Especially if you’re filling out a card every day, there’s a tendency to fill it out with actions—things to do or to get done. And in probably 90% of cases, that’s appropriate. The Today System, like any productivity system, is there to help you get things done more effectively.
But there’s another thing that good productivity systems should help you do: be a better person.
Again, in about 90% of cases, doing certain things in a day is the best way to become a better person. But in that 10% of cases, you may not need to remind yourself to do anything in particular. Sometimes a more open-ended instruction for yourself is more appropriate.
Here’s an example. I’ve struggled lately with letting all of the stuff of work and helping run a household get the better of my attention. As a result, I haven’t been very present for my kids. I’m talking about the simple things, like listening to my 8 year-old talk about one of the backstories she made up for her new toy, or playing catch and talking to my 5 year-old. Even when I’ve been physically there, I haven’t been mentally there.
So an appropriate item for me over the past few days has been something like this: be present. No specific direction; just a reminder. It’s a verb, but a more open-ended one. And it’s every bit as important as any specific task I may need to get done for some important project.
In many cases, being better comes from doing specific tasks. But don’t forget that being better also comes from consistently being a certain way, day after day—no specific task required.
