Intentional Days: More about Romps & Rafts

Hi friends, thrilled to have you with us this week.

Today's topic is a deep dive into ROMPs and RAFTs.

As a recap, we classify our days in two ways: ROMP, an action day, or RAFT, a reflection day.

ROMP is an acronym, and it stands for regular, realistic opportunities for meaningful, measurable progress. As an action day, we see our goals turn into task lists or the bite-size things we need to accomplish to make meaningful progress. If we picture our overall goal, divide it up quarterly (Level 1), divide it up again monthly (Level 2), and arrive at our weekly goals (Level 3), the ROMP is classified as those days in which you are actively chipping away at those weekly goals.

Arturo F. sent me an email with his overall goal defined, and he broke it down into quarterly and monthly goals that could be traced back up the pyramid. He has some big home renovation projects to complete and is using the AOC formula to help.

Let's take one of his monthly goals and break it into weekly goals.

Laundry Room Redo

• Week 1: Carpentry & Painting

• Week 2: Flooring

• Week 3: Appliances

• Week 4: Decor & Organization

For Week 1, he defined carpentry and painting as his goal. As he is planning his week, he outlines his tasks to complete. He assigns tasks to his ROMP days and uses his RAFT days to reflect on his work (and wait for the paint to dry!), think about what's coming up, and gather feedback from his wife. His active use of the AOC formula helps him better prepare for the week ahead and allows him to think broadly and envision himself finishing those tasks to reach his weekly goal.

RAFT is an acronym for reflection, assessing your progress, asking yourself how you're feeling, and thinking about your next steps. RAFT days are rest and reflection days, allowing your body and mind to evaluate where you are currently in your goal progression. Regular RAFTing is the highlight of burnout prevention, allowing you to recuperate without guilt.

Now, RAFTing, in practice, can look very different depending on what your goal is! Wendy emailed me about how she is actively working on her Yoga certification, so what an outside person may see as someone doing yoga regularly and relaxing is actual work for her! So her RAFTing consists of going for walks with her dog, journaling, and spending time with her partner. Absolutely nothing with yoga! She also uses her RAFTs to check on her progress toward her certification.

When discussing the rule of three, I stated that, at most, we should have three ROMPs or three RAFTs. Some weeks may look like this:

Like this:

Or, like this:

They are all valid, balanced, and productive by your own measure.

We want to avoid weeks that look like this:

And like this:

They can each have their vices. Too many ROMP days in a row can overwhelm our minds and bodies, and it isn't easy to make real progress when running on all cylinders. Without the balance of RAFT days, we are on the fast track to burnout.

Now, too many RAFT days in a row have the opposite effect, where the interest wanes, the motivation dries up, and the bumpers on our bowling lane are nonexistent, leading to boredom.

This newsletter should hopefully clarify ROMP and RAFT days for you! As always, reply to this email with additional questions, thoughts, or ideas.

Please think of your weekly goals (Level 3) this week and see how each ROMP and RAFT corresponds to those goals. You want to ensure the tasks you assign align with the big picture.

Some upcoming events you want to attend!

It's time for another Accessible Meal Planning Body Doubling Session hosted by Alex Kurth at The Kurth Kitchen! The first event was popular with attendees, so Alex is returning to host on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 6:30 pm CST. Register here.

Lastly, I'd like to formally invite you to our Official Soft Launch Event for the Accountable Otters Club Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 7:30 pm CST on Zoom. This invitation-only event is open to the first 100 attendees; you'll receive a special discount code to join our membership, valid for only three days! If you cannot join live, a replay will be available with the discount code. Registration is below:

Talk soon, friends! Next week we will discuss prioritizing tasks and releasing ourselves from the dreaded TASK PARALYSIS!

See you soon,

Izzie

A final note: I have three remaining spots for VIP membership which includes 1:1 coaching, biweekly Zoom check-ins, daily email support, and full access to me on the platform! If you’re interested, reply to this email, and I can give you more details on the special pricing I’ve got going on right now for my first group of coaching clients.

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