Serial killer vibes aside, I always enjoyed the organized, methodical personality of the fictional Dexter Morgan. Even the opening theme reflects his highly ritualized (screech) and productive lifestyle. You can tell his process is part of how he soothes his psychopathic tendencies. Thus, a lot of the themes of show focus on control and how to find peace in chaos. Even the ending (slight spoiler), that tension between ritual and chaos is projected into the upheaval of his final situation.
Daily Planner Tips
When it comes to my daily planner, I find that the process of planning helps me feel more peaceful. I am a little type A. And I have a tendency to worry or worry that I’m forgetting something. That’s why I love putting everything into my bullet journal. I take things out of my mind and put them on paper. If you’re looking for daily planner tips, check out these organization ideas.
1. Make a habit of updating daily
Contrasting the beachy setting, Dexter keeps a rigid schedule and operates as a high performer. While the show never reveals an actual journal, his monologues, trophies and photo collection give you the idea that he has a bit of that organized, historian approach to life.
We all make rules for ourselves. It’s these rules that help define who we are. So when we break those rules we risk losing ourselves and becoming something unknown.
Dexter Morgan, Dexter TV series
That mindset (murder aside) is common among people who keep daily logs. They feel the need to check in constantly.
2. Keep It Manageable
Dexter’s simple life, and his desire to keep things manageable is most reflected in his relationship with his girlfriend, Rita. She is a single mother with two children. While he adores her, and the children, Dexter also feels threatened by the chaos of sharing a life.
As he becomes closer to the family, you start to notice how simple his daily process has become. He follows a similar routine for almost everything.
There are no secrets in life, just hidden truths that lie beneath the surface.
Dexter Morgan, Dexter TV series
Similarly, a daily planner works best when the process is very simple. Don’t go out and buy all the supplies — as tempting as that may be.
Make maintaining your daily log a 15 minute task for each morning or evening.
Personally, I prefer to update it each evening. Usually, it’s a little before dinner.
I look at the tasks for the day. I pick which remaining tasks I will finish that night and which will be moved to the following day. It’s also when I decide if I need to get rid of a commitment or seek additional help.
3. Carry It with You
On the show, Dexter has a toolkit. OK, it’s more like a murder bag.
Anyway, he has it packed with everything he needs for his gruesome hobby. He keeps it tidy and clean, carrying it with him as he goes about his work.
Life doesn’t have to be perfect. It has just to be lived.
Dexter Morgan, Dexter TV series
Similarly, I carry my journal with me everywhere. I refer to it throughout the day and jot notes in it whenever I can.
4. Use it to Meditate
If you want to focus on being more organized, then a journal offers an opportunity to meditate on what is important to you. For example, a lot of people add trackers into their pages.
Keeping track of goals can become a form of meditation. As you fill out a tracker in a journal, you will find yourself reflecting on how best to meet your goals.
“Be prepared” — that’s my motto. The Boy Scouts and I have that in common. Of course, there’s no merit badge for tonight’s outing.
Dexter Morgan, Dexter TV series
Dexter works off of a list of people that helps him focus. He does research to determine which murderers he will hunt down. In a way, he meditates on each project in his spare time, focusing his energy on how he will complete the task.
4. Release Your Thoughts
The format of the TV show, Dexter, features an ongoing first-person narration by Dexter himself. He is full of turmoil and often has conversations with an entity he refers to as his “Dark Passenger.”
People have speculated if it is just his dark side, a desire to kill or even a demon that inhabits his soul.
I’m a neat monster.
Dexter Morgan, Dexter TV series
Regardless, he releases those inner thoughts through those conversations of his inner world. Similarly, a planner is a place to release your thoughts, both positive and negative. You’ll find that you can let go of things more quickly, and focus forward, when you put them into a planner’s pages.
What are your daily planner tips?
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Whether or not you enjoyed the Dexter TV series, I hope you enjoyed these daily planner tips. Let me know your favorite characters who journal, plan or have a really organized life. It’s interesting to see how we can relate to them.
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