Ahhh. Planning for the year ahead. Seems so simple, doesn’t it? And yet somehow, each and every year, you’re most likely behind in some section of your life. I’m looking forward to next year to start planning less. I have a few reasons as to why. First, let’s look back at my path to productivity in 2023.  Let’s talk about it.

My Path In 2023

In January of 2023, I decided to take a full week off…of everything. I took downtime to an all time high, and reset myself both mentally and physically. Because of that, Habitual Balance was born. Through different twists and turns during the year, it developed into what you see today. The kind of mental space that you open up when you really give yourself a chance to think is utterly amazing. It’s as if that’s really how we should be doing things all along. When I finally allowed myself to have some brain space to dedicate back to my own life, all these new ideas and helpful thoughts started flowing in. It took going to the hospital to figure this out for me, so I’m hopeful that Habitual Balance being in your life will help you to do the same before it gets to that point. Planning is helpful for certain situations, but at times, it can quite literally cause a mental overload. Why do we overplan, overthink, and overdo everything as adults? As children, this isn’t so common. Multi-tasking usually isn’t even a thing. As kids we speak our mind, complete our tasks, and play as if there were no tomorrow. How is this chill mode of life so easily lost upon adults? Related: Habitual Growth: Looking Back And Moving Forward

Time Goes By So Slowly… And Quickly

I’ve got a hunch, you see. As we age, time becomes less available. The summers seem shorter, the winters longer, and the days at our jobs more monotonous. It’s as if time stands still during the situations we hate most, and time flies by when we actually have a moment to ourselves. Even when we are alone, there are distractions. Dogs that need attention, kids that need to be fed, marriages that take hard work over taking time for yourself. We forget about self-care or that it’s even a thing! It’s thrown out the window…and we wonder why it’s so hard to climb our way back out of a rut. Being selfish about self-care is okay. It’s something that we need to do as adults. It’s something that needs to have time spent on it. Last year I thought that if I just planned out every single aspect of my life, that I’d be a-okay. As long as it was listed in my Google calendar, that task would get done. And it did! 9 times out of 10 all of those tasks would be completed…and every time it would be right before I hit another mini wall of burnout. Since we lack extra time in our 20s, 30s, and so on, we push our limits by trying to squeeze in every task that we can so that we’re able to have that one little bit of freedom on the weekends. Why not spread it out and plan less??

I’m A Planner – Do You Go With The Flow?

If we organize our lives to fit into time blocks then we’ll never have time to just “go with the flow.” This is something I’ve been trying hard to work on for several years. As I get older, I realize time after time that “going with the flow” is just not something I’ve ever been very good at. Even though I used to tell myself that, I’m a hardcore planner underneath it all. Can you relate?? My goal for 2024 is to schedule less appointments, while also scheduling more time in between them. My goal is to enjoy and be fully present for my loved ones (and of course my pets), so that someday when they’re gone I don’t regret the time not spent together. And lastly, my goal is to embrace who I really am, who I feel down to my core, and not save face for those around me. I want to be my truest self, and I want you to be able to be as well. Who are you? I’m an overthinking, schedule planning, last minute procrastinating work from home wife. I enjoy time with my dogs over everything. Sitting by a fire indoors or outdoors no matter what time of the year. I relish the moments with my best friend and husband when we allow ourselves time to take epic trips that lead into even better hikes. Related: Working Through Self Expectations & Limitations

5 Self-Care Options To Consider

These days, I really love being me. And I have no shame in feeling like I miss out on things. I’m trying more often to not be so hard on myself about missing deadlines, or completing the hundreds of tasks I lay out for the week. What are you doing to plan less this coming year? If you need some suggestions, here they are. Do less with the time you have instead of more. The path to productivity isn’t just about saving time.  Plan only when things absolutely make sense to, and really challenge yourself to commit to more self-care, whatever that looks like for you.

Although there are many, here’s just a few self-care options on your path to productivity that you may consider:

1. Snuggle up in your favorite blanket and watch a movie (or three)
2. Remember that when you wake up and feel like you need a day off, you probably do
3. Enjoy a warm fire during this cooler season and some homemade hot cocoa (check the last section for my favorite recipe!)
4. Take a long walk in the woods or through nature somewhere, alone or with your significant other and pups
5. Try standing outside and breathing in the fresh air for 5 minutes each morning and night

Lastly, don’t feel shame or guilt during your time spent on these things. These are meant to rejuvenate your body, mind and soul, so don’t discount that. Enjoy being you in 2024, through and through.  

My favorite homemade hot cocoa recipe! (Drop a comment if you prefer “hot chocolate” or “hot cocoa!”)

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s dark!)
2. 1/4 cup flour (My fave is King Arthur’s AP)
3. 1/4 cup sugar
4. 6 cups milk (You can use cow’s or almond milk!)
5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1 bag mini marshmallows (optional!)

Instructions:

1. In medium stovetop sauce pan, mix dry ingredients
2. Turn stovetop to medium-low
3. Add 1/4 cup of milk and stir
4. Stir in rest, little by little, stirring constantly to keep it silky and smooth
5. After all milk has been added, pour in vanilla
6. Allow to thicken by stirring for about 5-7 minutes
7. Add marshmallows on top if desired

If you had a chance to try this out let us know if you liked it, too!  

Thank You For Reading “Path to Productivity: My Struggle With Planning And The Perfect Hot Cocoa Recipe”

Thank you for reading today’s post about how I started on my path to productivity and the struggles I still face today. What has your path to productivity looked like? Let me know what resonates with you. If you have a suggestion for what our next post should be let us know. Don’t forget to check out our sister site Rooted Drawers.