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The summer is almost over, the kids are back to school already, and still, I am left wondering what exactly I did this summer? The answer is a whole lot of work for other people. I honestly didn’t take any time for myself or for my family at all.
I mentioned this last week when I wrote about Why I am Starting The Change Your Life Challenge. In that post, I shared with you my “Why” and my first week in the challenge.
Week 2
I just completed Week 2, which means that I have completed steps 1 & 2 of The Toolbox. If you remember from last week’s post, I am only supposed to complete two steps a week so that I can really live with them and make them a part of my life.
I am the kind of person that would normally just charge ahead and do at least one step a day (if not more) and then wonder why I couldn’t keep the momentum going or why the new system wasn’t working for me. Now I know that taking my time with each step is the way to go. I was able to really absorb the tasks at hand as well as take the time to get used to the new tools I was going to be using.
The Toolbox
I think that The Toolbox is going to be my favorite part of The Change Your Life Challenge. I have not seen a change yet (it is only week 2, after all), but I know that the tools I am learning about and implementing into my life in this part of the program are building a strong foundation for what is to come.
It is important to not only give yourself the right tools but to also learn how to use them correctly. You shouldn’t hand someone a screwdriver when they are trying to put in a nail. I have learned that the same can be said for the tools of life. I have gone through other systems in the past only to crash and burn not long after the program was completed if I even finished it at all.
So, here we go into Steps 1 & 2 of The Toolbox for The Change Your Life Challenge.
Step 1: Meet the Catch-All Notebook (CAN)
The CAN is your everyday notes. It is where all of the information you need at your fingertips is stored. This notebook even goes everywhere with you. Well, that is it in a nutshell.
I started this step last Tuesday (I didn’t do anything on Labor Day) and since that time I am finding myself loving this tool. It is great to have all of my notes in one place that can fit in my purse or on my nightstand.
As you can clearly see, my CAN already has some dents and scratches on the cover. That is just from one week in my purse and being carried around my house. But the cover is plastic and purple (my favorite color) so I’m not all that worried. It’s really what’s on the inside that matters, right?
Speaking of the inside, I am going to give you a sneak peek inside. I haven’t really found much to write down, yet. When I first started this step, I had figured there would be loads of notes I would be taking every day. That really isn’t the case, yet. I know that could easily change at any moment.
I had heard about those candies on the radio and had to write them down. And at the top is my Weekly Active Task List. I do have a Short-Term Action List as well. That starts about two-thirds of the way into the CAN and has action tasks that have to be completed within the next 60 days.
Step 2: The Three-Step Action List
The Three-Step Action List goes in your CAN. It is the three tasks that you absolutely must get done in a day. This tool is set up so that if you get nothing else, but these three things crossed off in a day, you will still feel like you have accomplished something. You will still feel like you made a difference in your day or that you succeeded.
You are supposed to make sure that one of the three items each day relates to the one life area you need the most work in at that given time. For me, that would be my health. I, however, didn’t add anything related to that in my first Three-Step Action List. But both the list and myself are works-in-progress, right? I still working on getting the hang of this.
Here’s a look at my first Action List:
As you can see, I am using a large, lined post-it note (this one is pink) and sticking it to the inside front cover of my CAN. There just so happens to be room for five days at a time. After five days are up I put a new post it in and I am ready for the list to begin again.