This year, like so many years before, I set out to become a paper planner person. There’s something so appealing about the idea of organizing my life inside of a pretty planner full of fresh paper, but I haven’t been able to follow through with the implementation…until now.
Okay, okay, so it’s only been a little over a month, but still! That’s success compared to previous attempts at using a planner consistently. As of now, I’ve written in my planner every single day of 2019, and it’s pretty much become habit at this point.
Every morning, I make my green juice, pull up my Trello board (where I keep all of my tasks and to-dos organized digitally), and open my planner. The first thing I do is write down everything I need to do that day in the to-do section or timeline, depending on the type of task or obligation.
Next, I turn to the health & self-care page, where I record my sleep from the previous night, along with my meal and exercise plan for the day. I also complete the phrase “Today, I am grateful for ____”.
And last, on the blank page provided, I write out my list of goals. These aren’t just my goals for the day, but my big life goals — no holds barred. Though this list looks pretty much the same every day, there is something so empowering about writing them out in present tense, as if they have already happened.
I’ve tried lots of different planners, but I love this particular one because it encompasses all the big areas of my life and really motivates me to stay on track. It’s called the Smart Life Push Journal.
Each journal is designed to be used for 30 days, and is focused around a “push goal” — that’s a goal that, once achieved, will help lead to the achievement of your other goals, as well.
The first section of the journal helps you to clarify what your current area of focus should be (finances, relationships, career, health, etc.), and from there, you create your goals for the month or next 90 days, and then come up with your push goal. There is an entire series of videos to help walk you through this process.
I love going through this process at the beginning of each month, and reevaluating my priorities based on how things have gone the month before. Always having that bigger picture in mind helps prevent me from getting bogged down by the day-to-day craziness.
Using the Push Journal system is an investment, but so far I feel like it’s worth every cent because it really is helping me to stay focused on my goals in every area of my life. This is not sponsored, nor am I an affiliate, by the way! I’m just excited that I’ve finally found a paper planner that is a great fit for me.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress as the year goes on. Do you use a paper planner, or do you rely on digital methods to stay organized? I love hearing what works for other people, so let me know!
