Productivity Tip: Dry Erase Markers and Mirrors

Folks who have seen me recently have remarked on the fact that I’ve lost a bit of weight over the last 6 months (30 lbs., or so), and often wonder what I’m doing. Diet (low-carb) and exercise are part of it, but I believe a big part of my success is having an explicit goal and having it in my face on a regular basis.

To that end, one of the tactics I use to keep this goal (and future goals) in front of me on a regular basis is that I bought a pack of dry-erase markers and put them in the drawer of my bathroom sink. When I have a goal that requires long-term focus, I write that goal on my bathroom mirror, so that every morning, I have a reminder of the goal.

In the case of my weight loss, I wrote down my starting date, my starting weight, my goal weight, and on a daily basis I update my current weight. This helps immensely in maintaining my focus and not allowing blow-off days or brief blips to throw me off my goals. I still have 15-20 lbs. left to lose, but I’m confident that I’ll get there by staying focused.

As a bonus, on those many occasions when I remember something I need to do while brushing my teeth, etc., I can grab a marker and write myself a note on the mirror before I forget. Then, when I inevitably forget what I needed to do (yesterday, it was the need to pack a particular audio adapter), I get reminded when I go back into the room with the mirror.

Dry erase markers are cheap, and they work great on mirrors…grab a pack for every mirror in your house, and you’ll be swimming in goals and reminders in no time!