Your Pillow: The Ultimate Low-Tech Time Management Tool
Written by Dave Navarro on April 28, 2008
“Get up, get up, get busy do it / Get up and move that body / Get up people now get down to it before the night is over” - Technotronic
Most people would never think of their pillow as a time managment tool - it’s more often viewed as the energy sucking device that glues you to the bed in the morning. But forget about the morning, and let’s talk about the night, when that fluffy nighttime accessory can become your greatest ally in the fight to stay focused and rock all over that day of yours.
Take The “Pillow Test” And See How You Score …
A while back I had a coaching client who was struggling to find the motivation to stay focused and take massive action each day, so I came up with a little something called the “Pillow Test.” It goes something like this:
When you’ve gone to sleep over the last three nights, what are the dominant thoughts that go through your head when you lay your head on your pillow?
For most of us, this Pillow Test can generate answers that make us uncomfortable. I’ve asked this question to many of my coaching clients, and each one has a unique and interesting response for the tone of thoughts that pop up at the end of the day. How am I going to get it all done? I’m stressed about X/Y/Z … I’ve got so much to do … Crap, I forgot to do A/B/C … Am I ever going to get ahead/make X/Y/Z work/beat this habit …
The thoughts that run through our heads at the end of the day aren’t always the best ones, and can frequently be a source of depression among people who feel that they aren’t performing up to their potential (or up to other people’s expectations). We all take the Pillow Test each night, consciously or not, and it determines whether we face the next day with passion … or aversion.
Studying Ahead: How To Ace The Pillow Test
Fortunately, you’re determined to rock your day, every day, so I’ll tell you exactly how to leverage the Pillow Test to your advantage. All you have to do is ask yourself the following question, multiple times a day:
How do I want to feel when I put my head on my pillow tonight?
It’s a simple question, but it can give you a lot of leverage and focus during the day. If you’ve been having the same disempowering thoughts at night for a while, asking this question might help you get more focus and control over your day. The reason for this is that if you dread the prospect of facing that thought again tonight, you’re more likely to take action in a positive and useful way, because you realize that you’ll want to put your head on your pillow feeling good about yourself for a change. You won’t want to settle for doing less than whatever it takes to get the job done.
- If you’ve been kicking yourself because you’re not taking enough action on something important to you, asking this question could help get your a$$ in gear.
- If you’re finding it hard to stay on task in a day full of urgencies and interruptions, asking this question could help you redouble your efforts to stay focused and accomplish that day’s goals no matter what.
- If you’ve been afraid to “pull the trigger” on on something you know you need to do, asking this question might make you mad enough at your “- approach avoidance” to take action and get started today.
The Goal: Go To Sleep With A Smile
Ultimately, you want to end your days laying your head on your pillow satisfied in the knowledge that you rocked out, and rocked hard. Asking yourself the question How do I want to feel when I put my head on my pillow tonight? may give you just the push you need to stay focused, take advantage of every opportunity you have to move forward on your goals, and to “get down to it, before the night is over.”
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I only have it once in a while, mostly when I lay my head to the pillow I just think: Aah sleep. But even without those thoughts, your question is very powerful. It makes you conscious of what you’re doing and takes you on a higher perspective, even if it’s for only a short while. Things really look different from there!
Disturbing fact: As soon as I saw the first words “get up, get …” I had the Technotronic melody in my head. Scary
Lodewijk’s last blog post..Review week 17-2008; Goals, blog and productivity habits
@Lodewijk LOL! Me too with the Technorati melody!
Dave, another fab post, thank you! Sleep is such good stuff, it’s a shame to waste it with worries. I find that spending half an hour before bedtime, making sure I know what I need to do the next day and putting it in writing, means I can usually turn my brain off and just sleep when my head hits the pillow.
:o)
Dianne Murphy-Rodgers’s last blog post..A Little Bit of Everything!
LOL… I’m pondering about what’s more disturbing. Having the melody in your head instantly, or mistyping Technotronic as Technorati
Lodewijk’s last blog post..Review week 17-2008; Goals, blog and productivity habits
Dave,
My a$$ is getting sore from those big boots of yours
but I’m a glutton for punishment LOL…
I do this in a few ways. I write down everything that is on my mind, always. That way I have a clear mind when I need to work, or sleep. And my wife and I review our day when we hit the sack - “how did we do today, with the kids, with each other?”
That way, no unfinished business is in the way of rest. Or at least, if it is unfinished work business, it is on a piece of paper. I can think about it tomorrow.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..do what you love, and the underpants will follow.
@Lodewijk LOL! I can see it’s going to be one of those Mondays … :o)
Dianne Murphy-Rodgers’s last blog post..A Little Bit of Everything!
This is brilliant! I use that before I fall a sleep time to set the attitude compass. Soft fluffy pillows, most important tasks tomorrow, and you’ve done the best you can for today, what’s exciting for tomorrow? And then I let it all go. What a great visual touchstone, pillow as a time management tool. Thanks.
All best,
Jan
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..For Audubon’s Birds And The Kids Of The Gulf Coast
@Lodewijk -
Being conscious of how you’ll look back on the day makes a big difference, doesn’t it? (Now try getting that song out of your head …)
@Dianne -
Glad you liked!
@Brett -
Some boots stomp lemons … these stomp a$$es, right?
@Janice -
Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for the comment!
@ dave- had to subscribe to your a$$ kicking boots, we all love Brett’s lemon squashing ones…but now I look at my soft fluffy pillows in a whole ‘nuther way..merci.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..For Audubon’s Birds And The Kids Of The Gulf Coast
@Dave,
That’s right - if life hands you a$$es, put on your big boots and stomp all over the a$$es
Brett Legree’s last blog post..do what you love, and the underpants will follow.
Have to admit, I feel pretty peaceful most nights before bed. Clear mind, everything’s a-okay. I tend to crash and burn in less than five minutes flat.
Some nights, I hit the pillow…and my brain starts. “Did you forget this? Have to remember this. Shit. Should get up and write it down. Too cold. What was it I was supposed to remember? Oh crap. I forgot… no, wait, there it is. Okay have to remember this…”
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..How to Show You Care About Your Customers
Speaking from a position of near-disabling nuttiness, this is very helpful! I just copied your question (great example of a Tony Robbins “smart question,” which I suppose he swiped from NLP) to a little index card and tacked it to my corkboard thingy.
I do spend far too much time fighting brain-demons when I should be happily slumbering.
Sonia Simone’s last blog post..The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe
Dave,
This may sound odd… I know I sometimes get nutty with the things I want to do tomorrow keeping me up today, so I invent scenes in my head as a way to distract myself and fall asleep. Sort of like counting sheep. When I was a kid I used to try that and then it would turn into a scene anyway, so I’ve been rolling with it ever since. Sometimes when I fall asleep I’m on vacation in Spain; sometimes I fall asleep dancing; sometimes I fall asleep on a walk in the woods.
I guess it’s a little like “find a happy place.” Sometimes it translates into the starter for a good dream, too.
I always keep paper and pen beside the bed so that if anything tries to crowd in and wreck my scene, I can write it down and get it out of me, sort of like Brett said. Then I can deal with it, if it’s still so all-important, in the morning. A lot of things look less important the next day.
The Pillow Test is awesome! I feel like going around and asking everyone I know. A definite print-and-keeper. Thanks.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Are You a Manager or a Leader? Why Pushing Change Always Fails
Awesome stuff. Love it. Also love Kelly’s vacationing in Spain thing. Spanish flamenco dreaming, full speed ahead.
Naomi Dunford’s last blog post..Brazen Careerist and Alltop and Memes, Oh My!
@Janice -
Thanks for the subscribe. Glad to help!
@Brett -
“If life hands you a$$ses …” why does that sound like something Naomi would say?
@James -
I’m an unconcious-in-30-seconds kind of guy, so I have to do my pillow thinkin’ before I get into bed …
Glad you sleep the sleep of the just.
@Sonia -
Index cards are a fantastic productivity tool …
Glad to help with the nuttiness
@Kelly -
That sounds insane. (Just kidding.) Glad you got something out of the post!
@Naomi -
Good to see you here at RYD! I’m movin’ up …
@Dave,
That totally sounds like something she’d say… “when life hands you a$$es, kick ‘em and stomp ‘em into a can with syrup”
Brett Legree’s last blog post..my hero.
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