Consistency, Clarity, and... Calendars?

I love a calendar. Always have. I remember being really excited at the start of every school year, because it meant that I got a new “Teacher Planner” spiral notebook. Perfectly designed for schoolwork and schedules, it was one of the best calendars I have ever used!

Now that life is mostly lived online, however, I have transferred my love for calendars to the digital age. As much as I try to color code things and resurrect the joy of my youth (I used markers throughout my planner), it’s just not the same. Maintaining a calendar is no longer something I enjoy; it’s a necessity. There’s no way I could remember all the things I have going on if I didn’t use an online calendar that updates seamlessly across all my devices. Calendars have become a tool for simply managing my life. However, it’s as a coach and author that I have employed calendars much more deliberately.

Let me explain…

One of the best ways I have been able to help my clients (as well as myself and my authors), is by reverse-engineering a calendar. What do I mean by that?

Well, instead of looking at a calendar as days or dates, weeks or months, I look at them as stepping stones on a path to a final destination. I don’t look at a calendar and figure out how to get from point A to point B; I look at a calendar from point B and figure out how to get back to point A, by asking:

• What will it take?

• What are the dependencies?

• What are the challenges?

• What are the assessment points along the way?

By working backwards, I can quickly assess whether something is realistic or not.

For my clients, we use this approach when they want to make changes to their life, whether big or small. It allows us to assess the viability of something as well as their commitment to actually making the effort. If we are managing excuses and fears before we begin, it probably isn’t going to happen and we need to address what’s going on in their mind before we step on the path to try and create change. Having a backwards approach makes things real. It creates tangible moments and measurements that unveil hidden hurdles.

As a writer, I can employ this method as well. For example, If I have a manuscript goal of 70,000 words, I don’t think about what I have to write to get there; I assume I got there and work backwards to calculate the steps and milestones I had to reach along the way. In order to hit 70k words, I would break that down into 5k segments. Each of those segments then has their own cadence. For me, 5k words is normal for 1-2 days of work when I’m in the flow. If I’m not in the flow, it can be a week. 70k divided by 5k is 14. Therefore, I need about 14 weeks to hit my target. I can then back into my writing schedule by starting at the end and working backward.

If the writing can be broken down by chapter/topic, one chapter a week is easy to manage. If it’s broken down by story or plot, it can get a bit trickier, but the approach remains the same. As an example, if I know that I need to hit a climax or pivotal moment 70-80% into the book, I know where that word count is and I know where on my calendar it needs to be placed. Then I can arrange the plot to map out what needs to happen each week, with a corresponding word count.

This reverse calendar approach creates clarity around the structure needed to accomplish any goal. It also provides a roadmap for consistency, and it’s consistency that generates the best results.