Happy 2024

A whole year has gone by and I don’t have a way to measure what I did with my time. It all seems to have gone by so quickly. I have never been too focused on a new year’s resolution, because I believe we can set goals at any point in time. But after listening to Jim Rohn (see video below), an entrepreneur and motivational speaker who passed away in 2009, I decided to try something new. I set some goals for myself and will measure them after one year to test the process and see if it works. I mean, my goals have always been in my head, and now I want to bring them down on paper.

Writing goals down is like that written to do list. I find that when I keep my to do list in a visible spot on my desk, I’m more likely to get them done. People who work in an office have it a bit easier because their lives are more structured. But for those of us who work in a creative environment, life is trickier. We need to add structure to our lives or we will just drift through life.

It’s important to have a morning and night routine. These routines send a signal to the brain to get moving, the day has started or to shut down, it’s time to go to bed. I have never been a structured person and go with the flow, but this is not exactly the best method. We need some structure in our lives. Not everything has to be on a list or planned. However, if we have no structure at all, we end up wasting time, and time is too valuable to lose.

I like to keep things simple, otherwise I will get overwhelmed and not do them at all. After doing some research into how I’m going to keep my goals in front of me on a daily basis, I decided to purchase a planner. There are many YouTubers discussing planners and talking about how they do things. Sometimes, it can get confusing, and I was looking for an uncomplicated method. I want to share my easy process in case anyone is interested in setting goals for themselves. Also, I opted for paper instead of digital organizer because I like it better.

I listened to Jim’s video and set some goals.

I did a brain dump by writing all the things that I need to take care of on sheets of paper. The above and the next few pix are samples for the purpose of this blog. Obviously, my brain dump is much longer than that.

I numbered my list according to category.

I created a master list.

I purchased an easy planner on Amazon, and no, I do not get paid for promoting this. I watched their posted videos, read some of the reviews, and realized this is what works for me. This organizer comes with instructions. I may read it or not, because it’s self-explanatory. I transferred my master list to the blank pages on the organizer, and added items from the master list to daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.

What I like about this planner is that I can fill in my own dates, it has plenty of blank pages which helps me to add more items to my master list, as well as add my three-, five-, and ten-year goals. Plus, it has a vision board, and monthly reviews of goals. This is also a good way to keep all paperwork, cut up pieces of paper, and sticky notes in one place.

  

And that’s it. The only other thing I would say is that I don’t add more than five items to do to my daily plan. If I get those done, then I can always add more. This way, I make sure that I get at least five items out of the way. Also, I do something about reaching my goals daily. For example, if I want to finish writing my book in a year, I write at least three pages a day. If I want to be a healthy person, I add vegetables to each meal and do some kind of activity every day. And I know that I may mess up and miss a day here and there, but as long as I keep at it, I’m okay with that.

So, Happy New Year. What are your goals, plans, and dreams? Where will you be in a year? I hope that all good things will come your way in 2024.

Happy New Year or Not!

Photographer: jscreationzs

2010 was not a good year for me and perhaps that’s why I’m hesitant to celebrate 2011. I was invited to go out tonight but decided not to go. And to be honest, I have no energy left in me from the running around I do all day, everyday. Tonight, I just want to sit next to my heater, drink my hot Chamomile tea and do absolutely nothing. I know I sound like an old lady but life threw me too many curves this year and truly wore me out.

Nothing turned out the way I wanted and many events took place which were beyond my control. Every time something happened, someone would say, “sorry but it’s not my fault.” And my answer was, "yes, it was not your fault, but somehow I’m always the one paying for all the mistakes others make." At times, I want to pack up and take off without leaving a trace behind – somewhere where no one knows me so that I can do what I want without all the constant interruptions.

The phone in my house rings often and I know that my friends and family mean well and want to see how I’m doing, but there are times when I just don’t feel like talking. I want to go to bed, pull the covers over my head and never wake up. But I can’t do that; can I? I have endless responsibilities and as one ends, another begins. Does life ever get easier? What’s the purpose to all this? What lessons am I to learn? Are some of the questions I ask myself and have not yet found the answers. So, with that note, I will leave 2010 tonight and wake up in an uncertain 2011. I just hope that it will be better than 2010.