Remind Me

This isn’t rocket science, but I think it’s important as a reminder. I tend to forget stuff. I also tend to be easily distracted. So, I need to remind myself to do things. Maybe you are wired the same way and might benefit from this slightly.

Index cards. Yes, I know this is sort of really low tech and simple, but they work. If you don’t have 10 of them kicking around in your house go to the store; grocery, drug or office supply store, and purchase a pack of them. Whatever color you desire. They come in basic white and a few pastel colors.

On these ten cards, in pretty large letters, write something you’d like to do. Think of it this way: You go to work every day and once you are there you know pretty much, exactly what you are supposed to be doing. Or, you go to school every day and your schedule is mapped out; you know what you are doing. Do this for yourself.

On the top of each card write something you’d like to be doing. It might even be as mundane as keeping your area clean. That’s what is on one of my cards. I tend to whirl into my study, set myself down at the computer and go to town. Behind me, beside me and in front of me is a mess. I ignore it, but when the focus of my attention loosens from whatever I’ve been doing to become aware of the mess around me I am disheartened. That’s what I don’t need anymore; that feeling of helplessness and hopelessness about my mess. So, pick it up. That’s what’s on my card. Not, “Clean up the study”, because that could take 2 weeks. Instead, my card reads, “Spend 5 minutes cleaning up the study”

Here are the rest of my cards:

* Drink a glass of water now
* Do 10 slow stretches now
* Do your eye exercises now (Sometimes I see double. To force my eyes back to center I focus in on the tip of a pen held out in front of me. I bring the pen closer to my face all the while focusing on the tip and then move it out again a few times every day.)
* Spend 5 minutes walking in place
* Practice 5 minutes of Tai Chi
* Jump and dance around to the count of 50
* Drink another glass of water now
* Smile to the count of 25
* Learn one new word in a foreign language

The rule with me is that I go once through these cards every day. As I finish one task the card goes to the back of the pile and at the beginning of every day the one card (pick up the study) is at the top.

To make it fun and give you some sort of incentive/motivation you could have some of those little stars you could paste on each card as you finish the task or on the top one to show you’ve been through one day’s worth of stuff.

It takes 3 weeks to establish a good habit. With me I think it must take 3 months. But, these are things that I’d like to be doing more often. Maybe you’ve got something you’d like to be doing more too.