• 3 Tools For Goal Setting and Excellent Planning

    3 Tools For Goal Setting and Excellent Planning

    It’s been super important for me to get organized with my ideas and goals because I’ve got all these great, big ideas floating around in my head, but no clear thought on how to execute them. It’s not enough for me to just come up with an idea (nor should it be enough for you). I need to find tools for goal setting and planning. The only way to see the outcomes of these ideas is to plan them out.

    What am I doing? How will this work?

    My impulsive thinking can sometimes lead to a load of inconsistency in executing these ideas. I get so excited that I rush or skip several steps in the execution process. This is how dreams get deferred and ideas get crushed. When you know better then you’ll do better.

    That’s why I am sharing three tools I use to assist me in setting clear and concise goals through planning.  Keep scrolling to learn new ways to help you stay organized, plan out ideas, and develop strategies for executing your plan.


    Necessary Tools For Goal Setting

    tools for goal setting and planning

    Tools for Goal Setting: Gratitude Journaling, Planning, Organizing

    Journaling is the #1 source of where my ideas and goals begin. Through self-reflection prompts, I construct a list of 3-5 personal and professional goals I want to accomplish for the week. I also set monthly goals and daily affirmations using a gratitude journal. I find appreciation and gratitude to be instrumental in planning and setting realistic, attainable goals. The Daily Expression Gratitude Journal that I use comes with a “Gratitude Garden” that contains mindful questions and notebook pages for me to jot down my emotions and thoughts. I created it as a way to live with gratitude and appreciation. It’s available online for purchase and on sale for $7 here.

    Goal Setting Tool #2: Planner

    Having a planner as a tool is necessary because this is where I can sort out goals and figure out how I will meet them by listing small tasks that I can complete. Sunday- Saturday, I fill my planner with productive activities related to my weekly or monthly goals.

    Let’s use an Instagram Reel as an example. The objective will be to create an Instagram Reel for the week.

    I pick a day during the week that I can research reels to trigger inspiration, days that I can prepare for creation, and then the day that I want to post it. Making a reel does NOT just happen in five minutes! I realize that there may be intricate actions that I will need to take before it can happen. I may need to learn audio (lyrics and dialogue), rehearse dance moves, and sort out a look. Some of the questions I ask myself:

    • Where will I film this reel?
    • What should I wear?
    • What is the tone? 
    tools for goal setting

    I maximize a lot of my time by using a planner. The mom life is sporadic and chaotic. It’s easy to feel spread thin and busy. Honey, that’s the quickest way to burn out! Using a planner is beneficial to productivity. I’m able to juggle all of my many hats (human, wife, mom, teacher, writer, etc.) and not feel like I’ve completely exhausted all my time. It all gets done through time blocking, sticky notes, affirmation stickers, and lots of colors.

    TIP: Use markers and colorful pens to list your tasks in your planner.

    Goal Setting Tool #3: Google Calendar

    The last tool allows me to schedule my tasks into a digital calendar, and get reminders and alerts when it is time to execute them. Once I learned from other digital content creators about all of the magic that Google Calendar has, I started using it for purposes other than birthdays. I use Google Calendar to

    • help me figure out what time I have available to get things done.
    • stay on track with time blocking
    • celebrate accomplishments
    • remember what’s planned for the day
    • follow a schedule
    tools for goal setting: google calendar
    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    Was this helpful for you? How do you set goals and execute them? What tools do you use to help you execute your goals? How do you hold yourself accountable? Comment your thoughts on this topic below.

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