Skirt: & Other Stories; Sweater: & Other Stories; Boots: Revolve (similar here and here)
Earlier this year, I shared why I write 3 pages every morning: AKA Morning Pages.
Well, since I wrote that post, I’ve gotten also gotten some questions about whether I write down my plan for the day in my morning pages. In short, no, but allow me to elaborate.
The morning pages are meant to be a brain drain. What I mean by that is you write everything that comes to mind. It doesn’t have to be a story, it doesn’t have to make sense. For example, you could write:
“Last night’s dinner was so good. I’m so happy I walked 12,000 steps yesterday”.
Okay so that’s an excerpt from one of my entries, but you get the gist. It doesn’t have to make sense. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes your entries will be really positive, and at other times, you’ll be freaking out about some crisis. Point is, you just get it down on paper.
So one thing I advise against is putting your to-do list into your morning pages. I feel like everyone should have a separate to-do list which is strictly for work. Your morning pages are for brainstorming, putting down your thoughts, etc, but it’s not meant to be used for work. Frankly, I find it confusing to mix the two. The last thing I want to do is have to search for my to-do list and have to also read about the kale salad I ate at a restaurant. You know?
Keep it separate. I like to use the Productivity Planner for my work. It was created by Intelligent Change, the same company behind the 5 Minute Journal. It’s really chic and helps you tackle your work in an efficient way. Everyone knows there’s a big difference between working hard and working smart. I prefer to do the latter.
The Productivity Planner is amazing because it uses a bunch of research-backed techniques to help you optimize your productivity. Basically, the idea is that you write down your 5 most important tasks of the day, and use the Pomodoro technique to tackle each task.
In case you’re confused, the Pomodoro Technique isn’t a new kind of sauce you should be using in your pasta. It’s a technique where you set a timer and really focus on one task for 20 minutes. No more, no less. And NO interruptions. I love the Productivity Planner because it keeps me focused, and it still shocks me how much I get done when I use it. It’s basically the Ferrari of planners.
K, I’m off to tick off the last task of my day using my Productivity Planner.
PS – have you listened to my podcast interview with Alex Ikonn, the founder of Intelligent Change yet? And while you’re at it, check out this productivity hack that’s so next level.