The Key to Taking Your Planner (& Life) to the Next Level

Nobody needs a whole planner just to write a few appointments down per week. We all have smart phones for that!

So what’s with the obsession with analog planners?

I’ve always been a hands on person. There is just something about physically writing something down that commits it to memory. I’ve had every kind of list making and productivity app, but nothing beats good old fashioned paper and pen.

When I first began planning, it was because I wanted to keep track of housework, kid’s appointments, and work tasks. And for a while, that is all I wrote down in my planner. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something, and would even lay awake at night wondering what it was that I had forgotten.

Eventually I figured it out… I had forgotten to allow room for myself to dream!

I’m not exaggerating when I say everything changed for me when I started tracking goals and dreams for myself. It’s literally how my Scripture Coloring Planner was born.

I think if you give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised… so I’m providing this free Goals + Dreams worksheet for you to get started. This is a page straight out of my new planner (minus the dot grid). Use it as a “brain dump” page. Let those ideas and dreams really fly out. You could even use it to practice coloring. Then when you get your new 2019 Scripture Coloring Planner, you will already know what you want to write down in it!

Not sure where to start? If you’re not an entrepreneur it may seem difficult at first, but not everything is about work! Try using each section as its own category – you could have a section for health, relationships, finances, recreation, spiritual life… anything goes.

Just think about the things you want to accomplish in the next 6 months and write them in the goal side of the section. Then, break down that goal into smaller action steps on the right side.

For instance, if one of your goals is to pay off a credit card by the end of the year, there are going to be changes you have to make to accomplish that goal. Write down smaller goals that will ultimately lead you to the bigger dream of paying off that debt. “Rework budget, cancel unnecessary subscriptions, designate a no spend day each week” are a few examples. These action steps are what you will focus on when you make your goals for the month. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to fulfilling those dreams!

Think you need more insight on finding out what dreams you should be chasing? I strongly recommend picking up What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done by Matt Perman. It is both spiritual and practical.