I've fallen in love.  No, not with a guy.  But with a planner.  To be honest, I didn't see it coming this planner love. My Meyers Briggs type could never have predicted it (INFP, if you must know). But somewhere along the way, this dreamer with a million ideas needed to sit down and get organized. 

Now, you list making types may be wondering what the big deal is.  I mean, you're used to all the planning.  Thinking through your week.  Making a list of what needs to get done.  Checking it off the list once it's done and even writing it down and checking it off if it never made it to the list. 

For your sisters who like it random, lists are too confining.  My list is in my head and I like it that way. It leaves me free to change course or get something else way more fun done. 

But I came to a crossroads if you will at the end of 2016.  I had big dreams. I had plans to get some things done and move my business forward.  I had plans to purge and organize on the home front. I had plans to break up with gluten. You know what happened to all those plans?  Didn't happen. 

So, I did what any self-respecting learner would do. I did a little research. I didn't want just any planner. After all, I had tried those $10 planners at the store. They never worked. They kept my appointments without keeping me on track. 

Instead, I wanted the gold standard of planners. A calendar + goal planning worksheets. I did a little Facebook video on living intentionally in 2017 which included my research on planner options which you can watch here. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

And then I chose my planner and have been a raving fan ever since. I found that my planner became a tool for me to get intentional each month on the kind of goals I wanted to set, the habits I wanted to embrace, and the evaluation I needed to create a life I truly loved. 

So, what's the big deal about planners? 

Pressing pause

To be honest, my pre-2017 life included a lot of going with out a lot of planning. I would just keep doing the next thing in front of me without pausing to figure out if the next thing was the right thing. My gold mine of a planner helped me to press pause before the start of each month and intentionally choose my focus for each month.  What did I need to schedule in? What did I want to emphasize? 

As I look back, I realize that I was able to live with more intention and less wheel spinning. And, I felt more confident in the way I was living my life. In the end, there were more days where I loved my life than not. 

Setting Realistic Goals

I wonder if you're anything like me? I like to set goals. A lot of them. And while they are all good goals and realistic as stand alone goals. They are not all realistic if I try to do them all in January. You get my drift? 

Seeing my goals laid out for the year and in monthly increments empowered me to give myself grace. Sometimes it's not realistic to tackle 6 projects, a lifestyle change, family, friends, and a new career all at the same time. 

Less is more. Cultivating margin around our goals helps us succeed when we would normally fail. Allowing space to breathe and ponder increases creativity. Planners help us make space for margin and creativity and fun. 

Celebrating Wins

I just gave a workshop on celebrating. And we women, we're not so great at celebrating wins. We tend to look at what else needs to be done. We tend to look at how we need to improve. We tend to focus on what went wrong. 

Planners help us pause and evaluate how last month went. Planners help us celebrate the things we are getting done and the little wins along the way. And celebrating the little wins along the way gives us a perspective of confidence and progress even when it feels like we're standing still.  

So what's a girl to do with her planner? 

If you've never used one of these high tech planners before, you may be starting to feel overwhelmed, right?  What do I do?  Which one do I get?  How can I set myself up for success? 

One baby step at a time gets you there.  Just take a deep breath and open to page one. And set some goals. If you're stuck, start processing these three questions: 

1. Who do you want to be in 2018? 

2. What do you want to do in 2018? 

3. What do you need to have to accomplish 1 and 2? 

Answer those questions and you'll be well on you're way to living intentionally and creating a life you love.  

If you're wanting a little more and some help with your brand new shiny planner, I've got you covered. I'm offering my very special Pizza & Planners Coaching Party on January 8th. 

Join me for this girls night out meets coaching workshop event. You'll connect with other women just like you as we dive into putting our planners to work for us and creating goals for the coming year. This can't miss event will set you up for creating a life you love in 2018 and I can't wait to see you there. 

Bringing a friend with you? Simple use the code BRINGAFRIEND and save 50% on your ticket price.