How you use you diary?

Hi Vadim,

At the moment, I am using a generic spreadsheet for each day. On it I have a list of things to do each morning and night, like practices I need to do; and a space in the middle where I can write the tasks for that day. There is also a column for the importance of that task, either A/B/C, and another one for a time to do it. Down the bottom is a space for how many jumps/finger pulls I am trying to get and how many I have done that day.

It is very helpful, but only when I use it and am committed to it as you say. :)

I have some small exercise books for results for some practices and my own comments, which I find really helpful as I can see how often I actually do a practice, and guides me the next time as I know what has happened before.

Thanks for your ideas, I am still trying to figure out how to really plan and evaluate myself.

Tim

Hi Tim,

Thanks a lot for sharing!

I used to have 2 diaries before: one "spiriutal" and one "regular" but then it evoluted (I hope!) into including most of my daily tasks into the context of spiritual work with specific goals to acheive.

I like to set up time too, or some other control tools for activities: number of repetitions, specific result I am aiming for and anchors.
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Examples can be:

-quantitive goals, like to do a certain amount of reality checks as you've mentioned; or number of walks from point A to point B in awareness, count prayers, etc.

-qualitative goals with realistic goals: for example doing relaxation practice untill the full relaxation and that right feeling of "enough", remembering myself all the way back home from point A, and if forget myself, returning back and starting it again. (this is fun) etc.

-anchors: every time, there is an opportunity for a pause, do a specific practice; every time there is a red light at intersection, do a reality check while waiting, etc., for me it's really a game of creative imagination to renew anchors just before they become mechanical.
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Obviously, I try to combine it all in each activity and overall framework: quanity and quality and remembrance>>>all together.

Yes, for me too it's not easy to evaluate myself in what I do, it seems that there are so many tricks of the mind, Samael Aun Weor mentioned 49 levels...it's not easy for me be absolutely honest with myself. And then evaluation depends on understanding, proportional to level of internal work.

Yes, me too, I am still learning about this stuff, so much internal mess to take care of, and planning seems to be one of the important tools.
So much to learn!

Thanks again,

Hey Vadim,

Thanks for sharing! After reading this I actually just dusted off my old diary and am starting to use it again:)

I had an idea after reading this...

I have heard of accountability groups where people that commit to do something are required to report back to each other periodically on whether or not they are making the effort, and the fact that they are accountable to someone else helps them to make the effort.

I am trying to make myself accountable where for 28 days there is commitment to actively using a diary for practices everyday, and then reporting back once a week that this was done.

28 days being the minimum time to form a habit.

Anyway, just something I would like to try. I know the centres are good for this in terms of keeping up the practices, but I feel that the way we use diaries and organise our time needs extra attention every now and again.

Thanks again,
Robert B

Hi Robert,

I think, that's great that you came back to your old diary!

And it seems to be a good idea to be accountable to someone else.
We've experimented with my friends to send a feedbacks about our weekly progresses to the group...in my opinion it worked well, overall, for some time.

From the recent times, in the end of each week I write a short summary of the results and directions to take further. Then, it's interesting to compare the results in the end of the month and to see an overall progress, things to improve, etc.

I started to discover that habbit of organization helps me enormously to advance further, while some egos just hate this whole idea of "structure in life".

Thanks to you a lot, all the best!

Hello Vadim & Robert,

I think that this is an important thread because as the old saying goes those who fail to plan, plan to fail and I can see why. I have very lazy egos that just do the minimum to get me buy in what ever I'm doing and it's really just a recipe for disaster. It's funny because I've been re-evaluating my planning efforts lately and want to get organized better as life really does has it's commitments which we need to attend to and most importantly we need to develop our spiritual selves in the battlefield of everyday life.

I currently use at the moment 3 things to organize things;
1 a diary for my business organizing
2 a XL spread sheet to organize my spiritual practices
3 a little note book which I can kept on me all the time to remember things that suddenly pop up and to note down things so I don't forget things, this can be simple things when my wife calls and wants something at the shops or when business call come in when I haven't got my business diary on me. also the note books good so I can note down the spiritual practices I plan for a day so I can always refer to them and have them on me to remember.

I've been looking on line to find free organize yourself websites does anyone know any good ones.

Steve

I forgot to say hello to Tim !

Hi Tim

Steve

Hi Everyone,

Hey I forgot to mention about over planning, has anyone got caught up in planning so much that they didn't get anything done. I don't think I've worked out a really solid system yet but I would like to keep it simple really. I've noticed that when I've planned well things goes well but when I've planned badly things quite simply fall apart.

Can you see why I need the little note book I've forgotten two things in this thread already.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thank you so much for sharing!

"those who fail to plan, plan to fail" -that's very nicely said.
If a person doesn't have a direction where to go, how likely they will come to the point where they would like to be?

In relation to what you've said, personally, I tried to separate spiritual practices and mundane activities, but now, with efforts to unite my spiritual life and mundane life, I have just one diary for everything.
Trying to fit all business activities, work, socializing, etc., into the context of spiritual practices and give some time for spiritual practices only...

Really want to learn how to make it work well.

Hi Vadim,

Yeah, I want to learn to make it work too and all the best with the efforts to sort things out.

Steve+

thanks!