Escape That Calendar Prison

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Let’s talk about it.

They put too much emphasis on calendars.

They forget to tell you that aesthetic layouts don’t equal productive schedules.

I’ll be honest, I can go weeks with a basic schedule, but sometimes I’ll have to go all in and plan what I’m about to do.

It’s meant to be what works for you, not what looks best when you post it on the gram.

My Notion calendar went from completely empty in May to packed in June.

Despite working messily, sometimes I work best with my built-up habits that keep me aligned.

May: Barely tracked anything. I felt like I was failing at 'productivity culture.'

June: Most workouts, Arabic lessons, work projects and content plans were logged.

But the thing is I was equally productive both months.

Some months I'll track stuff for the sake of having it in my planner.

Other months my habits help me to understand what I need to do without noting it down.

Both work.

The goal isn't perfect tracking - it's consistent progress. And if you know you’re getting stuff done then there’s no need to waste time on a calendar.

Understand this. Systems serve you, not the other way around.

You shouldn’t be stressing out because your calendar is empty or you’re not adding enough detail. I used to use it to remember to do stuff but if it’s a case of tracking something, that shouldn’t be the sole focus.

Rigid tracking can help with results, but I've found that consistency matters more than perfection.

As someone juggling languages and gym sessions between a job, I've realised that the best systems are the ones that you actually use.

That might not be a calendar app and that’s okay.

Your energy determines your approach to it.

Sometimes that's detailed tracking.

Sometimes it's just showing up.

Instead of temporarily flexing a colorful schedule, make sure you’re actually hitting your goals and doing what you need to do.

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The bottom line

I get it; it feels good to see a shiny calendar looking all packed up. It becomes an addiction though.

Instead of actually being productive, you’re busy looking like you ARE productive and that’s a dopamine hit they don’t talk about.

Your challenge for this week: Instead of telling you to not fill a calendar with useless stuff, let me drop you a gem.

Instead of a basic calendar, if you want to be organised, use this brief system to keep things in check.

With the PARA system, every piece of information you want to save can be placed into one of just four categories:

1. Projects: Short-term efforts in your work or life that you’re working on now.

2. Areas: Long-term responsibilities you want to manage over time.

3. Resources: Topics or interests that may be useful in the future.

4, Archives: Inactive items from the other three categories.

This is based on ‘Building a Second Brain’ by Tiago Forte, a great book that I’m dissecting to apply to my journey.

I’ll break this down into more detail soon and give examples of how I apply it, but the aim should be long-term organisation rather than throwing random stuff into a calendar to make yourself feel good.

If you want to discuss this further, feel free to reach out on Instagram @liftlangleon.

Till next time, peace.