I’m a bit of a workaholic.
Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you: ABBIE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO TAKE A
BREAK.* This is true. But why do I love working so much?? Because a) my line of
work is fabulously fun, b) I want to have a successful career, and c) the more
calories my brain burns, the more waffles I can eat. THAT BEING SAID, it’s depressing when I reach the end of a
day and I feel like I didn’t accomplish
anything.

PLEASE TELL ME I’M NOT ALONE. Do
you ever have those days where you’re just like “omg another 24 hours to slog
through I feel like I’m dreaming what do I have to accomplish today??? idk how
about some Downton Abbey” << I CAN RELATE, MY FRIEND. So! I decided to create a foolproof way to
feel accomplished (without even
accomplishing THAT MUCH.) I’ve had much success with adopting these three simple
habits and I sincerely hope you will too.
LET’S GET STARTED.

*Unless it’s a Pinterest break in
which case LOL BRING IT ON BABY

A SHORT LESSON IN PROPER LIST-MAKING:

– Start with a lined page of any
size (I use a legal pad)

– Write the date at the top of
the page and DRAW SOME FUN DOODLES WHILE UR AT IT

– Underestimate the amount of
things you can do in one day (under-commitment is key! You can always add more
tasks later!)

– Double space each item on your
to-do list

– So you can easily add more
tasks later 😉

– Break up tasks into individual “steps”
and make each step an item (example: if you have to post on your blog, maybe divide
it into three tasks: 1) write blog post, 2) edit photos for post, and 3) format
and schedule post. < THIS IS WHAT I DO.)

– Write yourself an inspirational
note/quote somewhere at the bottom/top/margins of your list (SUPER ENCOURAGING)

– Highlight/underline tasks that
are THE MOST IMPORTANT for today

– Do those important tasks first

And last but not least, READ YOUR LIST AT THE END OF THE DAY. Once you start crossing things off, you should begin to feel
accomplished. But how will you feel accomplished if you just toss your list in
the trash when it’s done? YOU NEED
EVIDENCE OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. (Heck, you might even want to keep some
of those old to-do lists and frame them on your wall. Because YOU ARE
#ACCOMPLISHED)

I WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT LISTS. I
love lists! I’ve already written 500 words of this blog posts JUST ABOUT LISTS.
I am practically wedded to my lists. Without a pen and a legal pad, I am confused
and hopeless. Lists are beautiful. Lists are glorious. GO MAKE A LIST.

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE LISTS:

You can look back on your day and actually
SEE what you have accomplished.

HEAR MY DRILL SERGEANT TRUMPET
SOUNDING??* It’s time to get out of bed in the morning! I promise this will make you feel more accomplished. FORGET ABOUT SLEEP.
WHO NEEDS SLEEP???** The science behind this is simple:

YOU GET UP EARLY =

YOU HAVE MORE HOURS IN YOUR DAY =

YOU GET MORE STUFF DONE

I obviously have no idea what
time you get up in the morning, so do this math yourself: try getting up 30 minutes before you usually do. Then work your way up
to an hour. Then two hours. For example, I usually wake up naturally at
7:00 in the morning. When I was writing my novel last year, I would get up at
4:30 A.M. and write. Because that’s just how I roll, yo. (Side note: some of my
best writing happens when I am deliriously sleepy. BONUS.)

*Yeah I know drill sergeants don’t
blow the trumpet but let’s not get caught up on little details ok

**sloths. that’s it.

WHY YOU SHOULD GET UP EARLY:

You get more hours in your day and therefore
get more stuff done and therefore feel 10000x more accomplished.

When some self-important people
(me) try to point out their own faults, a lot of them (me) will say: “I’m an
overachiever.” (Also me.) I’M STILL WORKING ON THIS ONE, MY FRIEND. But it has
helped me already. I like to overcommit
AND overachieve. I like to pile things onto my proverbial plate and then ACHIEVE
EVERYTHING and stand atop my mountain of crumpled-up task lists with an Abbiee
flag* and scream victoriously. < but sadly this never happens. WHY? Because I
overcommit.

It’s another simple equation: the more things you commit to,
the less accomplished you feel when you don’t achieve EVERYTHING.

So how you do stop this vicious
cycle? Simply DON’T COMMIT TO SO MUCH. I know, it’s hard. I KNOW. IT’S SO
FREAKING HARD. But if you underestimate
how much you can accomplish in one day, then you’ll feel GREAT about yourself
when you exceed your own expectations. This works for me every time and I
have a feeling it will work for you, too.

*Featuring the iconic emblem of a
singing waffle, OBVIOUSLY, and available on my website for $10.99 plus
shipping. (JUST KIDDING but if you actually want an Abbiee flag…wow I love
you.)

WHY YOU SHOULD UNDERCOMMIT & OVERACHIEVE:

You will surprise yourself by exceeding
expectations and instantly feel more accomplished.

This struggle is real and everyone deals with it at one time
or another. DON’T LOSE HEART, MY FRIEND. If
you don’t feel accomplished, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t accomplished. A bit of encouragement from yourself and
few new habits might just do the trick. GIVE IT A TRY.

Can you
add to this list? What makes YOU feel accomplished? I’m always looking for new healthy habits, my friend!! Do you get up early or sleep in late? Do you overcommit or
undercommit?? And the most important
question of all: DO YOU LIKE LISTS???? < plz say yes with the fire of a thousand suns.

rock on,

abbiee