(Aka: My Passion Planner has arrived!)
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I’m not here to snow you under with motivational quotes. In fact, if you Google how to achieve your goals there are a landslide of results. The moral of the story is if you want to build something you should have a plan. House. Blueprints. These things follow logically, why should our lives not follow suit? Sadly, with busy lives spent stretched thin, our day to day goals become distilled to “survival” and we put off things until tomorrow. It’s the grind.
I asked a few successful people about how they achieved their success. To be honest, many of them were “happy accidents” where luck and aptitude intersected and without a “master plan”. However, once they realized a bigger picture was in play (overachieving targets, work-life balance, that next promotion, early retirement, etc) they stepped up their game by planning. 100% of my rock star achiever friends don’t do anything without a plan. #goals
You can do it!
Motivational speak, our mentors, coaches and little voices inside all tell us we can succeed. This is very true. But nobody can keep track of the multitude of details it takes to build an empire. It’s not a failure to take time to record notes, block out time and prioritize. In fact, taking pen to paper (or digital), is taking a first step in actualizing plans to success. We go through life with the weight of the world across our backs, trying to carry it all. Who did we talk to last week and when did we tell them we would follow up? Who are we meeting with next week? What projects do I have to plan to get that raise and what are the steps I need to take? Yes, you can do it all, but do yourself a favor and write something down. It will save your sanity, help hold you accountable and give you a place to reference your victories.
People who like to/need help with the following can benefit from a Planner:
- Long term goal-seekers
- Short term goal reference
- To-Do Lists
- Establish & Maintain Habits
- Work/School Scheduling
- Personal Priorities and Scheduling
- Idea Mapping
I use a paper planner because the act of writing out my goals reaffirms my commitment and I find it helps with brainstorming. And, as obvious as it sounds, it helps me realize when I’m over-committing. It’s easy to tell someone you might drop by to an event or be open for a dinner when you’re trying to record 2 things in the 7pm Wednesday slot. Something has to give. It could save some relationships if you realize you’re double-booked and/or give you ammunition to say “no.”
I use a Passion Planner (this is an example, not an endorsement to sell you something) because it’s also a cheerleader, inspiration coach and the book asks me questions to get me into planning (and living) mode.
All the blank pages and a fresh year can be a daunting task to fill. The planner ships in a box with great advice.
“It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect it Just Has to Start”
Start slow by focusing on a goal and then fill out snippets as you go along. People who take action plan to plan – say, the first 10 minutes of the morning or before you go to bed at night. Take half an hour on Sunday to set the tone and do brainstorming. Once it becomes habit there will be no limit to the use you can get out of it.
Do you have any experience with planners, bullet journaling or other apps? Let me know in the comments! Live. Undaunted.