We've all been there.
The New Year has just started and our resolutions are numerous.
Maybe we wish to consume nourishing meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Or maybe, just maybe, we want to get physically fitter. Not necessarily to get that "beach booty", but to feel better in our body. To feel less pain, cultivate peace and energy, or develop our tapas (a yogic term for maintaining calm discipline during times of discomfort).
Maybe, your resolution has nothing to do with physical health. Perhaps you wish to spend more time with loved ones, learn an instrument, or be accepted to that great university.
Whatever your resolutions are this year, let me be the first to tell you: You are amazing. Amazing for caring enough about yourself to try and improve your health and happiness. Amazing for caring enough to uplift yourself and maybe, with time, to uplift others.
In the face of such ambition, however, starting the journey towards your goals can seem daunting. Especially, as experience has taught me, when you are experiencing a challenging vulnerability such as chronic illness, a mental health condition, or some other stressful personal situation.
Over the course of a decade, I have learned how to productively manage my goals and responsibilities while also meeting my physical and emotional needs. As a Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patient in undergraduate and law school, I have tried many time management systems.
Recently, I discovered a unique organization system presented by the lovely Sadia of the Pick Up Limes food blog at pickuplimes.com. This has proven to be the most useful system that I have tried to date! In fact, it has greatly increased my productivity during times of stress and relapse.
While the Pick Up Limes blog presents this tool for everyone seeking to increase their productivity, I actually believe that it is a crucial tool for people experiencing illness or other stress.
I like to call this system The Floating Planner Matrix. You'll see why, below!
The Floating Planner Matrix is an alternative to the traditional Daily or Weekly Planner approach, which leaves little room for scheduling flexibility. During times of physical illness or personal stress, perhaps we aren't necessarily able to stick to an hourly, daily, or even weekly schedule.
Perhaps, instead, we need the ability to adapt our schedules on a minute-by-minute basis according to how we feel. This is when The Floating Planner Matrix comes in handy. This method enables us to approach tasks according to their importance and urgency. The more urgent or important a task is, the higher its priority.
As you record your tasks in The Floating Planner Matrix, the most urgent tasks go in the top two quadrants. The most important tasks go in the left two quadrants. (So, for example, a Highly Urgent and Highly Important task would go in the top left quadrant. A Low Urgency and Low Importance task would go in the bottom right quadrant.)
With this Matrix, you don't need to write a daily To Do list, only to rewrite the To Do list the next day (and the next!) to account for tasks we don't have the energy or resources to complete that day. Tasks can essentially float around in your schedule according to their priority.
Maybe, with time, we can start to work regularly in the bottom left quadrant of the Matrix, where tasks are important but not urgent. If you aren't always in the bottom left quadrant, that's okay! When I'm low on energy or time, I often find myself working in the top left quadrant. Just do what works for you. As long as you keep chipping away at things, you will be fine with The Floating Planner Matrix to guide you!
Get your journey started today with your free copy of The Floating Planner Matrix, here!
Have you tried The Floating Planner Matrix?
Tell your fellow wellness seekers about your experience in the Comments section below or post a photo of your completed Matrix on Instagram and tag us: @mindful_manifestations.