability to care for and support others – so it is not something that we should allow to slip, or to feel guilty about taking time for.
Intentionally planning too far ahead may result in so many revisions your plan has been completely overhauled but opting to scope out a week at a time is usually realistic and achievable (allowing, of course, for some chopping and changing along the way). The free Ponderlily Weekly Plan Printable allows you to map out your week ahead with a specific section for ‘Focus and Recharge’; to be completed with whatever time out for you to work on you looks like. It’s important to remember here that despite ‘mindfulness’ having become a bit of a buzz word in the media, it’s personal to everyone and there’s no one set solution. You may enjoy pilates, indulge yourself with a long luxurious bath, take time out of your day to read or just sit and watch the world go by with a cup of tea. Painting your nails on the sofa with a glass of wine after the kids have gone to bed is just as valid a ‘time out’ activity as anything else; so don’t feel pressured to engage in anything that just doesn’t work for you.
Positive, purposeful planning and being sure to include some downtime for yourself can help encourage constructive and forward-looking habit-building, which in turn can be noted down in the Positive Habit Tracker section of the Ponderlily Printable. This doesn’t need to be a vast change in behaviour or a time-consuming effort, but something as effective as drawing on positive affirmations and happy thoughts through the day can really give you a boost in mood, and in turn, in productivity.
Priorities shift, and plans fall through, but by ensuring you have nourished your own wellbeing and made yourself open and adaptable to change, you will be in the best possible position to deal with it all and keep marching on regardless.
