Being Comfortably Me: How To Use Your Planner To Achieve Your Goals

I'm a very fly by the seat of my pants type of person, I think they call me a Type B personality. I'm one of those people who buy planners because they're cute or fit in my purse. Actually using a planner...jokes. But, lately, I've been feeling like my thoughts are everywhere all at once and that I am spinning my wheels in business and in my personal life. I've had to actually adult and use the cute planners I've bought and get serious about achieving my goals and it hasn't been that easy.

Planning and mapping out goals requires patience, thought and accountability. If I'm 100% honest with myself it also requires confidence. This requires telling the negative committee in my head to STHU by taking steps to reach those goals. You can find 100 reasons NOT to do something and why it won't work when you actually get serious about doing it. Fear is real and it is crippling. Even if you're "doing" something, if you aren't doing it wisely or taking it seriously, it is because you don't have confidence in yourself. So, I've went out and bought some new cute planners and I've set my mind to actually using them to help me stay on track with my goals.

Here is how I use my planner to achieve my goals.

1. Go get a planner AND a journal.

Planner: Think of each day as steps on a stairwell, you eventually want to get to the top (your goal) so you need to plan each and every step. "Today I am on step number 3 and in order to get to step number 4 I need to do these specific things." The These specific things are what you write down in your planner. You get the specific things from doing research. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to research the best way for you to lose weight that fits into your lifestyle.

Journal: I think of a journal as a place to write down the reason I'm on each step. "Okay, why did I step up to this step?", "Why am I on these stairs?", "What do I need to do to get to the next step?".

2. Write down the specific purpose for every single goal/job you have. Basically...write down your every thought.

Why are you in business? What exactly is the point of your small business? When a customer buys from you, what are you REALLY giving them? Write ALL THAT down.
Why is your business/job important to you? "Homeschooling is important to me because, I need to lose weight because, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE..."

In life, if it doesn't line up with your goals, don't do it. Simple as that. This also helps with feelings of guilt and keeps your focused. Your life now has purpose.

3. Lose the cute catch phrases.

This is real life here and in life we need real solutions. If you're just throwing out cute phrases with very little thought, you're not being serious. "I'm going to be successful in 2015." Well, what is success? Why is success important? What are you trying to be successful at? Life? Business? What are you saying? Your vision is about as clear as mud right now. Let's make it clear and something you can actually attain.

Figure out exactly where you want this success.
What do you consider success?
In order to do this, what changes need to be made and what do you need to implement?

Now, after you've written all of this down in your journal, it is easier to actually plan out your days, weeks, months, etc. You can now see exactly where you are going and why you're going there.