I don't follow through on my planet it's more of a chore than a [Music] pleasure I ended up satisfying many of my other emotional needs [Music] planning it's something we all do but to me it's more of a chore than a pleasure or a means to an end don't get me wrong it's a good way to stay organized and I don't forget things as often after writing them down but it's done because it needs to be done not because it brings me joy I hate to admit it but more often than not I don't follow
through on my planning which hurts my motivation on continuing to plan and in turn to complete it's just a vicious cycle and it's not like I haven't tried different ways to plan either digital planning paper planning all sorts of calendars reminders apps you name it after trying enough platforms I realized that I'm more interested in the platform itself than a planning action not to mention all the time and energy I spend on learning all these tools for as long as I can remember I've struggled with this cycle to a point that I gave up finding
one that works for me until I came across this Ted Talk how to gain control of your free time this talk was a GameChanger introducing me to the concept of backward Planning by suggesting that instead of a traditional year-end review imagine yourself one year into the future reflecting on your most significant accomplishments and highlight throughout the year which gives a window to what we desire and value and where we'd like to spend our time but here's the twist I've adapted this approach to focus not on what I want to do but how I want to
feel this perspective shift has completely changed the way I view planning let me explain so first off what exactly is this feeling focused backward planning it starts with identifying the emotional state I want to achieve and then working backward to figure out the steps needed to get there to match this backward planning I named this method my week this was I'll take you along my week to show you how I use this method the first thing to do is to determine how I want to feel since energized is the focus I move on to the
next step which is visualizing what energized means to me I used five questions to guide my visualization what activities make you lose track of time because you're so engaged what types of activities leave you feeling invigorated rather than drained think of a person who always seems energetic what habits of theirs could you adopt are there certain foods or meals that make you feel light and energetic think about your environment what changes could you make to your space to boost your energy after writing down my answers to these questions I started my week keeping these actions
in mind and here's what that looks [Music] like for those of you who've been following me for a while you know that drawing and working with Clay are two of my favorite creative Outlets when inspiration strikes I often find myself buzzing with excitement for the next opportunity to bring these ideas to life when I do get the chance to work on it time seems to be on three times speed I either find myself saying it turns out I underestimated how long this would take or sometimes I'll look up from what I'm doing and suddenly realize
the sun has set without me even noticing I had that itch to draw on the day I felt this not a set idea of what I was aiming for but thought I'd warm up by using a reference I ended up drawing this over the course of the entire week it just makes me feel so happy every time I pick up the [Music] pencil crocheting is something else I do when I take a break from a formal task but want to keep my hands busy here I'm finishing up a frog coaster after dinner while catching up
on some of my favorite creators [Music] videos I also ended up making some fishbone bookmarks I think this is really making me want want to read more [Music] [Music] when I think about activities that energize me pickle ball immediately comes to mind I only started playing this summer but it quickly became my go-to whenever I have free time there's a court just 5 minutes away from my house and I love getting up early to head straight there after a light breakfast it's an incredible feeling to watch the sunrise while playing and often I've been added
for nearly an hour before other players even arrive the best part of it is that after a shower I feel absolutely charged both from the rush of Feelgood chemicals like dopamine and serotonin and from the satisfaction of knowing that I'm taking care of my body [Music] soch [Music] my another activity that leaves me feeling invigorated often without me even realizing it is learning something new I'm a curious person and love exploring how things work or how they can be done differently this applies to my day job in res resarch and teaching and also to my
art having the time and space to learn feels like a real privilege to me so I seize every opportunity to absorb as much as I can and I love giving back by sharing what I've learned with others who have similar interests [Music] food plays an important role in my life and my overall well-being I was raised to have three meals and at fairly consistent time of the day so I try to keep up with it since that is what my body is used to I try to incorporate a lot of fibers in my diet and
where possible I like to steam or bake over frying or boiling to preserve the nutrients in the food [Music] [Music] I also love most fruits that I can get my hands on in the grocery store or Farmers Market they're a great snack to pick me up between meals and they help with hydration [Music] [Applause] [Music] too I follow quite a few creators on YouTube and they're all very talented but there are two I think of when I saw this question they are Ruby gringer and John fish ruby Granger's Channel focuses on productivity steady techniques and
maintaining a balanced lifestyle often showcasing her own academic journey and offering advice to fellow students John fish's content revolves around self-improvement technology and personal development frequently documenting his experiences with challenging projects and sharing insights on learning and growth I learned so much from the both of them they seem to have so much enthusiasm and energy about the things they love and one thing I see they have in common is their love for reading [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] over the years I've discovered that a clean environment is truly the best environment for me
there's something incredibly refreshing about stepping into a well organized space each morning a clutter-free area not only looks better but also helps clear my mind and sharpen my focus I found that simple habits like having a designated spot for everything and returning items to their places immediately after use make a world of difference [Music] I'm also a big fan of having plants around the house they bring a touch of nature indoors which I find both calming and energizing I enjoy the little ritual of caring for them moving them to catch the right amount of sunlight
training excess growth and ensuring they're well watered it's a small way to stay connected to Nature and keeping my space feeling fresh and alive oh on the topic of making changes to space I added a few designs to my illustration from earlier printed it out and framed it now it's proudly displayed right above my coffee machine it's such a joy to see it every day while I'm making my morning Brew this small Edition has really personalized my space and gives me a little creative boost to start my day Wonder now that I've completed my very
first my week this was here are my thoughts first it helps me connect my daily actions to my emotional well-being making planning feel more meaningful and motivating when I'm focused on how I want to feel rather than just what I need to do it's easier to stay committed to my plan second it encourages self-awareness by regularly checking in with how I want to feel I become more attuned to my emotional needs and what truly matters to me and it's flexible life doesn't always go according to plan but my desired emotional state can guide my decision
even even when circumstances change when I had plans to go out and exercise three times a week I realized I was way too tired having to juggle many tasks I revised my plan to doing some stretching and taking power naps whenever possible it felt good to balance my needs without having to feel defeated because I can't check off a to-do item one thing I did notice with this method is that it's essential to start slow with the two f l I initially wrote down five two few items because I was still treating it like a
to-do list I quickly realized that was not sustainable and it's very likely that I could only accomplish one two F goal but the good news is when I was focused on just this one two feel item I ended up satisfying many of my other emotional needs it's so nice to have you follow along my very first my week this was and I hope this video gives you a different way to look at planning and I would love to know your experience if you feel like trying it thank you for watching and I will see you
in the next one [Music]
