Shorter Days, Bigger Dreams: My Quest for Productivity

Hey everyone,

Today's post is a little different. I want to talk about something I've been grappling with more and more lately: managing my daily life. It seems like the days are getting shorter, especially with how much my life has changed in the past few years. I've been pushing myself to live the life I truly want, which has meant a lot of exciting new ventures.

For years, I've had this internal desire to start my own company. I'm so inspired by other entrepreneurs, but I wasn't ever quite sure what I wanted to create. Let me tell you, once you start listening to that inner voice, the possibilities become endless (and a little overwhelming!). Have you ever felt that way?

The biggest shift for me has been the need for organization. I love brainstorming and coming up with new ideas, but diving into the details and actually making things happen? Not so much.

But an idea without execution is just that — an idea.

A few years ago, I invested in a self-management course by Vera Marie Strauch. It introduced me different tools such as the bullet journal method, and while I haven't adopted everything from the program, I've stuck with one powerful takeaway: the "Top 3" method. There are weeks when I feel like I'm not making any progress, and inevitably, I realize I've forgotten to set my Top 3.

So, what does "Top 3" mean to me? For me it's about identifying 2 "growth" items and 1 "burning" item that needs immediate attention. Growth items bring me forward. These could be learning goals (like my university work right now), big-picture tasks for my businesses, or anything that moves a project forward.

The burning item is something urgent and important. Health is just one example.

Before I started differentiating between "growth" and "burning" items, I tended to focus only on urgent tasks and felt stuck in the present or saw that my tasks are focused on others only. Adding the "growth" category pushes me out of my comfort zone. It's easy to get bogged down in admin tasks like taxes and paying bills, but having those two growth items on my list helps me avoid procrastination and stay focused on the bigger picture.

Speaking of which, it's Sunday, so let's take a look at my upcoming week!

1. I need to make progress on my impact certificate from the university, so item number one is finalizing that capstone report.

2. For my corporate job, I'm prioritizing getting the governance structure organized. It's been on my list for a while, but now it's crucial to get it finalized and share it with the stakeholders.

3. And finally, my business plan is still a work in progress, so my third item is to finalize it so others can contribute their pieces.

Remember, progress over perfection. Some weeks, I'll crush my Top 3, and other weeks, I'll only check off a few things. But the key is to keep moving forward, one step at a time. Here's to a productive week ahead! ✨

Find Your Wave,

Sarah 🌊🏄‍♀️

P.S.: The graphic in this post is inspired by the "Life Priorities Jar" video which I saw.

It's a powerful reminder to focus on what truly matters. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend searching for it online – it might just inspire you to reflect on what's truly important!