Productivity and gratitude wrapped up in a shit sandwich.

I know what you’re thinking WTF is she talking about?! But, stay with me. In this post, I’m going to explain how I map out my day to set myself up for success, get shit done and feel like a boss 😉

I used to write out the LONGEST to-do-lists that somehow made me feel productive in the moment, but they were completely unattainable. This was me setting myself up for failure. Who the hell wants that!?

Through trial and error, I have worked out a system of three’s that helps me stay on task and I use that “big ass to-do-list to” as more of a overview of projects on the go.

Before I jump into explaining (or would it be making?) the shit sandwich, I want to start off by addressing the “prep.”

The sandwich prep: Set up your ideal day and SHOW UP

What I mean by this is to set yourself up for success by allowing time for rest, exercise, meditation – map out time to do something good for your mind and body. It’s not about finding time, there is no such thing. It is about making time and making it a priority.

I’m not always on the ball on this one, I’l admit, but I know 100% that I am at my best when I look after myself. And let’s face it, life WILL get in the way, but I am sure there are small things you can do to improve your day. Change the music you’re listening to, switch off your phone after a specific time, use essential oils to lift your mood or try a ten-minute meditation from the Insight Timer app. There are bound to be some tweaks you can make to your day to improve your situation! Figure out what these are, then pick one thing every day that will benefit you and DO IT.

Okay, now that the prep is set-up let’s make that sandwich…

Piece of bread #1: The three MOST important things

This is where you’re going to pick the three things that you HAVE to do today in order to feel like you’ve got your shit together 😉

These should be mini projects that are tangible goals. This part takes a bit of trial and error, but if you break it down based on how many hours you want to work in a day you can then break down those big projects into mini ones!

I’m not sure why it took me over a year to work this out. But, as a contractual business, I make estimates for every project, so I look at the estimate and break down my project deliverables into mini projects. This helps me manage my time, before I was more or less just winging it.Tip: Don’t do that.

You can also take your “big ass to-do-list” and break that down into manageable chunks (aka mini projects) that are most pressing.

However you choose to break it down, the trick is: Don’t do anything else until these three things are done.

The middle, aka “the shit”: Three things to do IF there’s time/for tomorrow

I call this part the shit because it’s a smaller scale version of the “big ass to-do-list” that felt like a set-up for failure. The improvement is you choose only three things. These are not “must do” items, so NOT a failure!

These three things are the tasks you can do if there’s time today or leave for tomorrow. This way if by chance you finish something faster than expected you can tackle the next item and as a contingency you know what’s coming up. The silver lining to the “shit” is that it helps set you up for success the next day 😉

Piece of bread #2: The daily Successes/Gratitude

We’re on the bread again, because let’s face it we’re all grateful for bread. But there’s more to it than just carbs. This is the last list of three and this time you’re going to write three things that you’re grateful for. These can be successes of your day, or something small that made you smile, the point is to take note. It’s a matter of celebrating the little things and acknowledging yourself and the people around you. This part is crucial and if you can make it a habit it will make you a better person and I wholeheartedly believe this.

The wrap up

I’m not sure why I’m now making wrap references…I must be hungry…anyways…

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You’re likely intrigued and I like that. I want you to give it a shot for one week and see if you notice a shift where you start working smarter, not harder.

Let’s end all this “hustle” business. Who wants to hustle!? Why are we all wanting to bust our asses without specific goals in mind? I want to promote hard work with specific tangible goals, work/life balance and gratitude. How I managed to turn it into a shit sandwich, well that’s a mystery! But it works!

To say that I am invested in this approach is an understatement X infinity! I literally designed and printed my own note pads and don’t even care how extra that is! Anyone can do this, and you don’t need a custom notepad, you just need a pen and paper or digital note pad of your choice!

Here’s a recap of the shit sandwich:

• Three most important things (BREAD)
• Three things to do if there’s time/for tomorrow (SHIT)
• Three Successes/Gratitudes (BREAD)

This approach is a simple and effective way to improve your productivity and overall wellbeing. (All of the YES!) The icing on the cake is you actually celebrate your successes and feel more grateful! I’d even go as far as saying this method can build confidence.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, running a business, running a household, if you’ve got shit to do, then this is for you. Take my challenge and do this for one week and see if you get more shit done. Do it. I dare you.

Let me know how it goes and if you have questions for me shoot them in the comments below! And as always, you’ll find me hanging out here posting (almost) daily doses of creativity, inspiration and a bit of sass.