Each year I come up with a game plan. I make lists and dreams sheets and vision boards. It’s like a business meeting with myself. What will I need to help me succeed this year? What will help me meet my goals and keep me organized?
Finally, with my highlighters and my Papermate gel pens out, I am almost ready to tackle my goals. I only need a few extra things.
Planner
Picking a planner is like picking a name for your firstborn child. If you are a planner person, you know what I mean.
It is like the midterm elections. First, you have to do your research. Then, you have to shuffle through candidates. Then, once you’ve found a few you like, you deep dive into each planner’s background.
The options are plenty. You can have spiral bound or book bound, leather or linen, medium or large. Don’t get me started on layouts and stickers.
You may have to decide on ethically made products, sustainable products, or a women-owned business.
One thing I was sure of was that I wanted a goal planner. So, I narrowed my selection to just goal planners. After looking through four or five options, I settled on the Ink + Volts goal planner. I’m only in a month, but so far, so good.
This goal planner works because I can prep my goals for the year in the front and have monthly and weekly pages to guide me as I tackle these goals. Plus, it is a full-year planner. I can’t tell you how many planners are now 90 days planners.
Planner Sidekick
If you are into to-do lists and the beautiful feeling of checking things off, this dashboard list from Ink+Volt is for you.
I have always wanted a pad of lists and To-Dos separated into categories. I’ve bought many variations, but this one is perfect. This one has helped me stay on track with all my weekly to-do’s, and it’s strangely calming to look at.
I schedule my top 3 to-dos in each category of my life, complete then add other things to the list. It is truly a motivator to get things done.
Large Water Bottle
Most of us start the year with a Health Goal. Mine is to lose 15-20 pounds. But, honestly, I’d be okay with the weight if I just lost some inches in my waist. I’ve never had a weight loss goal until this year.
Research says that drinking water and lots of it is the easiest way to jumpstart your health journey. It’s a metabolism booster and helps keep snacking to a minimum. I tend to drink quite a bit of water throughout the day, but more will help me meet my goals quicker.
Insert 64 oz PopFlex water bottle. Some beautiful soul who influenced me on Insta, kept a large water vessel beside her bed.
The incredible way she woke up in the morning and took a large swig got me. Okay, so I am being a little extra, but those content creators know how to influence, and I thought, “Hmm, maybe this is the answer to my hydration woes.
My initial thought was, nope, you don’t need it. You are trying to live a minimalist lifestyle. Unfortunately, my desire outweighed my minimal value, and now I am rocking with this fun, x-large water bottle.
I got it a week ago, and I’ve never drunk so much water. I assumed that having such a large bottle would be a task; however, I’ve found it easy to move it around.
It claims to keep the water cold for 40 hours.
I can’t attest to 40 hours, but I can tell you that I fill it up at night and leave it on my nightstand. No ice. It is still cool in the morning when I’m ready to hydrate —100 percent recommended.
Now it’s time to donate all the other water bottles that don’t serve their purpose.
New Journal
I began journaling on and off in 2021.
I always thought it was something cute to do. Keeping a journal has been recommended by many of the Greats, so I haphazardly began to write.
It wasn’t until I was going through a moment in my life where I needed guidance in making a big decision that I reread my journal.
I was surprised at what I found. Then, finally, my old self reminded me I could move on from something I was clinging to that no longer served me.
I know that is very vague, but the truth is, I realized at that moment how important journaling was to my inner being, and I made sure to make it a habit for personal growth.
So, I picked up this simple yet beautiful journal from Amazon. The pages are of fantastic quality, and there is a place for a table of contents.
100-Day Goal Journal
Why do I have so many writing tools? Ahh! I dunno because I’m a glutton for punishment, and I have to put pen to paper all the days of my life.
Dramatic much?
Listen, this is another goal journal, but hear me out. This thing is so different.
This 100-Day Goal Journal walks you step by step through one goal. You get to hyper-focus on one big goal as it holds your hand the entire way.
How is it different than my Goal Planner? My goal planner is a place to envision and write down my goals. There are spaces to prep and plan for the week in a way that supports your goal; however, the 100- Day Goal journal makes you set daily Micro Goals that slowly but intentionally move you toward your goals.
There are 10-day increments of work for you to focus on so that you can move toward your goal in 10 – day sprints. I love the concept, and you can’t make me give it up.
Update: I’ve ditched the goal journal for now. Why? Because as mentioned above, I have too many writing tools under my belt.
I left it on the list because I still believe it is a handy tool, and I highly recommend it to someone trying to hyper-focus on a large project or goal.
I hope to jump back into it once I create a habit with the other tools.
Kindle
My kindle has become my library on the go. It is free entertainment and a way to avoid time on my phone.
When I want to read a few pages of my latest book, I can quickly whip it out in the school pickup line, at doctor appointments, and more.
Some of my favorite things about owning a kindle are the size. It fits in my back pocket. I have loaded over 100 books onto it (they were all on sale, of course). I can read at night in the dark while everyone is sleeping because it has a backlight that is easy on the eyes.
My kindle will help me meet my goal of reading 52 books this year. It is easily one of my favorite tools on this list.
Budgeting System
No matter how you budget or whether or not you call it a budget, a way to track and manage money is essential to the building of wealth.
Many people love to budget by hand. I am one of those people; however, I don’t enjoy how time-consuming it can be.
Managing your budget can be overwhelming.
From recreating the budget each month to writing down every category and expense, many people become frustrated and annoyed.
So this year, I wanted to try something a little different.
I am going back and forth between an app and a spreadsheet to manage my finances better.
What budgeting method works best for you?
These are what I have found valuable. Let me know what works for you in the comments.
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