Oct 26 • Stroke Prevention Tips
🧠 Stroke-Proof Tip: Create a Planning Ritual
I'm writing this post on Sunday which for me is weekly planning day.
Most of us don’t fail because we lack motivation — we fail because we don’t have a plan.
A planning ritual is a planned period of time when when you pause, look ahead, and set yourself up for success.
Think of it as your “control room” for stroke prevention (and other things that are important in your life) — the place where you make sure the important things actually happen, not just sit on your to-do list.
For example, this is when I schedule in my runs, gym sessions and grocery shopping. All essential to keep me active and eating a healthy diet.
Here’s how to build your ritual:
1. 🕖 Pick your time and day . Morning or evening — whichever you can do consistently.
2. 🪞 Create a cue. Link it to something you already do — like after brushing your teeth or making your first coffee
3. 🥐 Make it desirable. I only allow myself a pastry once a week. During planning time I get to have that pastry with a coffee. For that reason alone, I always want to do my planning session.
4. ✍️ Check your compass. Review your key habits: exercise, sleep, blood pressure, food choices, and stress management. When are you going to do these things or do the things that enable them (e.g. buying healthy groceries). What have you got in the diary this week that you actually don't need to do, or at least not as much as the above?
5. 🔒 Lock it in. Write down on your calendar all the things you need to do and when. Make the invisible visible.
6. 🧩 Reflect on your week. Look back at what worked and what didn’t. Adjust your plans to learn the lessons from the last week. Celebrate every win, no matter how small.
I think of this as being in "Commander" mode.
The rest of the week your move to "Commando" mode - executing on the plans from the commander while still having some autonomy in the moment.
People who consistently protect their brain and overall health and succeed with their life goals don’t rely on willpower — they rely on systems.
Your planning ritual is your system.
What do you think? I suspect this won't be for everyone, but I'm interested in your thoughts.
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🧠 Stroke-Proof Tip: Create a Planning Ritual
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