So long, calendar

Hi,

I have a confession to make. 

Since May, Emiel and Willem and I have invested just about all our time in Rise. We’re building a new digital calendar from scratch. That takes me back to my roots: spending all day, most days, programming. I love it. It’s work I can easily lose myself in. I’m oblivious to what’s going on around me and lose all track of time. 

That has consequences for how I work. Suddenly, I don’t need my calendar for a lot of it. But that in turn impacts other areas I still do need a calendar for: various jobs for the international edition of my book GRIP, writing, and all those things that need to happen around the house. Without my trusty calendar, that stuff doesn’t get done.

I think this may also be part of the reason a calendar or a to-do list doesn’t click for people. If it doesn’t give you a comprehensive overview, you can’t really rely on it. And then instead of a super-handy guide for your day, it just becomes one more thing you have to do. Something else to keep track of. Makes sense that you’d push it aside when the work at hand demands all your time and attention.

It’s a realization that’s led me to a new experiment: How can I simplify my method so it aligns with my work and doesn’t feel like a burden? Where can I pare down my approach so I can apply it to all my tasks?

For me—and perhaps for you, too—that seems key: having a way to work that ensures clarity and calm in a chaotic world. Not adding yet another extra tool, but seeing how you can simplify and clarify.

Have a good week, 

Rick

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