I wonder if you can relate to this? The other day I had a break at 1pm and I felt like I had achieved nothing. I was thinking back over the morning and my inner critic was loudly telling me that I was behind on EVERYTHING. Which simply wasn’t true. My tasks for the day were in progress and I ‘had time left’ to tick off the rest of my list.
To defend myself against this critical voice I like to take stock of the day. I list out where my time has actually gone and this comforts and grounds me. Keeping track of my reality in my calendar comes in mighty handy during these times.
So this is what the day actually looked like up to 1pm:
I had woken up at 6:30am and had a heart-pumping 2-hour walk with a friend.
- I had a nice breakfast.
- I sorted a cupboard that had got out of hand.
- I replied to text messages and Instagram messages.
- I got ready for the day.
- I wrote key content for my web designer and set up new email automations.
- I actioned more complex emails and got some admin done.
So yes, what my inner critic was saying wasn’t true, I’d achieved quite a lot. Plus I’d satisfied a few life departments – health and wellbeing, friendships, and business (admin and marketing). I’d say that’s a win!
Taking a moment to reflect on your day like this also ensures that you are working/focusing on the right things. Your priorities. It’s an opportunity to either change direction or to reaffirm that you are focusing on what’s important to you.
If you often have days of feeling like you’ve done nothing and the above tool doesn’t help. It may be time to review your Life Goals and your To-Do list. I’d suggest grabbing a copy of my Life Goals Planner and taking some time to clarify what’s important to you. If you need help with this – book me in! Would love to assist.