The countdown is on.
I’m 49 years old with fewer than 12 months
before the Big 50; so naturally, I made a list of all the goals I’m hoping to
reach before I hit the half-century mark.
Health goals,
intellectual goals, family goals, spirit goals, financial goals.
And I want a theme –
something catchy.
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Right now I’m feeling
Fifty and Fragmented.
Sometimes Fifty and
Forgetful.
At best Fifty and
Functional.
I’m going for
something big – like Fifty and Phenomenal.
This is going to
require some serious new habits.
This is going to
require a Keystone Habit.
KEYSTONE HABITS
I read about Keystone
Habits in Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit. A
Keystone Habit is one really good (or bad) habit that spawns a bunch of other
good (or bad) habits.
Those who exercise,
for example, also tend to drink more water, eat more healthfully, and manage
their calendars. Exercise, therefore, is the Keystone Habit.
I need one mother of
a Keystone Habit – because I have a mother-load of goals.
KEYSTONE SUNDAY
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I’m calling my new
habit Keystone Sunday. It’s the ONE thing I simply must do every week if I want
to hone all the other habits necessary to reach my goals.
This is how it works,
in all of its absolute simplicity (why haven’t I been doing this for years!?)
I plan my week, in complete detail, every Sunday.
I meal plan, grocery
plan, exercise plan, work plan, volunteer plan, kid plan, house plan and dog
plan.
I fill my vitamin
box, empty my inbox, and load up the icebox.
I do everything I can
to set myself up for success in the coming week.
KEYSTONE TOOLS
These are a few tools
I’m using to support Keystone Sunday.
One Note: I use this software to track my “big picture” goals and
projects. Evernote would be a similar option.
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| Product of Microsoft |
Wunderlist: This handy App tracks my to-do lists, syncs between my
PC and mobile devices, and allows me to send items straight to my calendar. I
check it daily and add to it constantly. Things, Toodledo and Errands are other
popular to-do Apps.
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| Wunderlist |
Outlook: I use the calendar in Outlook to track my daily schedule. I put EVERYTHING on my calendar that needs to get done on a given day. Google and iCal are additional electronic calendar recommendations.
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| Product of Microsoft |
Focused
I’m hoping Keystone
Sunday leads me to all sorts of wonderful successes. I’ve been at it for about
five weeks now. I’m humbled by the habit – planning takes time and effort –
sometimes many more hours than I ever dreamed. But I’m also in awe of this Keystone
Habit’s potential – I’m accomplishing tasks and projects at an unbelievable
pace and honing new habits along the way.
Which leads me back
to my “theme.”
Habits pave the way
to success. By taming our impulses they unleash the possibilities we hold
within. And it’s with this understanding I set my intention for the coming
year:
Who's with me?
