Look At The White Space…Be A Student of Your Calendar
It’s funny that the title of this blog is "Look At The White Space...Be A Student of Your Calendar". Even after I planned my writing session for today, I still found myself doing other things before I started. One of those things was listening to one of my favorite Podcast “The Model Health Show.” Todays' guest was David Meltzer. There were so many nuggets in this episode (#316) I urge you all to listen. One of the many things that popped out was when David talked about the white space on the calendar and the things he lives by. Gratitude, Empathy, and Accountability. Of course, this comes full circle with how I have tried to structure my life in the past and now the teaching I follow at RLS.
From the time I was in High School to College to Business School. I always had a calendar, I was structured like that. Classes, sports, team assignments, the list could go on. Every hour had a purpose, something designated to it. When thinking about it; although my calendar was full, it was intentional, purposeful and full of things I wanted and needed to do. The saying goes if you want something done give it to a busy person, I was definitely a busy person. Don't get me wrong I wasn't perfect. I had moments where I procrastinated and or did nothing. But it was something about that calendar and knowing what I had to do, was important because I took the time to plan it.
Post college I deviated from my planner, some of it was because I started thinking I didn't have time for anything but work and maybe to eat. Work took up most of my day, so I didn't think the calendar was needed. Also, I deviated from it because I became somewhat a procrastinator and I didn't allow room for flexibility. In my day, what was written in my calendar was what I had to do no matter what, I became a bit of a robot. I had to find balance, I started feeling like I had no time and I had no structure. But there was so much I wanted to do. I added the calendar back into my life.
This time I wanted it to be different, but similar to how I managed my time in college with intention and purpose. I worked, had classes, study groups, community service, social engagements etc. Thankfully I have the accountability of my RLS family because we track our hours, we check to see how we are spending our days. With this, I'm constantly looking at the white space. Thinking what do I need to do at this moment. But more importantly, planning out my day and week with flexibility allows me to make sure I'm being purposeful and intentional. My schedule consists of work, classes, rehearsals, auditions, working out, community service and social engagements. I'm constantly looking at it and seeing how I'm spending my time. Now, I laugh at times because there are white spaces on my calendar, but they are mostly intentional. For the white spaces that are not intentional. I ask myself what are you avoiding? What is it that you do not want to do? Are you running from your greatness?
Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't have downtime, because you do and we do need mental health time. All I'm saying is build it into the calendar. That white space you have on that calendar may need to be a simple phone call to someone you love to say those words "I LOVE YOU". That white space can be the time you exercise gratitude or meditate, just simply work it for you, be intentional and purposeful. I found that my white space occurred when I didn't do my morning causative routine. Prayer, meditation, exercise etc. When I don’t do these things my day is a little thrown. So I challenge you, be a student of your calendar. Build your day with intentions and purpose. Look at the white space and ask yourself what should go there and you can be of service?