Introduction
Well 2020 was a shit show, wasn’t it? For most of us, our routines, habits, and plans were thrown into uncertainty overnight and we were forced to pivot with very little warning. My job was put on indefinite hold and I was living in my parents’ guest room in my hometown. As a self-proclaimed planner-addict, I felt a little lost. My normal weekly planner and daily journal for 2020 are like a time capsule: Frozen in mid-March. I found it really difficult and somewhat useless to keep my existing planning style. I was unemployed, my daily routine was looking quite different, and anything I wanted or needed to do was either unsafe, impossible, or unavailable, due to Covid restrictions. But I soon learned that this was not a sustainable attitude and that I had to find a way to keep moving and to accept new and relaxed expectations for myself and the world around me. Ultimately, as it became clear that this was life, for the time being, I migrated to a new planning format to fit my current “normal.” Now, with the dawning of the new year, it is time to reinvest in my goal setting strategy. I thought I would share my approach in hopes that it might provide guidance and comfort to anyone struggling to find a starting point.
I plan and coordinate for a living, but that is not why I advocate for planning and goal-setting in life. The fact is that a few minutes a day spent reflecting and planning can assist anyone in achieving growth and productivity. I firmly believe that a day planner, a notebook, a pocket calendar, or a journal, is the best gift that you can give yourself (or someone else!). Although we still don’t know what 2021 will hold, and we are likely far from any sort of pre-pandemic “normal,” I find that the new year is always a good opportunity to reassure, re-assess, and become excited once again about where we are headed. Not everything is within our control, but our approach is!
Note: I tend to avoid big sweeping New Year’s resolutions, as I frequently find them to be unsustainable and stress-inducing. I feel that they put pressure in all the wrong places. This is not the case for everyone…if large general resolutions work for you, great-make them, embrace them, use them. I find that a series of smaller tangible tasks or deadlines that work towards a bigger picture is most effective.
The Process*
This is how I recommend approaching the process of starting or re-assessing goals. Although I referenced the start of a new calendar year in the introduction, I want to clarify that you can start ANYTIME. In fact, it’s good practice to check in with your process regularly and determine what is working for you, and what is not. I have this conversation with myself pretty regularly.
*This is a “quick start” approach to finding your footing and getting started with goal-setting. I am happy to go into further detail regarding personal preferences/recommendations, planner brands, layouts, tips, etc. in a later post if that is of interest.
1. Find a system that works for you. It can be digital, it can be paper, it can be pre-formatted, completely custom, or painfully simple. You can start with something you already own (the calendar and notes app on your phone, a notebook you have sitting in a drawer, that journal that you got for Christmas) or treat yourself to something specific (this need not break the bank! Think about a simple-spiral bound planner from Target, a moleskin notebook, a pocket calendar, or any notebook-provided that you’re willing to do a little formatting). I am always torn between staying digital (because it’s more eco-friendly and easier to transport) and paper, but there’s just something about pen to paper that makes me gravitate toward hardcopy. Not to mention that it’s much easier to swipe away a notification than it is to ignore a physical object sitting on your desk reminding you that you have a plan…which is comforting, no? You are not committing to anything long term, here. You can always change your mind. I, for one, have been through SO many different formats and devices…needs and preferences change.
2. Make a List. Sit down and start listing things that you want to accomplish in the next year (or 5 years, or 10 years, start however broadly you want). These things can and inevitably will change over time, and that’s totally fine. In fact, it’s healthy-it means that you are consistently reassessing and reacting. Do not limit yourself. You need not even categorize things at this juncture. Make a big list. What do you want? (Don’t worry about how, why, or even if you should). Life, Career, Relationship, Family, Finances, Pets, Fitness, Hobbies, Travel. Some published planners have templates for this sort of exercise, it’s up to you how and if you want to use them. A list on a blank page works just a well. The main thing to remember is that goals are intended to motivate you, not put so much pressure on you that you begin to ignore them. Remember that as you break things down into more manageable pieces.
3. Review your List What are your priorities for the year, or the near future? Make a new list or highlight/circle your existing list. This is the starting point for your year. Again, you are not cemented into this…priorities will shift, life will happen, and that’s okay, this is just a guide to get you rolling. What are the small tangible things you can do on a regular basis to work towards the goals on your list?
4. Set-up a daily habit list or self-care routine. Some things to which you can commit to doing every day (or almost every day, we’re only human). Ex: Workout 30 min, Remember to floss, Read 20 min, Take meds, meditate, therapy, etc.
5. What does a week look like? A day? When looking at your week, start with the things you MUST accomplish. Things that are not negotiable, most of the time. Child care, work, meetings, paying bills, picking up that prescription, doctors, and vet appointments that are already scheduled, etc. From there, decide what needs to happen each day of the week, again, knowing that it might shift. Begin by filling in anything with a fixed date and time, and use the rest of the space to sketch out what you HOPE to accomplish: workouts, hobbies, recipes to try, things to read, meal planning, etc. Don’t forget to plop in the list you made in the previous step! Take a few minutes at the start of each week to lay out the next 7 days like this. One week at a time. How you approach a daily layout is up to you. Some people prefer to work from their weekly layout, and simply make changes as they go, while some prefer to make a separate daily breakdown each night looking ahead to the next day. Both are valid. Any tactic is fine, do what works for your life and your set-up.
As you move forward with daily and weekly planning: You will see a lot of fancy planner layouts on social media (custom sticker layouts, bullet journals penned entirely by hand), and I myself am guilty of over color-coding and have been known to create fancy sticker-laden layouts on occasion. Please remember to do what works for you. It can be messy, you can scratch things out, you can spell things incorrectly, and you do not need to share it with anyone if you do not want to. You will be in a hurry sometimes, that’s life. It’s a tool, not a tome (unless your primary goal is journaling and, even so, it shouldn’t be perfect). It can be whatever you want it to be. A planner should help you complete your tasks, not become an overwhelming task itself.
7. I’ll say it again, be willing to pivot. If your goal was to read 12 books, run 3 miles per day, and teach yourself Spanish by March, and it’s February 25th and you’ve only read 5 books, run 2.5 miles per day, and downloaded Duolingo without ever logging in, that is FINE. You set the bar high, and that’s great. In fact, you probably still accomplished more than you would have if you had not set these goals (oh, shucks, I only saved $250 this month instead of my normal $15, and went from not running at all to ALMOST achieving your goal). The urge here might be to scrap the plan, toss the calendar, and coast, but I encourage you (and myself) to keep going…don’t be afraid to draw an “arrow “->” next to those items on your list, and transfer them to a NEW (re-assessed) list going forward. We can’t control everything. Having a plan does not mean being inflexible.
Try It Out!
Grab a pen or device of your choice, and start writing or typing! Try some things out, and keep what works. Happy planning!
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