by Kathie England

Better Than Before – Day 12

Gretchen Rubin titles her chapter on scheduling “If It’s on the Calendar, It Happens.”

She asserts that setting a specific, regular time for an activity is one of the most powerful strategies for habit formation and I totally agree with this perspective. She says that “habits grow strongest and fastest when they’re repeated in predictable ways.”

As I blog about scheduling, I will share key points Rubin makes throughout this chapter. But first, I want to share the remarks she makes at the end of the chapter. (Remember, Stephen Covey said “Begin with the end in mind.”)

What is the goal of creating habits? It’s to allow us to have time for everything we value in a way that’s sustainable. (Ruben even goes so far as to say, “Forever!”)

“Scheduling is an invaluable tool for habit formation: it helps to eliminate decision making; it helps us make the most of our limited self-command; it helps us fight procrastination. Most important, perhaps, the Strategy of Scheduling helps us make time for the things that are most important to us. How we schedule our days is how we spend our lives.”

With that perspective, stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog where I’ll share key tips about developing the habit of scheduling.