The Daily Highlight Ritual

In today's productivity-driven society, it's easy to feel pressured to constantly accomplish tasks and make a mark every single day. However, true fulfillment doesn't come from simply crossing off numerous items on a to-do list. In the book "Make Time: How to focus on what matters every day" Jake and John introduce the concept of choosing a daily highlight, a task or activity that brings you a sense of fulfillment and joy. By consciously deciding what you pay attention to each day, you can enhance your overall experience and find meaning in your daily life.

What's Your Highlight?

The question to ask yourself is simple yet powerful: What is the highlight of your day? Reflecting on this question allows you to identify the tasks or activities that have the potential to bring you the most satisfaction, joy, or urgency. For instance, if you need to pack for your vacation tomorrow, then this better be done by today.😅 So this task is based on Urgency. Researching for your next holiday getaway, on the other hand, is task based on Satisfaction. And spend time sunbathing is apparently based on Joy. According to the author, a task that takes anywhere between 60-90 minutes to accomplish is an ideal candidate for your daily highlight.

Trust Your Gut and Decide

Listen to your intuition and choose your daily highlight based on what resonates with you. This is an opportunity to prioritize your own needs and aspirations rather than adapting to others' priorities. Blocking out specific time to accomplish your highlight ensures that you allocate dedicated attention to it.

Start Small and Expand

Begin with one daily highlight and gradually add one more as you become comfortable with the process. Personally, I have two daily highlights—one focused on long-term personal growth based on satisfaction, such as writing articles, learning new tools, or taking a course, and the other connected to short-term goals based on urgency, or joy, such as completing chores or playing video games. This balanced approach helps me maintain a sense of fulfillment across different aspects of my life.

Embrace Imperfections

Life can be unpredictable, and there will be days when you can't complete your daily highlight. In such situations, practice self-compassion and kindness towards yourself. Leaving a buffer day, like Sunday, can provide an opportunity to catch up on any unfinished tasks. It also allows you to reward yourself with a task-free Sunday even when you have had a productive week. Pretty awesome, huh?😎

Work and Personal Balance

Some individuals may choose to set both work-related and personal-related highlights throughout the week. For those working Monday to Friday, it is crucial to establish a task-free Friday to ensure work setbacks don't encroach on your personal time. Avoid sacrificing your weekends to catch up on work progress. Work is uncontrollable, if you sacrifice your weekend once, then it’s highly likely you would repeat your action. Before you know it, you might be on the brink of burnout.

Assessing Life Agilely

Adopting an agile approach to life management can help you proactively assess and adjust your focus to align with your desires and goals. Treat your life as a project and evaluate your strategies regularly. Consider conducting assessments every two weeks to gauge their effectiveness. If a two-week timeframe isn't sufficient to see the impact, continue with the same strategy for another cycle. Regardless, make it a habit to assess your progress and make necessary adjustments.

So, what will be the highlight of your day? 🙂