In the post: Learn how to set meaningful goals with Leah’s review of Lara Casey’s goal planner, PowerSheets.
Even though it is November, the reality is, the New Year is upon us. Soon, all we will see are New Year’s resolutions, promises to be different in the next year, and, probably, commitments to lose those pesky 10 pounds that have been hanging around since college (or is that just me?).
Isn’t there something hopeful about a “fresh start”? Our present self sees that the future could be exactly what we make it. But, so often we have these lofty ideas about how we will do better, be better, accomplish more. Yet, we never break these huge goals into more manageable tasks. Instead of doing the little things to create big change, we are overwhelmed by the enormity of the goal and never start.
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Gems, let’s stop that cycle.
Today, I want to tell you about a product that helped me to infuse my life with purpose, know that the little things add up to the big things, and to plan for success: Lara Casey’s PowerSheets. I take this goal planner with me everywhere. It is with me during my morning rituals, my monthly reviews, and when I set aside time to dream up my future.
PowerSheets are an intentional goal planner that honors your mess, your dreams, and your potential for growth. This goal planner is customizable, encouraging, and is whole-person focused.
Here’s why it works:
- PowerSheets Prep Work
- Action Plans and Quarterly Reviews
- Tending List
- Monthly Review
Shop 2019 PowerSheets Here!
PowerSheets Prep Work
Time allotment: 1-2 hours, once a year
The Powersheets Prep Work is built right into the beginning of your Powersheets and has guiding questions for you as you uncover what good goals for your year might be. You’ll need to set aside 1-2 hours of quiet time for this part because you’ll be digging into what worked last year, what didn’t work, what is on your heart, what are some areas for growth, and how you want to define yourself. This is the most time-consuming part of doing your Powersheets, but it establishes the foundation for the work you’ll do this year. Better foundation, better results, right?
Prep Work also requires honesty. Last year, I had a hard conversation with myself about my finances. I want to travel and buy a house, but my current shopping habits did not support those long-term goals. BTW, this is still a That’s the wonderful thing about PowerSheets: it is a great tool at every step of your self-growth journey.
Action Plan and Quarterly Reviews
Time allotment: 1 hour for Action Plan once a year, about 30 minutes for Quarterly Reviews four times a year
While the Prep Work section is largely a creative section where you can write out all of your ideas and focus on the big picture, the Action Plan is where you start to plan practical measures to meet your goals. Each goal has a section where you write out practical steps to accomplish that goal and how you will celebrate progress.
At first, I felt a lot of pressure to get this section “right”. I wanted these PowerSheets to be perfect so that I could be perfect. Gems, we all know that’s not how it works. Perfection is not an attainable goal. So, I got messy. My Action Plan has my heart all over it; ideas the may or may not work but that I want to try, full of hope that I can and will cultivate good growth in my life.
Because life changes, PowerSheets has Quarterly Reviews so that your goals can change with you. Every season, you will evaluate your finances, personal growth, family, relationships, work, and leisure to help see what areas might need to be cultivated. Every season, you get the chance to refresh your goals and come up with some new actions to take to accomplish them. I love this because my Powersheets change as my life changes.
Tending List
Time Allotment: 30-45 minutes per month
Every month, there are prompts to write out what is taking up your head and heart space, and what worries are overwhelming you. I write all these things out, covering the pages with my fears and anxieties. And after brain-dumping, I feel so much more prepared to start thinking about what goals I want to work on that month.
I list out all the goals I would like to work on and I reference my Action Plan to see how to get those things accomplished. Next, I sort them into monthly, weekly, or daily goals on my Tending List. For example, cleaning out my closet is a monthly goal (because I will only do it once), working out three times a week is a weekly goal (because I would like to repeat this every week), and drinking 64 ounces of water is a daily goal (because I want to stay hydrated every day).
The Tending List section is perforated so that you can take it with you wherever you go. Sometimes, I’ll stick it in my planner so I have it to reference when planning my days. It’s a great way to hold yourself accountable to your practical goals.
Monthly Reviews
Time Allotment: 15-30 minutes per month
I did a whole post about monthly reviews, and Powersheets are my guide for those monthly reviews. It is critical to evaluate what goals grew well and which ones need more attention. The monthly review page has prompts for what people you are thankful for and what were some favorite memories. My favorite prompt says “I’m choosing grace over guilt about_____”. This reminds me that, while I’m trying to accomplish a lot of personal growth, I also have to extend myself grace.
Gems, Powersheets have the potential to help you take your dreams and make them into plans. It is an incredible tool that is all about you! Because Powersheets are customizable, it is truly a tool to help you organize your biggest goals and start doing the good work necessary to accomplish those goals. Achieving goals is still a lot of work, but Powersheets helps hold you accountable to yourself by encouraging you to grow slowly and make steady progress.
Gems, what goals have you stuck with for 2018? What ones are you dreaming up for 2019? I’m always looking for ideas to grow!
