Lately I have begun to realize that my life is a constant cycle of change. Literally everything seems to be changing. Career direction is the same but it is always a new challenge, new decisions to make, new classes, new clinic, new patients, new puzzles to solve. And now I have a new job, new clients, new goals to help them achieve, new programs, new learning curve. Even my friendships are changing...new friends and old friends, they are all around... but some get closer, while I lose touch with others and its all different... again. The strange thing about this constant state of change is that I have unknowingly embraced it to the point where I didn't even realize it was happening. I am almost beginning to believe that I played a big role in its existence. Mostly I think it has happened out of necessity- I need to be constantly doing new things, meeting new people, learning new skills to become the best at this whole health and wellness thing. But then I began to wonder if I liked it this way... do I like being thrown into uncomfortable and challenging situations to see how I will come out on the other side? Maybe I just need a different form of adrenaline rush..."what am I capable of?" But at the moment it is all kinds of exhausting. I had three hours of sleep one night (so bad for my health) and then 12 the next (sleep debt paid). I have found my car keys in my bathroom sink and my phone in my closet drawer (need to take my fish oils for my starving brain). There are so many things I need to do... and next week is finals :).
So what now... I have a million, literally a million things to do and not enough brain power to hold it all in. My solution: A list, a plan, a filing cabinate and a label maker. Organization. I know for a fact my brain works differently from most people so this may seem like a foreign concept to most, but "if its not on a list, it doesn't exist." Now its not because I can't remember things (although it can seem that way :). It really comes down to how the bunch of random things I need to do will float around in my head until they are written down in a categorical way... then I can forget about it until I need to refer back. My list is.... freedom. And my files are security; when I need it, it is there. If its written down it never bothers me, because I know I will get it done now I can go ride my bike, run, cook dinner, or read a book. For those who think organization is for people with a lot of stuff... I am a minimalist, so that can't be true. I want the least amount of stuff possible as long as its quality and it works well; I don't keep what I don't need, and if I need it, it has a place, and its organized. My brain is as cluttered as my desk, or my bedroom floor. I sound like a perfectionist but I'm definitely not. As long as it has a place, it can be out of its place for a period of time (like finals week) but it must go back sometime soon.
The point of all this... you need a plan. It doesn't matter if your like me and NEED a list to be set free, or if you have a photographic memory and think you have it all down in your head... write it down and memorize that. Only 3% of people write down their goals. A list is like your set of daily goals. If you want uncommon results you have to do uncommon things. So write it down. Put the biggest priority at the top and work your way to the end. You don't have to do everything, but you do have to start somewhere. I find that if I buy a fancy hand held notebook I will use it more often, so pick your fave.
This has been one of the best habits I have formed that has kept me successful through 7 years of school going all year round taking 25+ credits while working. It will allow you to do more while still being able to walk away from it later and forget about it. A clear mind is more than productive, relaxing, or healthy ... it's freedom.
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