My friend Dan, who has a blog dedicated to work-at-home humor, posted a great tip on his site today regarding the importance of planning a catch up day.

Everyone, whether you work at home or not, can benefit from planning a day, or part of a day, each week for catching up.

One reason people fail in achieving their goals is that they have unrealistic expectations.  They block out time on their calendar for important projects, but forget to plan time for other things that are bound to come up.

Let’s face it, life happens.  Stuff is going to come up.  We are going to be interrupted.  Our plans will get sidetracked.

So take action!  Anticipate this problem, and plan for it!  Set aside a day, or a part of a day, to catch-up on all the stuff you had hoped to get done, but hadn’t yet.

Dan chooses Wednesday as his “ketchup day”.  You’ll have to read his post to find out why he calls it that.  I prefer Friday, which is when I do my weekly review.

It probably doesn’t matter which day you choose, or whether you can set aside a whole day or a part of a day.  What does matter is that you’re intentional about making life happen for you, instead of letting it happen to you.

Let me know how a catch-up day can make a difference for you!

I’ve been a student of personal growth, self-improvement, and motivation for many, many years. I’d like to say that I’ve always put these practices into action throughout my life.  But I’d be lying.

As best as I can recall, my personal growth journey began in my teenage years, when several people from my church and workplace (a grocery store) took an interest in me and shared some of the wisdom they’ve accumulated in life.

There weren’t any formal “sit-down” teaching times, that I recall.  Mostly, it was a conversation here and there, while we worked together on a job or project.

Sometimes they shared some of their failings in life, and admonished me to avoid their mistakes.

Other times, they’d asked me a question like “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  Then they’d tell me that I can be anything I want to be if I put my mind to it, make a plan, and stick with it no matter what.

I’m grateful for all the people who’ve encouraged me and told me that I could do it, from my earliest years until today.  Yes, I’ve had my share of ups and downs…we all have.  But I’ve always known, deep-down, that these things can be true in my life (and I believe they can be true in yours too):

1. I can make things happen for me instead of to me
2. I can take steps to create the life and lifestyle I want today
3. I can live my dreams and achieve my personal goals.
4. None of these things will happen without a plan and some action.

What about you?  Have you been able to enjoy personal growth or  self-improvement in your life?  If so, what strategies have worked for you?  If not, what’s holding you back?