We are halfway through 2019. Can you believe it?
This is a perfect opportunity to check in on your goals and reflect on the progress you have made so far this year. We believe that anyone can accomplish big things, with the right tools.
So in an effort to provide you with the best possible tools we can, we’ve rounded up the top 6 blog posts that resonated most with our readers so far this year, plus 4 of our greatest hits of all time. We hope these posts will speak to you as you refocus on your goals, whether they be for a more amazing career or a happier life.
Below, you’ll find inspiring morning routines, journaling prompts, foolproof goal-setting strategies, 70 brilliant ideas for 30-day challenges, and even a guide to the very best pens to use in your planner as you plot out your amazing second half of 2019.
1. 2019 Goal Setting Worksheets
Every year, we release a 4-part planning series to help you make the most of your goals. While the worksheets are designed to be done around New Year’s, they can really be used anytime you want to set goals and accomplish big things in your life.
Completed in order, this series of worksheets will guide you from where you are now towards the person you want to be. This isn’t your average goal-setting guide. This is how you take yourself to the next level in your life, your career, and who you want to be.
2. How to Set Monthly Goals You’ll Actually Achieve
Not everyone sets monthly goals. And it is easy to see why. The daily grind is so busy, and every week we are just trying to catch up to our to-do list. Weeks turn into months and suddenly half the year is over!
But monthly goals are critical for your success. If you aren’t setting monthly goals — or if you set monthly goals, but can’t quite seem to achieve them — then this guide has everything you need to start making every month count.
3. 15 Inspiration Morning Quotes & Journaling Prompts
Do you need a little inspiration to get you going in the morning?
It can be hard to get going in the morning. Some days it feels nearly impossible. We all need a little help to get moving every once in a while.
These inspirational morning quotes will help you stay focused on your priorities all day long.
4. 4 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Streamline Your Weekly Planning
Maybe you have been there too: to-do lists on every surface, sinking feeling in your stomach, and the insistent worry that you’re forgetting something. The Sunday Scaries are real.
I’ve found that the most effective method for wrangling an intimidating week is to use a few simple systems to streamline my planning process. Here are four exercises that can help alleviate some of your Sunday night anxieties.
5. Best Pens for Writing by Hand
Even in the age of taking notes on tablets and rarely needing to sign anything beyond a screen, we all still need pens. And why shouldn’t you have the very best pens for writing by hand? Handwriting can be a pleasure when you have the right tool for the job.
(Plus, writing by hand actually makes your notes more effective and helps you remember more of what you write down.)
6. 9 Morning Meeting Activities to Wake Everyone Up
Morning meetings are not the easiest…
Depending on how much coffee you have or have not consumed, the temperament of the conference room may be less than thrilling. What’s worse, if it’s time to tackle big tasks on a Monday morning, most people still have their brains in the weekend or last week — so it’s extra work to get everyone on the same page.
Instead of simply sitting down and diving into the meeting agenda while your team drowsily stares into their coffee cups, it’s a good idea to shake things up a bit.
7. Turn Your Weekly To-Do List Into a Raise or Promotion
Your boss has no idea what you do all day.
Think about it: on top of managing you and all of your coworkers, your boss also has their own career to take care of, which is filled with meetings, personal challenges, and working with their own manager too.
If you are a superstar on your team (which I bet you are, if you’re reading this), then your boss probably just assumes you’re doing pretty well day-to-day. That will work for you if you’re happy doing the same thing forever and getting the same basically positive feedback. But if you are striving for more, you have to share more and make yourself and your value known.
8. Get Inspired by Our Master List of 30-Day Challenge Ideas
It’s scary to commit to anything for 30 days, and it’s sometimes hard to think of what new challenge makes the most sense to work on, considering everything else you do already.
But you can do it. Sometimes you just need a little help to get going.
That’s why we put our brains together to create this MASSIVE compendium of inspiration for a 30-day challenge that anyone can try. 70 ideas total! We know you can find one perfect for you in there.
9. How to Not Let Someone Ruin Your Day
Whereas some people naturally just let things roll off their back — or even like to dive into the conflict to fix it right then and there — I can hold onto things and let them affect me for hours or even days. When I’m feeling like I’ve been wronged by someone, I develop a bad attitude towards the world, and I treat myself badly too.
If this ever happens to you, it doesn’t have to anymore. You can overcome any bad interaction. So don’t let the next project hiccup or toxic coworker ruin your day. Do this instead.
10. Smarter Note-Taking and Organization
Taking great notes is a huge part of being successful.
Why? Because being amazing at your job means having the right information to make important connections and decisions that get things done. Notes are your guide. They give you a place to store the many important details of your day, that you can refer to anytime to find the right answer.
