Desire Map Planner: A Different Kind of To-Do List
About a year ago, Jenn introduced me to the idea of core desired feelings. She’s a big fan of Danielle LaPorte, author of The Firestarter Sessions and The Desire Map. In the simplest of terms, Danielle advises figuring out how you want to feel and adjusting your goals and to-do lists accordingly. What you’re really chasing when you’re after a goal isn’t the goal itself, but how its accomplishment makes you feel, so all of her books and tools help you do just that.
For Christmas, Jenn got me a Desire Map Planner. This gift knocked it out of the park for several reasons. 1) I love planners and school supplies, so she was already winning. 2) It’s a place to keep track of not only the nitty-gritty to-dos but also a daily reminder to look at the bigger picture and how you’re feeling.
The planner is sort of the best marriage of a journal and a planner in one. It has spots for to-dos, but also blank spaces for jotting down notes and reminders. Each month has a page for reminding you of your big goals and intentions, and each day has a prompt that brings you back to your core desired feelings when you’re planning your daily tasks, such as “Keep your soul on the agenda” and “prioritize pleasure.” I love this because it reminds you that your life isn’t just a mess of tasks and to-dos; you want to actually live a little, have fun, and take care of yourself. This planner helps you do just that.
Since I’ve had the planner, I’ve been much better about taking downtime. Relaxing, playing. Coloring. I’ve felt less frenzied, have been prioritizing better and have actually been thinking a little bit about me rather than the endless to-dos taking care of others. In a weird way, it makes putting items like “clean the house” seem more critical to your well-being, particularly if you’re like me and one of your core desired feelings is to feel light and uncluttered.
The planner is a reminder to take care of your soul, and I don’t know a single mom that couldn’t use a little more of that!
Do your to-dos take into account how you want to feel? —Erin