My Daily Mindset & Focus Planner

My Story

This set of simple daily activities is the biggest contributor to the success I have achieved in life and business. I started my first version of this routine when I met a group of friends (🍌) at a real estate conference. The conference had a whole day of speakers who were very successful real estate agents and business people. There was a common theme in many of their presentations and it was surrounding “mindset” lessons and routines.

I’m typically an analytical and logical thinker, so ideas like “just think and grow rich” or “manifesting” your goals with your thoughts, like the book “The Secret” suggested, never resonated with me. Speaker after speaker at this conference is talking about their journals, meditations, affirmations, and mindset routines. All of these people were more successful than me. Maybe there was something to learn?

When the conference was ending I made a decision to set my preconceptions aside try some of this stuff out for myself. I was still skeptical that I could “journal” my way to my goals, but the scientist in me wanted to try and replicate the results all these successful people were talking about.

For my five hour flight home I purchased two books that were recommended (among many) at the conference. The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Anchor, and Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine. I also made a commitment to a new group of friends (🍌) to complete a daily mindset journal and share it with each other in a text message thread - to keep ourselves accountable.

On the plane ride home I read my two new books. Each book presented a unique perspective on how our overall mindset plays a critical role in achieving our results. For me, reading a psychologist and a navy seal explain the same ideas as the successful speakers at the conference spoke of gave me the perspectives I needed to really try this stuff out.

I put aside “feeling weird” about it and started a daily practice of writing out my goals and where I wanted to focus, I wrote out gratitudes and things that made me happy, and a few other basic exercises to align my day towards the results I wanted to achieve while programming my mind to think in a positive and creative way.

Fast forward seven years and I’m still close with the group of friends (🍌) I made at that conference, and we still all practice this daily routine in our own ways. Not surprisingly, everyone in the group has become extremely successful and made massive changes in their lives. It’s been incredible to watch and be a part of.

Over the years the format of my journal changed, and over time I customized it exactly how I liked it and worked best for me. I’m excited to share this document with you because I know it can change your life if you let it.

Download the daily planner PDF then Read The Post Below

Here’s the current daily planner I use myself:

How To Use The Daily Planner

Why Do We Do This?

The answer is simple - to proactively plan our days. Time is our only real asset and when we waste it - it’s gone forever.

Learning how to control your time and use your time to achieve your goals is the foundation of success. The more control you have over your days, and the more time you spend focused on what matters - the quicker your results come.

When done correctly, this simple routine will rewire your mind to be the person who naturally achieves your goals. We learn to prioritize what is important and focus the limited time we have on the things that matter. This exercise also gives us the time and space we need to properly prepare for each meeting and task and flow effortlessly from one to the next.

This is backed by psychology studies and decades of productivity research. It’s also my personal routine and making it a daily habit has changed my life.

The point of the exercise is to do it - every day - so make it part of your morning routine. Don’t stress out or worry if every day isn’t perfect, it’s the act of doing the planning and wanting to be in control of your day that matters.

Bonus Thought: How we think about things really matters. Make this a relaxed and enjoyable part of your morning routine. Enjoy the process!

How To Use The PDF

Download the free PDF and print out a whole stack of them. This routine is best done in the morning before your mind and body are set in motion for the day. I like to have a coffee and relax “device-free” when I wake up, then completing this planner is the first thing I do, before anything else gets into my mind.

Use one per day. If you like to save things and look back at them then place the finished pages in a folder or binder. If you are not a saver then just shred or toss it. It’s up to you - the exercise is all about “today.”

I recommend completing the planner by hand using paper and pen or pencil. There is a deep connection between our thoughts and physically writing. Writing by hand is much more impactful than typing or simply thinking things. So take the time to do it by hand.

Use the time block section to plan the day, even if you use a separate day-planner or digital calendar app. This is your “today plan and handwriting your appointments out is like mentally confirming each one and putting it in the front of your mind for the day. It also gives us a place to fill in the gaps and ensure all the in-between times are productive.

Enjoy the process. The more relaxed and enjoyable you make this the better it works. Remember it’s fun to say positive things to yourself. It makes you feel good to think about gratitude and happiness. It feels good when you have clarity and focus for the day. It should be enjoyable to plan out your day for maximum efficiency. Efficiency and control mean maximum time doing the things you want with your time. Be proud of yourself for taking the time each day to work on this.

Suggestions For Completing Each Section

Affirmations

Affirmations are so powerful in reprogramming your brain’s default wiring. Affirmations are “present-based” statements about yourself, who you are, and what you are achieving. These can feel a little weird at first but trust me, If you can write things like “opportunities come easily to me” or “I am great at handling my money” your brain will start to align your thoughts towards those outcomes. The key is the present focus of the statements - it must be phrased in the present tense, or sometimes the past tense - but never in the future.

“I’m getting better at sales” or “I’m learning Spanish” are poor affirmations because they are in the future. “I’m a polished and experienced sales professional” or “I find Spanish fun and easy” are much better affirmations. It will feel awkward because it isn’t true yet - but that’s how you know it’s worded properly and will work.

Gratitude & Happiness

This section is so simple to complete. Just write down things you are grateful for. This can be anything from the super small - like “my warm coffee” to big and abstract like “the health and happiness of my family”. The key here is not the specific things that you are grateful for - but the fact that you are grateful. Gratitude is a mood that can be created, and it’s the best mood to be in to accomplish your goals and stay in control of your mindset.

The “happiness” exercise is slightly different from gratitude. Try and think of a few specific things that made you happy in just the past day and write them down. This is a great way to remember the positive events from the previous day and lock them in as memories. There is no right or wrong thing to write here - just remember what made you happy.

Today’s Focus & Key Goals & Tasks

Clear and present focus on what is most important is the key to achievement. Take a moment to define what the purpose of today is. What is your critical mission(s) for today? How will you judge the day as a success once it is over? Be as specific as possible when you are defining your focus for the day.

In the Key Goals & Task section, you can break down your focus into specific action items and tasks that must be accomplished today.

Time Blocking

Daily time blocking is important to do even if you use another calendar system. By making today’s plan by hand each day we give our time the attention it deserves. First fill in your appointments, meetings, and other obligations including any travel time. Then look at all the and fill them in with the items on your goals and tasks list.

This is where we squeeze twice the productivity out of your day.

Take some time to find efficiencies on when and where you do tasks and meetings. If you can, delegate and assign out work to others and set reminders to check back in on the results. The key to the time blocks is controlling your day - not having your day control you. Plan the most efficient way to achieve your goals. Have fun with it - don’t stress - this is making you achieve more with less effort.

Notes & Ideas | Reminders & Open Loops

Just like they say - these are flexible areas to write down things that come up today to get them out of your head and in a consistent place. Think of it as just a little “today” notepad to put things you’ll need to remember later or things that come up throughout the day.

How To End Your Day

When your day comes to an end it’s time to review your planner and see how much the plan matched the reality of your day. Check your notes and ideas section and make sure any important stuff gets recorded permanently in the appropriate places Check your reminders and open loops and get them into the right places like your calendar, reminders app, or CRM for example.

Daily Reflection

The reflection is the best way to close your day.

Take just a few minutes to reflect on your whole day and how well your plan went. Ask yourself what you learned today and how that information can make future days more productive. Let these lessons sink in without judging them or yourself. No matter what happens each day - it’s a win if we learn something that makes or future days better.

Congratulations you made it through the day!

By planning and setting your intention and your focus you’re one day closer to achieving all of your goals and dreams. Now just repeat daily for an amazing life!

That’s it for now. In future posts, I’ll go into more detail about each section and the “why” behind it all. The most important thing is to make a daily planning session like this part of your routine and habits.

Be proactive and have intention with everything you do.

Thanks, — Jeff.