A month ago, I blogged about my daily struggle with feeling overwhelmed and like I was unable to get things accomplished in a day.

The fact is,  I was running around all day and feeling at the end of the day that I did NOT get anything done on my list.  It was leaving me completely frustrated and deflated, to the point where some days I felt like giving up on my goals and dreams.

I Hated Waking Up in the morning – Just to Deal with the Same Stuff

• I felt like a HUGE BITCH every day.  I was constantly being short with my children and  my family life was full of tension.  Instead of home being a place of love and patience, it felt like all I was trying to do was get through until I could put them to bed each night.
• Constantly putting out Fires.  Things would get “thrown” at me throughout the day that I felt like I had to manage and had no control over.  Those tasks were constantly sucking up the time that I had to devote to working on myself and my goals that will move me in the direction that I want to go.
• My Health goals were suffering.  From November – January I put back on over 20 pounds of the 155 that I originally lost.  This happened because I was not taking care of me.  I was not sticking to my Ketogenic diet, even though I know that taking care of my health and controlling me eating is  what makes me feel better and more energized.
• My Business goals were not moving forward.  All of the hours I felt I had to devote to working on At Home With Heather was being used up and by other “emergencies”.  I was not focused, I was not working on it, and I had basically given up.
• Resentful and Bitter in every area of my life.  The negativity was really getting to me, and as much as I didn’t want it to, it felt like the “negatives” were sucking me in.

Why did my Performance Suck So Badly?

All of these issues did not stem from a lack of time.  We all have the same amount of time in a day, and many people have way more responsibilities and obligations than I do – and they deliver it with a smile.

My problem was stemming not from lack of time, but from lack of focus and intention.

As far as scheduling my appointments and commitments, the planner system that I have been using works fine.  It’s actually the same way that Brendon uses his planner as well.

I use the google/apple calendar apps to keep track of all my stuff.

It works well because I am scheduling and coordinating my life with several different people, including my business partner, staff, and family.  In addition, I have a private calendar where I schedule my own private reminders etc.  I love that these calendars are mobile and are with me at all times on my phone.

My bigger problem was that even though all of these things were scheduled, I was not able to deliver on them effectively.  By the end of the day (my family time), I was feeling frustrated and unaccomplished.

The appointments that involved other people/clients/kids would always get accomplished, but it was always the “free time” that I had to work on my own personal stuff that would get gobbled up by other people, or anger, or lack of focus.

I am only one month in to using the High Performance Planner, so I am by no means saying that I’m an expert in managing my time, or that I have this all down.  But in the last month,  I have seen some marked improvements in several areas.

What is the High Performance Planner?

The planner is used not so much a “scheduler”, but as it is intended as a “performance” enhancement.  In fact, I am thinking of it more as my life planner.

Click here to read the reviews on Amazon.

The planner is divided up into 3 basic parts:

Daily Review pages. These are filled out in the morning and the evening.  These help you to prepare for your day, set your intentions, work on your goals, and write down what tasks must absolutely be done.   Then at the end of the day, you review how it went before you go to bed.

Weekly Assessments. In this area, you review the week and look back on the wins, what you learned, and what you can improve upon.  There are also sections for a total life review and a look at how you score yourself on performance.

Monthly Review and Assessment. In this section, you reflect on the past month again to see what great things you accomplished (your wins), what you learned, and what you could have done better.  There is also a section for your long-term goal alignment.  The final thing is the whole life assessment, where you score yourself in 10 different areas.

What’s cool is by taking time to do especially the weekly and monthly reviews and assessments, you can track your progress in all areas of your life over a period of time.

5 Areas That I Have Improved Performance and Productivity In 1 Month

1. Getting More Done – I actually have had more appointments for clients and schedule commitments over the last 3 weeks, but I am still managing to get more accomplished on my blog and my business goals.  As of the 15th of the month, I have been able to accomplish about 40% more.
2. Improved Home Atmosphere – Because I am being more intentional with my days, I have improved the atmosphere in my home by focusing on the outcome I want to achieve on a daily (and even sometimes hourly) basis.
3. Improved Overall Attitude – Spending the 20 minutes or so that it takes to plan my day in the morning gives me focus and the ability to look towards the outcomes that I want to achieve for each day.  It allows me to show up as my Best Self in each different situation.
4. Increased Focus –  I am starting to feel more focused in each of my daily activities.  When I move from one activity to another, I start the task with taking a minute to decide what outcomes I want to achieve, who I am trying to serve, and what they need from me.
5. Health Goals and Energy – The planner helps me to review my goals very regularly, and with that I am living with more intention.  If I want to drop the weight that I have gained back and get my energy back,  I can only do this by being focused on my goals.

At the end of the day, I am feeling more positive, with a sense of accomplishment and purpose.  I’ve really noticed that I am using my time more effectively, and that my mental focus and preparedness have improved considerably.

There are only 2 downsides that I can see so far:

• Using this planner does take up some time in the morning and evening.  But when I am consistent with this routine, I don’t feel at all like it’s a waste of my time, because I am improving my performance, and my mindset for the day.
• The planner is only for 60 days, so it does need to be re-purchased.  The cost is very reasonable and so you would have to make the decision of whether it’s an extra expense, or whether it is an investment.  I’m choosing to think of it as an investment.

So far using the High Performance Planner has been a valuable tool.

I’m not quite half way through my first one.  When I am closer to the end of the 60 days,  I will re-assess (expense or investment).   If I feel like it is beneficial and it continues to give me this sense of congruency, clarity and increased performance with what I am trying to do and what I am Actually doing, then I will reorder.

Talk soon,

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