You have big goals and a busy schedule. A goal planner is the key to balancing them all.
We’ve heard from thousands of people over the years about all the incredibly amazing things they’ve been able to accomplish by adding a goal planner to their lives. Things like finishing a novel, buying a house, paying off loans, increasing business revenue, getting a real estate license, raising kids, finishing dissertations — the list truly goes on and on.
So what is it about a goal planner that makes such a big difference between a successful year and one where you feel like you’re just spinning your wheels?
At the most basic level, we know that writing down your goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them. But goal planners have built-in systems that help you do so much more than that! Here are 5 ways that a goal planner will change your life for the better.
You’ll visualize the life you want
Your planner has finally arrived and it’s time to crack the pages and start writing — but where do you begin?
Even before you start filling the pages with to-do lists, birthdays, and deadlines, we recommend that you take a few minutes to think about the big picture.
What do you want your life to look like in 10 years? Jot down whatever words, ideas, or images that come to mind. Then ask yourself: what do you need to change in your life to get closer to that vision?
Start breaking down your biggest, wildest dreams into actionable steps: what can you do this year that would get you closer? What about each month? Each week? Use your big picture goals to help define your monthly, weekly, and daily goals and priorities. Your planner can help you to block off time each week to make a little bit of progress on the things that are really important to you.
Major changes don’t happen overnight; they are the result of lots of small steps toward progress. By using your goal planner as your portable vision board, no matter how long your to-do lists get or how busy your days are, you will always have that big dream handy to reference and help you refocus and reprioritize.
You’ll set realistic goals
Having big dreams is all well and good — it’s how all of the greatest innovations started, after all! — but a dream is nothing without a plan. A goal planner is specifically designed to help you break your big goals down into manageable and realistic pieces.
The layouts within the Ink+Volt Goal Planner will help you craft a realistic timeline, identify key milestones along the way, and force you to think about how you are allocating your time each week and each month to ensure you are devoting time to your biggest priorities.
Let’s say your big goal was to quit your 9-5 and start your own business. A goal planner can help you get from here (working at your desk job and dreaming about working for yourself) to there (successfully launching your business) by providing structures and frameworks that can help you break your goals down into steps like: set up an LLC, identify potential customers, set revenue goals, build your website, take on two projects, and so on.
You’ll actually keep all your deadlines
By committing to a goal planner, you aren’t just going to make one big list of goals and then never look at it again. You’re committing to checking back in with yourself on a regular cadence — something that the systems and structures within a goal planner, like monthly and weekly planning spreads, are designed to help you build into your life and your routine.
At the beginning of each week and each month, you’ll set aside time to check in with yourself. You’ll assess your progress from the week or month prior, check in on how you’re doing on your long-term goals, and make note of any key dates and deadlines that might be upcoming.
By building in these regular planning periods into your schedule and updating your planner regularly, your goal planner will quickly become your go-anywhere reference point for all the upcoming dates and milestones, ensuring that you’ll never let another deadline (or important birthday or anniversary) slip by unnoticed.
You’ll be able to track your progress
When you’re feeling stressed, unmotivated, or burnt out, it can be really easy to forget how much you’ve actually accomplished. Here’s where your goal planner can help.
Not only is your goal planner serving as your roadmap for success, it’s also a helpful rearview mirror. A simple flip back through your weekly and monthly planning spreads can be incredibly rewarding and an easy way to see how far you’ve come from the beginning of the year.
In the Ink+Volt Goal Planner, for example, there are built-in reflection points each week for you to journal and take note of how you are doing on your yearly and monthly goals. By adding these into your regular planning sessions, you’ll naturally cultivate a routine of progress tracking.
You’ll appreciate and celebrate your wins
Not only is it important to track your progress, it’s also important to celebrate it!
And it's not just because celebrating is fun. Taking time to acknowledge and really feel your successes will help you to avoid burnout. Working hard takes a lot out of you, and you need to see your progress in order to keep going.
Whether your wins are big — like launching a major project — or small — like finally tackling laundry for the week — you’ll have a chance to acknowledge them and give yourself a pat on the back in our goal planner’s “Reflect and Celebrate” sections.
Set aside time during each weekly and monthly planning session to look back at the wins that you had over the last time period. Then write those down and reward yourself! Whether it’s putting cute stickers on your planner pages or indulging in your favorite dessert, taking some time to acknowledge your job well done is crucial in keeping you motivated and on track.
What are you waiting for? Shop the Ink+Volt 2021 Goal Planner now, and make next year your best, most successful yet. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish!
