Why I don’t make everyday count, but why I’m committed to doing better

A year in black and white photos — Week 2

Sometimes I make part of the day count. I get complacent and lazy and I let the day get completely away from me, but I have really good intentions.

Those intentions don’t control the day though. I do, but man it’s hard work. Making everyday count is a commitment, and I am on the struggle bus more often than not.

I get lost in social media. I start reading articles instead of getting my butt in the chair to write. I watch one episode of The Office on Netflix, which inevitably turns into two or three. What was I supposed to be doing? Oh yeah, laundry, or the dishes, or some other chore I have now put off until tomorrow again.

How do I go about doing a better job of making everyday count from beginning to end?

It starts with a schedule. Blocking out the entire day from beginning to end. Sure, things are going to come up or I might get pulled away to something I can’t control. However, when the day is scheduled from the time I get up to the time I go to bed, I have a fighting chance.

The next step is the hardest. It’s following said schedule. So far today, I’m kicking its ass and it feels good. No, it feels freaking fantastic! And here’s why:
​1. Last night I gave myself time to plan out the day.
2. I wrote in the appointments I had scheduled, and then I wrote down how I was going to fill in the time between the scheduled activities.
3. I planned for every minute. I included when I would check email, eat lunch, and driving time to my chiropractor.
4. Every minute has been accounted for until I go to bed tonight.
5. My planner stayed open by my side all day long. I wrote in it when I had to make a schedule change or if I had something come up I needed to do that I had forgotten.
6. After dinner, I was tempted to watch Netflix, but then I remembered to look at my schedule to see what I had planned next.

And writing was my next scheduled block of time, so here I am.

Has today been easy since I had it completely scheduled?

I would love to say yes, but that’s such a lie.

There were times I wanted to check email like I usually do throughout the day. I could have skipped an optional meeting with a student, but since I had it in my planner I honored the commitment. While the chunk of time I had for lesson planning for classroom counseling lessons didn’t quite happen, I was doing it to get ahead and I had forgotten a couple of items I needed to get done sooner. So, I cut myself a break and did them.

Even though it was a challenge, I really felt like my focus was laser-like today. I didn’t let myself get complacent. I didn’t allow myself to be lazy. I made today count, but I need to make it a habit. Discipline and willpower only last so long before we run out of them, but habits are forever.

I can do better. I will do better.

I am on a journey of black and white photos for the next year. Feel free to follow my daily post on Instagram (@shedenk11) or on Twitter (christine denker). Once a week I will pick one of the photos to use in a blog post.

**This post originally appeared on my blog Everyday Life Uncluttered.