How I Got My Shit Together With Dots on Paper
I came home from the hardest summer of my life and needed to get my shit together.
But I was too exhausted for complicated routines or perfect systems.
Maybe you're feeling this right now too—like you know what you need to do, but you're just too tired to do it all.
So I did something ridiculously simple.
I drew dots on a piece of paper.
And somehow, this stupidly simple system got me back on track with money, movement, and mental health. If you're scattered, overwhelmed, or just trying to end this year feeling like yourself again, this might be exactly what you need.
The floating season
If you listened to last week's episode, you know my summer wrecked me. I was swimming in the depths of the ocean with the sharks. My body was in survival mode. My nervous system was beyond maxed out.
When I got back home, I knew there would be this period of reintegration. Figuring out who am I now? What am I doing now? Let me remember how to be a human.
But what I didn't expect was this complete detachment from all my old habits. All my rhythms. My routines. The things I'd been consistent with for so long—I just forgot how to do them.
I was flailing. Every day felt like I was just floating out in the ocean, trying to figure it out.
For a while, that was okay. I gave myself grace. It felt good to let myself exist in that wide, big sea without having to anchor or force myself to move the way I once did.
And honestly? If you're going through something or on the other side of something, I highly recommend letting yourself sit in that space of nothingness for a little while. That's when I find myself again. That's when I extract the lessons. That's when I ask: what did the universe give me in all that muck? What am I walking away with?
Don't be afraid to marinate in what life is teaching you.
But eventually, there's going to be a moment when you're like: Okay. I've been floating for a while. I'm ready to put my anchor down.
The moment I got desperate
For someone who's usually really motivated and driven and good at doing stuff, it was an interesting space to be in.
Why can't I just do the stuff I used to do? Hello? Wake the fuck up, self that does stuff.
But she was not waking up.
So after about four days of this, I got desperate. And I gave myself a tool.
I drew a bunch of dots on a piece of paper. I wrote down five non-negotiables. And I made a deal with myself:
Every day that you complete two of these five non-negotiables, you fill in one dot.
That's it.
We're going for progress, not perfection. We don't need to get everything on this list done. We just need to do some things.
My five non-negotiables
Here's what I chose:
- Walk 10,000 steps. For my body. Physical movement.
- Journal. For reflection, clarity, or manifestation. For my mind and heart.
- Post on social media or share a sales link. To get back into consistency in my business.
- Do something strictly for the joy of it. Play with my kids. Say yes to a fun invitation. Cook an exciting meal. Go to the playground after school. Paint. Read a romance book. Something that wasn't attached to a result or specific outcome.
- No alcohol. Creating a boundary for clarity and discipline.
Two out of five to fill in the dot. Not all five. Not perfect execution. Just two things to make progress.
Why this works for my brain
I have raging ADHD. Didn't get diagnosed until about a year and a half ago, but when I did? Oh my god, hello. Nice to meet you. Have known you my whole life, but now I finally understand you.
This tracker is a game changer for my ADHD brain:
I can see the goals. I see the dot. I know exactly what to do to make progress. I can't trust my memory to just do the thing—I have to have it written down. I can't rely on my feelings to guide me because they're big and distracting.
So this tracker lets me see the goal, do the goal, fill in the dot. Not rely on feelings or mood. Just take the action that's in alignment with where I'm going.
And as I watch those dots fill up? My ADHD brain gets a hit of dopamine. Positive reinforcement to keep going.
Why this works for my wiring
If you're into Human Design, I'm a Manifesting Generator. I literally need variety and flexibility.
Some days I hit all five non-negotiables and I'm flying. Some days I barely manage two. But both count as winning. There's spaciousness within this system for choice, spontaneity, and fun.
In my behavioral analysis, I'm super low conformity—which means I'm designed to break rules. Too many rules, too much structure, too much discipline makes me want to rebel. I can't stick to rigid strategies or the same daily routines forever. I've got to mix it up.
I'm also fast-paced with thrust energy. When I get a burst of energy, I move fast with it. Then it wanes. My energy moves in waves.
So on the days my energy is thrusting? I can do all five and feel incredible. When that thrust dies off? I still do two. I still make progress. I still move forward. But I get to do it in a way that honors my energy—so I don't burn out and I don't rebel.
And I'm highly dominant in my behavioral analysis. My operating system is: be in control, be direct, see results, do what needs to get done now.
This tracker is like: here are the non-negotiables, here's what needs to happen. Boom. Let's do it.
What happened in 20 days
I walked over 100,000 steps. Maybe that's not a big deal to you, but to me? That's a lot of steps.
I sold over $20,000 in my business—which was huge because before that, I hadn't been selling at all.
I started showing up consistently on social media again.
I shifted from surviving to thriving. I started feeling inspired again. Re-energized. I started building trust in myself. Gaining self-confidence. Feeling like myself.
Thank god for that.
Why this matters for you
If you have a hard time staying consistent—this tracker gives you a simple visual system.
If you're a recovering perfectionist who likes to do everything—this tracker is only asking you to do two things. Can you fill in that dot when you only do two? Can you recognize yourself as a winner without doing all five?
If you have a hard time knowing what to do with your time—maybe you have 15 free minutes and you know you want to work toward something, but then you spend all 15 minutes deciding what to do and the time is gone. This tracker tells you exactly what to do.
Here's the thing: the woman who can show up to do her daily steps is way more likely to show up and post on social media. The woman who posts on social media is more likely to share a sales link. The woman who does something for fun is more likely to be inspired to create.
All five non-negotiables support each other. It's not about getting the thing done—it's about building momentum.
When you start proving to yourself that you can do what you said you'd do? You start becoming the woman who does things. You build momentum in all areas of your life by showing up in these simple ways.
Get the tracker
I loved this system so much that I'm doing it until the end of 2025. I've got 120 dots on a piece of paper hanging in my closet that I look at every single day.
But for you, I created a 21-day version.
Download the free 21-Day Breakthrough Method tracker
You'll get the step-by-step for how to choose your non-negotiables, plus a tracker page you can print and hang on your wall.
Draw some dots. Fill them in. Do your actions. Build the momentum.
This is the foundational work that makes entrepreneurs successful. Once you build these foundations, success is so much easier to achieve and sustain.
Go grab the tracker. Let me know your results. Share it with your girl gang. Let's make progress and end this year feeling rock solid.
Go deeper
Get your Identity Report — Learn how you're wired for success so you can build systems that actually work with your energy, not against it.
Work with Robyn — Build a brand and business that honors your behavioral design.
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