Man, I used to just wake up and let the day smack me in the face. No plan, no thought, just whatever garbage came my way. It was a mess, honestly. I’d finish a day feeling like I’d been run over by a truck, even if I hadn’t done much. Just that feeling of being reactive, you know? Like life was happening to me, not with me. It bugged me, big time.
How I Started Poking Around This Whole “What’s My Day Got?” Thing
I saw these goofy “daily horoscope” things popping up everywhere. *, some other random sites, always talking about Virgo this, Leo that. I ain’t really into all that cosmic mumbo jumbo, but the idea of someone, or something, giving you a heads-up on your day? That clicked a little. It made me think, “What if I could do that for myself, without the stars and cards?”
- First, I just thought about it. Seriously, I’d wake up and just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to will a plan into existence. Predictably, that didn’t work. My brain’s got enough static as it is.
- Then, I grabbed a cheap notebook. Figured I’d jot stuff down. What was I gonna do today? What did I want to happen? What felt off? It was totally random, no structure. I’d write for like two days, then forget about it for a week. Page after page of half-baked plans and complaints. A real goldmine of chaos.
- I even peeked at some online “daily readings,” not really for belief, but for prompt ideas. Like, if they’re asking “what challenges will you face?” or “what opportunities are there?”, maybe I should be asking myself those questions. I ripped off their thinking, basically, but applied it to my own messy life, not some star chart.
So, What Did I Actually Do? My “Daily Check-in” Mess
It slowly started morphing into this weird, personal ritual. Not fancy, not organized, but my way. I stopped trying to predict the future and started trying to frame my day instead.
- Every morning, usually with my first coffee, I’d grab that grubby notebook. I’d scrawl down three things: One “big rock” I had to get done. Doesn’t matter what, just one thing that would make me feel like I actually accomplished something. Then, one thing I was kinda looking forward to, even if it was just microwaving leftovers. Lastly, I’d scratch out one thing that felt like a potential headache, just to acknowledge it, not to dwell. It helped to just name it, like, “Okay, that client call is gonna be a pain. Got it.”
- Throughout the day, I tried to catch myself. If I felt swamped, I’d try to remember that “big rock.” If I felt a pang of dread, I’d think about that “headache” I already named. It was like I gave myself permission to feel those things because I’d already prepped for them, even if it was just a scribble in a notebook.
- Then, before bed, just for a few minutes, I’d revisit it. Did I hit that “big rock”? How did that “headache” actually turn out? Did I get that small good thing? I didn’t beat myself up if things went sideways, which they often did. It was more about seeing where I actually put my effort, and where the day dragged me.
The Kicks and Giggles (and Faceplants) Along the Way
Oh man, plenty of faceplants. Some days, I’d forget the notebook entirely. Other days, I’d write down a “big rock” and then spend the whole damn day watching cat videos. I’d feel guilty, then mad at myself for feeling guilty, then I’d just trash the whole idea for a few days. It was a constant fight to just keep doing it, even when it felt dumb or pointless.
But sticking with it, even with all the flailing, I started noticing patterns. Like, if I consistently put “deal with emails” as my headache, maybe I needed to tackle emails differently, not just dread them. If my “big rock” was always something I hated, it probably meant I was avoiding the stuff that actually moved the needle. It wasn’t about the universe telling me what to do; it was about me finally paying attention to my own damn patterns.
Where I’m At Now With All This Daily Shenanigans
The notebook is still grubby, maybe even grubbier. My handwriting is still awful. But I don’t feel as blindsided by my days anymore. I walk into them a bit more prepared, a bit more grounded. I know what I’m aiming for, and I know what might trip me up. It’s not perfect, never will be, but it’s definitely better than just letting life happen while I stood there like a dope. It’s my version of checking “what my day holds”—not some cosmic forecast, but a raw, unfiltered peek at what I’m bringing to it, and what I need to brace for. And that’s enough for me.
