In this blog, we’ll explain how an ordinary whiteboard can improve your life. This is another one of those “interesting takes” on DIY. But I stand by it. I’ve used whiteboards since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until recently that I truly tapped into their potential. In this DIY, we’ll discuss how you can become your own professional organizer and get your life, career, and fitness on track! 

Don't have a whiteboard? Learn how to make one quickly and easily here. 

The Life-Changing Benefits of Using a Whiteboard

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

Can a whiteboard really change your life?

The answer is YES! No matter what type of person you are or what you have going on in your life, a whiteboard can help you - and we don’t just mean keeping track of reps during WODs.  

Ever feel like you’re working nonstop but at the end of the day have nothing to show for it? Everyone has days like these. We have so many todos on our plate that we get distracted and start jumping from one task to the next, never completing anything. This can be incredibly physically and emotionally draining and lead to chronic stress symptoms. 

Chronic stress is an issue that has been plaguing America as a nation. The APA reports, “(3 out of 4) Americans… report experiencing at least one stress symptom in the last month. 45 percent report lying awake at night, 36 percent report feeling nervous or anxious, 35 percent report irritability or anger, and 34 percent report fatigue due to stress.”

So how can a whiteboard change this?

A whiteboard makes it easy to streamline what you have going on in your life and subsequently destress. Keeping a giant visual to-do list keeps you focused. Crossing things off that list can quell anxiety while increasing your motivation. 

Aside from to-dos, whiteboards can also help you keep track of your goals. Whether they’re personal, fitness-related, or career-related, it can be easy to lose sight of long term goals from day to day, so a whiteboard can help keep these goals in your primary focus. 

5 DIY Easy Ways to Improve Your Life With A Whiteboard!

1. Keep a Calendar & Stop Forgetting: While I rely heavily on google calendar, it can be hard to fully rely on technology for everything, especially when you want a break from it now and then. With a whiteboard calendar, you can keep the most current events that are going on in your life top of mind. Even better than your g cal? A whiteboard with a TON of room to write on. My fingers aren’t particularly large and even I sometimes get frustrated looking and editing a calendar on my iPhone. With the board, you can write, erase, and color code easily and efficiently. What’s the BEST part about keeping a whiteboard calendar? Physically writing something out is a stronger pneumonic device than typing, texting, or voice commanding (or however you edit your digital calendar, assuming you have one). In other words, you are much more likely to remember something if you write it out compared to if you had typed it. So there you go. A whiteboard actually WILL help you stop forgetting. Who doesn’t need more of that, right?  
2. Keep Focused On What Matters: It doesn’t have to be all business. You can give yourself (and your housemates if you have them) a bit of inspiration. Jot down one of your favorite quotes as a reminder of your own values and ambitions. Little things like this can make a difference when it comes to mental health. Here's a great site with cool quotes. 
3. Keep a Running Grocery List: Run out of something? Add it to the whiteboard. Craving something? Add it to the whiteboard. Going to make a grocery run? Just take a picture of the whiteboard and you’re good to go. This is probably one of the best reasons to keep one in the house as it’s just so convenient. 
4. Destress through Doodles: With a whiteboard in the house, you can get really creative and also collaborate with your housemates if you have any. It’s actually been scientifically proven to lower cortisol levels as well. See here. It seems trivial but little acts of self-care like this can go a long way when it comes to your overall happiness. 
5. Stay Organized: Even the most organized people can become scatterbrained with all of life’s distractions and I am no exception. Aside from keeping a schedule, you can also keep a rolling to-do list which is super helpful. One of the most satisfying things you can do is check something off a to do list and if you deal with anxiety, it’s also very motivating to see all of your completed tasks laid out in front of you. It can be easy to get overwhelmed if you’re only thinking about how far you have to go, but if you see how far you’ve gone it can flip the script for your mentally. Around here, we like to keep track of our fitness goals, but whatever it is you’re doing in life, some sort of mental management is required and a whiteboard can be a tool to help you with that!

Fringe TIP: How to Use Your Whiteboard to Reach Your Fitness Goals

We already talked about the general ways whiteboards can improve your life. But here at Fringe, we’re obsessed with strength! So now we’re going to focus on how a whiteboard can help you make gainz in no time!

• MONITOR YOURSELF: Keep track of your day to day wins and fails and watch consistency pay off. 
• STICK TO YOUR GUNS: Keeping a whiteboard helps you stay on top of your schedule and most importantly, stick to it. 

Monitoring Yourself

You don’t have to be a professional trainer to monitor yourself. Simply use a whiteboard in your fitness program and follow these easy steps

• Write your workout
• Write the results of your workout
• Snap a picture of your workout with your phone 
• Load it into OneNote and it will actually translate your handwriting into digital form!

OneNote comes with a specific setting for reading whiteboard notes in addition to traditional handwritten paper messages. But it doesn't stop there. You can even tag your notes! This comes in really handy when training for a competition, keeping track of your progress or tracking your workout routines.

Stick to Your Guns

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly think about anything when I’m training in the gym. Granted, I am just starting out, but working alongside Susie and her sister leaves me braindead most of the time.  

So of course, using a whiteboard when working out is a non-negotiable for all 3 of us. It’s just easier that way. 

We don’t have to worry about what we’re doing, how many, or what rep we’re on. Susie makes sure she plans it all out at the beginning of the WOD and she keeps track of the WODs we’ve completed on a whiteboard in our office. Simply put, you can train better with your trusty whiteboard at hand. 

Say goodbye to wondering if today’s WOD interferes with yesterday’s and hello to gainz!

Susie and I have been experimenting with a new practice too: laying out a week’s worth of training ahead of time and NOT altering it - which as many of you know, is NOT easy.

If you don't know, you may be thinking, "Why is that so hard? Can't you just plan for what you're capable of?"

Well, in theory, you can. But picture this: You’re tired. It’s been a long day and you’re down to just two more exercises… a thought comes into your mind, “What if I just choose one of them?" Choosing one would mean you leaving earlier, getting home faster, and maybe even watching a few episodes of something on Netflix before you have to crash...

See how it can get tempting really quickly??

For this reason, Susie and I have decided to try and push past this comfort zone, which means sticking to our guns when it hurts most! Now, I will say we will still scale exercises if we need to as health and safety are super important, but there is NO skipping altogether. Even though this method is still new to us, it hasn't failed us yet. 

So there you have it, a whiteboard does NOT have to cost you a fortune and it can not only help you monitor yourself, but also hold yourself accountable for what you commit to doing ahead of time. 

ADDED BONUS

While monitoring your progress and sticking to your regimen, you can be setting an example for others who come into your home or who share it with you. What’s better than accomplishing your own goals? Inspiring others to do the same!

Have you or do you use whiteboards in your life? Tell us in the comments! 

Guest Post: Sydney Capello