“If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my home with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden
I’m not saying that my way is the best way. However, I have noticed that the more I keep track of my goals and the steps I take to achieve them, the better I do.
A couple of years ago I began charting my priorities on a monthly basis. This forces me to evaluate what is important to me at the beginning of each month. It also provides me with a visual reminder of how I am doing as the month progresses.
The chart itself is simple. The x-axis contain the days of the month. The y-axis sets out my priorities or daily “tasks.” If I accomplish my task, I color in the corresponding cell on the grid. A good month with be full of color. When I begin to stray from the path, I am greeted with a blinding snowstorm of colorless white.
I frequently think that I am meditating with regularity, or that I’ve been doing plenty of healthy cooking at home. Then, I look at my monthly chart, and realize that I’ve slacked three days in a row. Sometimes I will see an entire row of white stretching five or six days. That’s when I know it’s time to re-evaluate my priorities.
This form of personal record keeping is not for everyone. But it helps keep me accountable.
NYC Update: This week I have thus far enjoyed two, solid 100-minute runs and a progressive/tempo run of 10 miles. Lots of rolling. Lots of healthy, plant-based protein and clean carbs. The build/clean-up continues….
Thanks for checking in, and Happy Hobby Jogging!
Kevin
The Happy Hobbyjogger 