Journaling and The One Thing

A habit I've always tried to cultivate in one form or another is journaling.

I begin most days by making coffee and standing at my desk with a notebook and a pen. I treat this as a (mostly) non-negotiable activity. Sometimes I journal for two minutes, sometimes I journal for thirty or more depending on what’s going on that day or what’s on my mind that needs sorting out.

I start every entry with the day, the time, the date. Then I ask myself what’s looping around in my head that needs to not be looping around in my head. Then I move on. What’s on the agenda for the day? What absolutely needs doing? What, if anything, is causing resistance?

I finish by identifying the One Thing I need to do that day to move the needle forward. Then I put my pen down and go do it.

Of course there are usually a myriad of things on my to-do list on any given day. Some get done and some don’t.

Some days what needs to get done is self-evident, other days not so much.

When I’m unsure how to identify the One Thing, or when I’m feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs doing, I brain-dump a list of all the to-dos taking up space in my head and break them down under the following categories:

• High mental or emotional energy/Low physical energy: Things that require me to be mentally sharp or require me to push past some level of anxiety but don’t require me to move around or go anywhere. Example: Writing.
• Low mental or emotional energy/High physical energy: Things that don’t require a lot of thought or emotional effort, but require me to get up and do something. Example: Cleaning the house.
• High mental or emotional energy/High physical energy: Things that are both mentally or emotionally taxing and require physical effort. Example: Traveling.
• Low mental or emotional energy/Low physical energy: Things that are not particularly taxing in any way but still require doing. Example: Ordering groceries.

What’s considered high/low energy tasks will differ from person to person. It's important to be honest with yourself and try not to compare or judge. We all function differently.

If I’m planning to spend several hours writing, for example, I know that trying to follow that up with another high mental energy task will likely lead to it not getting done.

But I could write and then go do a low mental/higher energy task, like laundry or cleaning. On that day, writing would be the One Thing. Laundry and/or cleaning would be a follow-up activity.

A different day in which I didn’t get enough sleep, or I'm feeling out of it, laundry/cleaning might be the One Thing. And writing would take lower priority.

The point of the One Thing isn’t to limit productivity or aim to accomplish only a single thing a day. That's not realistic for most people. It's to allow for focus and clarity so that the multitude of responsibilities don't feel as overwhelming. On days when you're not at your best, it helps set you up with a win.

I always try to do the One Thing first.

If nothing else, blocking just two to three minutes a day to ask yourself how you’re feeling and what you truly need to accomplish can help reduce a lot of stress and anxiety. There’s no downside to taking the time to check in with yourself. You might find that the things you think are important aren't actually that important.

Prioritize what really matters. There's no reward for burning out.