How to Stay on Track with Your Goals?

I catch myself again and again, that I live like a robot, doing tasks without prioritizing, only what get my attention. Even if I write them down, make a plan. I know, knowing my roles and goals are a key for doing what matters, and I even wrote then done, but tracking is somewhere lost.

What is missing?

Evaluate the progress, reflection back to the last week/month/quarter/year. To see, what I accomplished, how I'm coming nearer to my goal. Adjusting the goals if needed. Because these questions isn't built in my planning system, I don't answer them. I don't know, how much time I'm spend with these, for me important tasks - they are mostly the important but not urgent tasks, the always hardest part of the planning.
I like to see YouTube videos, and I found last week this one. That made me exciting, this is, what I need!

Powersheets from Lara Casey

Powersheets is a workbook and not a planner, don't contains calendar. But it can be with you for the whole year, and makes you to think about what you are doing.

Source: http://laracaseyshop.com/collections/powersheets/products/make-it-happen-powersheets-one-year-workbook

Plus:
- no calendar,  I have one, I'm looking for something addition to it
- nice, clear design
Minus:
- Spiral bound, I can't integrate to my planner. (It's not a big stuff dough.)
- Shipping cost to Europa is extremely high.
- No digital version available.
Result: I won't have this one.

Daily Greatness Journal

This journal is also great. I just don't need another planner. (But I ordered the Business Planner version). This contains also daily pages. What waste of paper for me! Features: daily planner, goal settings, worksheets, etc.

Source: http://dailygreatness.co/collections/all/products/dailygreatness-journal

Plus:
- if you don't use another planner yet, a great option
- nice design
Minus:
- I have a planner
- no digital version
Conclusion: I won't have this.

Create your Shining Year by Leonie Dawson

It is probably a very interesting and good planner, lot of people say, but it's too much. Color, and chaos. I just feel dizzy if I take a look on that. I also can't read the description, so no opinion, you can read everything for yourself here :)

Source: https://shiningacademy.com/2016-workbooks/

Plus:
- you might read it.
- Digital version available
Minus
- design.
Conclusion: I won't have this.

The Highlights Life Planner

This is also a planner with calendar pages. The design is also a little bit too much for me, but I can handle it. It's a digital download, so I can choose, which pages I print out.

Source: http://www.ninayay.com/2015/09/the-highlights-life-planner_28.html

Plus:
- digital
- for a while it's free!
Minus
- design
Conclusion: I will give a try, print out some pages, and place it to my Filofax.

Dream Big Life Planner

This is an actual Kickstarter Project now. Also a planner with daily pages, etc, spiral bound.

Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/croixsather/dream-big-life-planner

Plus:
- if you share, you got a download version
- undated
- very clear design, no colors!
Minus:
- maybe that it contains calendar, but because digitally also available, I can leave, what I don't need.
Conclusion: Shared and waiting for my digital download to see the pages nearer.

Which one would you choose? Can you recommend me something?

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How to build your perfect planner system? Week 9: What roles you have?

After the monthly plan we are back on the topic: what are we doing and why? We do things, but really are those things what are supposed to be? This week I will ask to answer the next questions: what roles you have? What are you doing? Do you like it? Is it important? We tend to want too much, what leads to overwhelming, feeling guilt, being tired, and not doing what is really important for us - like playing with our kids or spend enough time with our husband. 

For all people is meaningful to thinking about this question, but an ADD person, like me it's extra, because... I WANT IT ALL AND I WANT IT NOW!

I think this step will be the hardest in the series. Be honest with yourself, and take your time to make this exercise! (If you don't want to go so deep in your soul, skip this week, and let's see you next week again!)

Step 1: What are your roles?

Take a piece of paper, big enough, preferable with grids. Start to thinking about, what roles you have in your life? List them, keeping place between it. I think now bigger things, like: mother, working women, friend, evolving personality... Don't forget the not profitable but pleasurable things too (like the phone player, the knitter).
When you finished the big categories, comes the funny part, to find good working word to the subroles. As a mother I'm chauffeur, cook, listener, organizer, teacher, etc. Give a label for all activities you make. Looking into your archive and to do lists might help!

Step 2: Analyze your roles

Now comes the harder part, the decision.
Write somewhere with numbers the next questions:
1. Meets this with my values?
2. Do I like to do this?
3. Am I good in this?
4. Delegetable?
Write 1-4 as a header of a table to the roles. Think about all subroles. Like: cook: I'm good on it, I'm not happy to do it, delegatable, and absolutely meets my values: healthy food is important for us.
Where 1-2-3 got a check mark, you have to keep them. Mark them somehow, maybe with highlighter. Let's take a look on the others.
1. Don't meet with your values - then why are you doing this? Delete.
2. You don't like it. Two options here: have you opportunity outsource it? Hire a cleaning lady? Make cleaning together with the family? Order lunch? Make a "business" with someone: I do it for you, you do that for me? Try to find a solution to delegate this "role". Or a part of it. Not only other persons can help. You can buy a vacuum robot also if you hate vacuum. Be creative! Unfortunately there are some things what you can do and nobody else. You don't like it? C'est la vie. Life is hard :D Learn to live with them.
3. Your are not good in this. Try to delegate also if it is possible. As knitwear designer I have so much roles, where I'm not good... Keep track of things, marketing, administration. I was searching until now someone to delegate these things. It looks like, I found someone! I will have more time to make creative work - what my strength is.
You can share things with others, even if you like it, to spare time. My little daughter and her best friend are going to a gym. One week brings her mother both kids, on the other week I bring them.

Homework for next week

Do this exercise. Find enough time without any distractions. See what roles are good for you, meeting with your values, makes you pleasure, or inevitable. Keep them and try a solution all the other ones.
I plan to make this first alone, then discussing with my husband. I'm so excited! Keep for the next week by hand, when we will working on our goals.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask in comment! Share your experiments in our Facebook group, and get more help!  

Find here the whole series.

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