“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
You can use stories and The Rule of 3 to simplify your day and make meaning.
Three is just the cap so you can boil your day down into three simple stories (e.g. win a raving fan, have a four star dinner with a friend, and write a game-changing post.)
Pick 3 Stories for Your Day — to Pave Your Way, and Rule Your Day
Picking three stories helps you focus and avoid getting overwhelmed. It also makes it easy to remember your focus throughout the day.
Basically, have three stories for the day, whether it’s telling yourself stories or telling other people, such as your manager.
Even if you have a laundry list of things to do, bubble it up to three compelling outcomes.
You’re the writer of your life, and this puts you in the driver’s seat. “Win a raving fan” is more compelling than “call my customer.” It sets the stage, it’s engaging, and your simple stories can turn the mundane into the miraculous.
We’re Wired for Stories
Believe it or not, we’re wired for stories.
Stories are a way to shape your day and connect the dots. (Even babies do scenario-based planning to figure out their next moves for the day.)
Each new day is a fresh start, with fresh stories.
Shaping your stories shapes your day and shapes your results.
Putting it all together, ask yourself, “What do you want to accomplish today … given your available time, your available energy, your minimum MUSTs or needs and your wants?” … cap this at three results … and turn these into three stories that inspire you.
A little practice makes perfect, and you get to practice each day, and this may very well be the single most effective habit to make the most of what you’ve got, one day at a time.
Photo by Vince Alongi.
10 Ways to Improve How You Manage Information