Considering the many benefits of having and using a planner, consider using it for setting goals. You can have pages dedicated to listing all your short and long-term goals, tasks to complete those goals, and even a schedule of what to do and when. Not sure how? Keep reading to learn how you can use your planner for this purpose.
Decide On A Planner
This is a big decision to make and is often determined by the types of goals you have. If you keep your goals reasonably simple, they can fit your ordinary planner. You can achieve this by downloading various printables, or nowadays, some planners include a quarterly goal-setting page. However, some people may want a journal-style planner for setting and detailing their goals and the tasks involved. This style of planner would be a horizontal planner. Read this blog post to learn about the different layouts.
Use the S.M.A.R.T. Goals Method
SMART is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time detailed. These goals are not just some big, elaborate dreams but something achievable. You want a goal to be realistic and something where you can measure the level of success. It is also good to set a time for completing the plan, which encourages you to keep up with the tasks and have a clear, set path, whether three, six, nine or twelve months.
Be Specific with Tasks and Deadlines
Here is where people often go wrong – they set a goal, but it is open-ended and doesn’t really include instructions on how to complete it. Instead, when you select a goal, you should also look broadly at the tasks required to complete that goal; then, each of those tasks might have more details about how to complete them. For example, if you want to start an online business, so tasks often include setting a budget, creating a business plan, building a website, and forming an L.L.C. Even more, tasks are required for the website, like choosing a domain name, hosting, and web design.
Schedule All Tasks
Another important part of setting goals in your planner is to schedule the tasks. This is one of the benefits of using your planner for your different goals. Set a deadline each time you list a task to be completed for that goal or project. After the deadline, add it to your calendar pages, including the monthly and weekly calendar areas.
This will keep you on track, reduce stress, and offer more organization and structure. Each day you check in with your planner, you know what is
expected of you.
See, using your planner to set and stick with your goals isn’t that difficult after all! Tell me, how do you use your planner for goal setting?
