Krista Chesal, Content Solutions Specialist

For a while now, despite my best intentions, I’ve faced the realization that my “to-do” list has more on it than any one person could ever achieve in one day. Frustrated, I turned to the internet for sources of inspiration. One thing that kept coming up was the idea of using a paper journal to block-schedule priorities. This was a new method to me, and I was excited to try it out.

I bought an undated Phoenix journal. This is seriously different from the bullet journals and apps I’ve been trying to make work for me. The entire first section doesn’t have lists or maps like a traditional journal either. Instead, it has a section devoted to outlining your personal goals and breaking those goals down to daily tasks in order to make your goals truly achievable.

I’ve changed my morning and evening routines to start and end with a few minutes filling out a task list and a block schedule each day. Not only does this keep my goals fresh in my mind, but it helps me to actually see how much time I really have in a day. I’m actually getting far more writing done since I’ve started using goal-directed block schedules in my journal. If you’re also struggling to get it all done, why not try it?