ONE DAY AT A TIME

MANUAL FOR THE SLOGANS: ONE DAY AT A TIME.

In recovery slogans like ONE DAY AT A TIME , as well as cliches, and bits of advice are tossed around like candy on Easter. Flying rabbits and rainbow pastel stained eggs everywhere.

Some of the candy is good like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs. Some of the candy is bad like jelly-beans.

Some of it is straight up weird like those little styrofoam sugar chickens. (see featured image above)

That’s my experience with slogans.

When used responsibly, slogans are impactful and essential. Also, when mindlessly tossed around they are irritating.

When presented as simple go to solutions to life stressors, slogans are dangerous.

The Slogans Challenge

In my humble opinion, the challenge is as follows:

A slogan, in and of itself, is not an answer to a life challenge. It is a good way to show empathy, a good way to fill up the conversation.

However, the slogan itself is not the answer.

Let me give you an example:

Let’s pretend I’m struggling with my son’s health issues and concerns. I’m preoccupied. I’m worried and I’m not getting much sleep.

A good friend would say: “Rich, just take it one day at time. That’s all you can do”.

My response: “How do I do that? “

Good Friend: “What do you mean. You just take it one a day at time”.

Rich: “Yeah, okay, but how. How does it work?”

Good Friend: “Well, you just take it a day at time”.

Rich: “I get that. But how do I do that? How do you do that?”

Good Friend: “Well, I just decided to take it one day at a time”…..

You can see my point. And, perhaps, I’m exaggerating just a little bit. However, this is a common challenge.

What A Slogan Is

A slogan, is NOT a plan of attack.

A slogan represents a philosophy. It is a way of approaching life. Not necessarily the nuts and bolts of life.

Today’s slogan is “One day at a time” and it’s many variations.

• One day at time!
• Just for today!
• All you have is today!
• Stay In The Present Moment!

This is good solid advice.

Impossible & Universal

The type of advice that is impossible to ignore. The type of advice that is universally agreed upon.

You CAN NOT argue about the utility of “One day at a time”.

Can you imagine the following exchange?

“Hey Rich, you should take it one day at time….”.

And then I would respond:

“No man, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think I should focus on what’s going to happen 10 days from now”.

Or better yet…

“No man, I think it’s better if I obsess on things that happened 5 years ago and how that makes me a bad father”.

Of course, I should take it “One day at a time”.

• One moment at a time.
• One minute at a time.
• One second at a time.

I get it. I do not disagree.

I have struggled mightily with this simple concept for the majority of my life. I tend to obsess on interactions and resentments that happened yesterday. I tend to play-out scenarios and “what-ifs” that may arise over the next couple weeks.

It’s not as simple as, “One day at a time”.

I guess I am a slower learner. Being told one day at time does not translate to living one day at time. I have to operationalize these things.

And there seems to be a clear path to ONE DAY AT A TIME:

The Clear Path

HOW to do “One day at a time”:

1) Getting Started

Start with routine and daily maintenance practices that support one day at time living.

• Daily meditation.
• Routine schedule with morning readings and evening readings.
• Part of the routine schedule includes journaling.

D) Practicality

Practical time management and calendar reviews.

• Make sure I coordinate with important players in my life.
• What do we have to do today?
• What is coming up?
• Talk about the circumstance(s) and adjust/change the things you can.

E) Daily Discipline

Daily routine focused on the “body/health”: exercise, walking, free three.

• Throughout the course of the day I need to constantly redirect my thinking toward present moment. Notice my thoughts. Allow the unhelpful thoughts to float away, savor and grab the helpful thoughts.
• Pray, if so inclined: “Dear God, please help me stay present and focused on the here and now”.
• Build recalibration into my day. A time to stop, pause, brief meditation.
• Perhaps we “restart” the day. Maybe we will need to do this 4 or 5 times throughout the day or maybe just once. Maybe, should schedule it into our day.
• Focus on transitions, when you are done with work and you move into “home”. This is particularly difficult in today’s “work from home” environment.
• Remember that the “One day at time” techniques used at home are different than the techniques used at work.
• Finally, establish some type of evening routine for yourself. Pray if so inclined. Focus on gratitude.
• Definitely engage 3 good things. Give yourself 30 mins to unwind.
• PRO TIP: Plug your phone in “away” from the bed”. Do not “read” on your phone and then just toss it aside and go to sleep.

My Opinion

In my opinion: ONE DAY AT A TIME is a way of life with many operational units. You can’t DO one day at a time. You must do a bunch of things that add up to a “One day at a time orientation”.

There is more to this.

I am just beginning this process of “operationalizing” the slogans.