Creating a Preparation Calendar

Preparing for a pageant can seem like a daunting process if you think about everything you need to accomplish prior to the pageant all at once. This particular blog entry will focus on how to break down what you need to accomplish into small goals that you can fulfill on a regular basis.

First of all, write down your large pageant goals. You can list as many goals as you would like relating to your pageant, and add to your list whenever you like. A large pageant goal would be something without a lot of detail or a particular deadline, such as losing weight, preparing for the interview competition, practicing your pageant walk in high heels, starting a regular fitness program, etc. I recommend that you write each large goal on the front of separate index cards, leaving the lines on the back blank for the moment.

Now, choose one of your index cards and focus on the large goal. Think about small, manageable steps that would help you accomplish that larger goal. For example, if your large pageant goal was to lose weight, you could list any of these three plans as your small steps:

a)Your first small step could be to keep a food diary for a week without changing your regular diet. You would need to keep track of what you ate or drank, the time you consumed the food or drink, along with the portion. If you believe that you eat emotionally, you could write down your current mood along with each entry. You could continue with the food diary after this week with more conscious decisions.

b) Your first small step could be to choose three foods that you feel prevent you from losing weight and to find three healthier alternatives to replace the three foods with. You could continue replacing unhealthy foods with alternatives at a steady pace until you had created a comfortable diet.

c) Your first small step could be to create a meal plan every day, either early in the morning before breakfast or the night before after dinner. You could choose five small meals to eat throughout the day and even determine what time to eat each meal.

You want to create small steps for every large goal. Write these small steps on the lines of your index card. (If you need help creating small goals, feel free to comment on my blog.)

Next, determine what you pageant calendar is going to be. You need to make "appointments" for all of your pageant steps. You can create these appointments for as many aspects as you need to. You could use your Blackberry, a planner book, a wall or desk calendar, or whatever would work best for you.

Once you have committed to a source to be your pageant preparation calendar, make regular apppointments for each of your small goals. You could spend ten minutes every morning at 7am creating your meal plan for the day. You want to create a set appointment for each small goal that you have created to follow on a regular basis. This will help you establish a pageant preparation routine for achieving your goals at a pace that will not overwhelm you. Do not focus on looking for results. Instead, focus on completing each small step to the best of your ability in that moment, and trust that your larger goals will become accomplishments in the right time.

A preparation calendar is the perfect way to break down intimidating goals into small steps that you can make appointments for. If you make a commitment to fulfill each appointment, your goals will soon become achievements that you can be proud of. If you happen to miss an appointment or give less than your all, forgive yourself and get back on track as soon as possible. You can make all of your pageant goals come true with the focus and discipline that come with staying true to your pageant calendar. I wish you the best of luck in your pageant endeavors!

-Miss Pageant Prep