One of my favorite topics to discuss with my clients is the power of habits. Scientist estimate that at least 40% of our day is controlled by habits and, in some cases, can even go up as high as 95%. Habits are powerful, and depending on the habits we develop will determine how effective we are in our daily lives. Therefore, in my training, coaching, and mentoring sessions, habits are discussed early and often. With all that being said, I wanted to share one of my favorite habits that I use every day that has changed my life from the moment I started doing it. The power of the calendar.

When it comes to my calendar, I will admit I can get a little crazy. I say that because every single thing about my day is scheduled inside my calendar. Yep, everything. What time I wake up? In my calendar. When I take a shower? In my calendar. Before you judge me, let me explain why I do this crazy practice. When I was a young leader in the Army, one of my biggest struggles was breaking large and complex tasks down into smaller bite-sized tasks. This caused a snowball effect. Because I couldn't break things down, I often found myself unable to delegate tasks appropriately. Because I couldn't delegate tasks, I often would find myself doing everything by myself, which left me pressed for time. And because of that, I would often be late for deadlines and constantly behind the 8-ball. I can go on with this for 10 pages.

Another big problem I had as a young leader, and if I am being honest, I still do to this day, is I have ADHD. I affectionately call it my squirrel brain. Squirrel brain causes me to lose focus rather easily, and I end up chasing unimportant tasks. So I had to find a way to help myself break my tasks into smaller pieces and simultaneously find a way to keep myself focused on the tasks at hand. And that is when I found the most fantastic tool I have ever used. My calendar.

The important thing to understand is that I don't always stick to it exactly. Sometimes it gets blown all to pieces, and nothing works out the way I planned. But the rough draft of my plan is there. I have a general idea of what I need to get done on that day, and I have a tentative plan on how I am going to get those things done. As I said, you don't have to go all crazy as I do. But maybe at the start of 2023, it would be a good habit to give it a try. See if it helps you and if it does, make it your daily routine.