Goals, purpose, planners

How do you feel when you think about goal setting for the year? Excited, overwhelmed, nervous? They sure feel overwhelming to me. I have so many thoughts and ideas running through my head. How can I pick just a few to focus on? I work on quarterly goals to help keep me focused. These help keep the work in chunks that feel more manageable. Check out my blog on how to stick with your goals!

Survival Mode?

But let’s be real…there are too many days that my goal is to survive motherhood. When I’m stuck in the mindset, I can hardly think about any bigger goals. Do you ever wonder that too?! I remember when my second son was born and barely sleeping. I knew that the 6 week mark, he would start sleeping better, like my other kids. In that second, and third, and fourth week, I thought, there is no way I’m going to survive the next few weeks. I don’t remember how but I did survive. I had to attack it by thinking about each day. Not focusing on getting to six weeks.

Goal Setting

That’s why I want to review goal setting. Whether you’re in the newborn baby stage, brand new business, empty nester, established business, or somewhere in between. I’ve learned from some amazing goal setters and have adapted them to fit my style, my stage, my needs. I encourage you to do the same.

For me to feel like a well rounded human, I choose 1 or 2 goals in the following areas: marriage, family, spirituality, physical health, mental health, career and community. At first, I think about how I want to feel about each of those areas. Next, I examine how close I am to those feelings. Then, I determine what steps I need to take to get to those feelings.

For example, I want to feel good about my body and my endurance to do activities. Right now, I am feeling about a 3-4 in feeling secure in my body and my fitness. Since I know my friend and fellow writer, Juliette, offers an intuitive eating program, I will look into her next program start date. I also know I want to be more active. My second goal for my physical health is to walk 15 minutes daily when I’m healthy.

When Life Happens

Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by life, I slow down and examine how I’m feeling about the goals in those areas. Which area is feeling the worst or furthest from accomplishment? Is it because of external forces or just a defeating feeling? No matter what, I encourage you to examine the goals and pivot as necessary.

Use a Tool That Helps

Before you select a planner to help you with your schedule and goals, remember to ask yourself a few questions. Because it’s easy to get sucked into the beautiful ads full of colors and crisp new pages of all the planners. Believe me, I spent way to much time researching when my chosen planner changes its design.

Consider the size. Do you want something that you take with you in your purse? Or would you prefer something with room for notes?

The most popular planners offer daily, weekly, and monthly layouts. Do you want your days broken out into hours? Would you prefer a bigger picture look at your week or month?

Does the style light you up? Whether you want something plain or something vibrant, make sure your planner style reflects you! You want to want to use it! Florals, bold colors, simple navy, find one that inspires and lights you up!

However, it may take experimenting to find the one that fits you best. Often times, like most tools, you will discover what you like and dislike about it. Keep a list and an eye out for the various pieces that you want to change.

Remember to use the tool to set yourself up to achieve great things!

Here are a few popular planners to check out:

• The Happy Planner
• Simplified Planner
• Living Well Planner
• Erin Condren LifePlanner
• Simply Yours Planner
• Day Designer Planner
• Full Focus Planner

_{The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of The We Spot, its employees, sponsors, or affiliates.}