My daily framework
In the past month, I have had to build more intention into my work week. Prior to that, I was relying on a weekday accountability call at 6:30am to keep me focused. However, those early calls were cutting into my limited quality time with my husband so I needed to make a change. I miss some of those conversations though which were filled with inspiration and miracles. With this shift, I needed to build in some accountability into my day, without the help of anyone else.
I started with a general framework for my day and my week, filled with all the things I could think of to get my day off on the right foot. Clearly, this is not the first time I have turned my mind to this – remember If Only I Had J.A.R.V.I.S.?
Here is what my daily framework looks like right now:
Start journaling:
How am I feeling?
What is my focus today?
Calm and confident.
Stress is positive and necessary.
Every movement is exercise. (Thank you Dr. Ellen Langer for that suggestion.)
Everything is connected.
Quiet mornings with my husband, sharing insights and drinking the coffee he makes before he leaves for work.
Build anticipation with my plan for the day. Dr. Faye Begeti talks about this in her book The Phone Fix.
My reminders:
Required activities which take a lot of energy are broken down into smaller work windows and spread throughout the week.
Keep time flexible for the expected unexpected ;)
Prime my brain before any focused activity – with a warm up routine. Another Dr. Begeti recommendation.
Optimize brain usage with no more than 55 minutes of focused work - i.e. no distractions and no multitasking. Set a timer.
Thank my brain for every activity window – signal a cool down period.
Movement – both regular, focused and varied.
Nutrition at meal times and snacks.
Rest and recovery breaks, without screens. At least 5 minutes every hour when focused on a screen, according to Dr. Rachel Barr (which is why every work window is 55 minutes). This is an optimal time to tidy up the kitchen, do some laundry, meditate, do a breath-centered mindfulness practice, read a physical book, or have a nap.
Meaningful connections and outside inspiration (too much alone time means I’m connecting with movie and TV characters), including my personal support team.
Regular check-ins throughout the day:
What am I predicting?
What do I need right now to support my well-being?
Keep journaling.
Sleep buffer:
Put my phone away.
Restorative stretching. Like these 10 Stretches To Do Before Bed to Improve Your Sleep which I just tried last night. I want to keep an eye out for something softer.
Remind myself of what I have already discovered about this sleep buffer.
Finish journaling:
What positive changes am I noticing?
What am I grateful for?
That’s my daily framework! Did anything resonate for you?
I did find opportunities to refine and update this plan while preparing to share this with you. I also noted where I wasn’t holding myself accountable ;) And that’s okay — it’s important to have goals, right? Plus no one is perfect!
Writing this down for me is just like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago: it gives my brain something to focus on and keep top of mind (hopefully).
Let me ask you this: what do you bring to your day to get off to a good start?
I dare you to think about it.
Resources
Begeti, Faye. 2024. The Phone Fix. London, UK: Head of Zeus, Ltd.
Langer, Ellen. 2024. The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health. New York: Ballantine Group.
Burke Harris, Nadine. 2018. The deepest well: healing the long-term effects of childhood adversity. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
