Tag: simplified planner

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Fun Ways to Organize

Goal Setting

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday.

As we make our way through September, I always feel a sense of nostalgia of back to school and being back in the classroom. As much as I love my job, I sometimes do miss being in the classroom and being a student, but it’s all a part about growing up.

Iā€™m a big believer in setting goals and to-do lists. Even as I write this post, I have a to list of things I want to get done while Iā€™m in work. 

I found it helpful to write out things I want to accomplish whether they are big or small. Plus, thereā€™s always a sense of satisfaction when it comes to marking things off a list and seeing hard work pay off. 

Hereā€™s my tips on how to accomplish goals (big and small):

  • Write it down

I find it helpful to write down daily, weekly and monthly goals. In my planner, I always write down my goals for each day and because I have a weekly layout, I can see what things I want to accomplish across the seven days. I always use Emily Ley’s Simplified planner. This helps me stay on track for the days, but in case I donā€™t get something done on a Monday, I have the next day to get it done. As far as big plans goes, writing down big plans or goals on a post-it note or in a journal where you will see it, keeps it in front of your mind always.Ā 

A look at my planner
  • Set realistic goals

Iā€™m all about following your dreams and having the world be your oyster, but I also know that you need to work hard to get there. Hereā€™s an example: if you want to be a performer, that canā€™t happen overnight. But if you take lessons, practice, perform at small venues, share your music online and on social media and network, then the dreams of being a performer could become a reality.  Dreams are possible if you set goals to get from one step to another. Dreams take years to accomplish, but if you get goals to get there then itā€™s possible. I love seeing how accomplishing small goals can lead to big changes. 

  • Allow your Goals to Change

Itā€™s great to have a plan, but donā€™t be afraid to be flexible if your plan changes. I filled out a journal/book after I graduated college and it was called ā€œIn Five Yearsā€, it was all about where you wanted to see yourself in 5 years. It was exciting to see what dreams and plans I had and where I saw myself in the future, but I also know that life happens and plans change. I think itā€™s important to set those big goals but also be open to the future and the possibilities it could hold.

Iā€™m a very Type A, OCD person, so Iā€™m all about staying on top of to-do list and goals. I think setting and accomplishing goals is a great way to achieve your dreams while also being realistic. 

What are your tips of accomplishing your goals?

Categories
Fabulous living

What I’m Loving-All Things Emily Ley

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! I hope your weeks are off to a great start! Every few weeks I like to do a roundup of favorite things of mine to share with you, sometimes itā€™s food, other times, itā€™s places, but this time itā€™s hobbies or things I want to share with all of you!

If you have been following for a while you know that I am a huge fan of Emily Ley. She has her own planner company, but she does so much more than that. I love her planners, I love her books and she recently started a podcast that I am loving. 

I have never been a huge fan of podcasts, most of the time itā€™s because I can easily get distracted while listening to them. I have the same issue with audiobooks, you can read about that in last week’s post. But with Emilyā€™s podcast, the Simplified Podcast, I donā€™t have that issue at all. She launched it just over a month ago and every week she has episodes that are between 15 and 20 minutes long, the perfect length of a podcast, sometimes she has guests, other times itā€™s tactical tips or life hacks or just sharing whatā€™s on her mind. I often listen to them when Iā€™m driving or picking up or doing laundry, I love that she shares her story and her life while also presenting ways to simplify our lives at home. 

The Simplified Podcast

These past few weeks, she has been doing a series alongside her book, Growing Boldly. I finished the book in a week but you could finish it in a day. It was such a game changer. She wrote the book before Covid hit but so many of things can be easily applied to life now. Itā€™s all about building a life you want to live and growing in the stage of life that you are at. Think about it for a second, you may think, Iā€™m good where Iā€™m at, I donā€™t need to grow anymore but Emily shares how you can keep growing and changing in any season of life. I love that!!!

Her latest book, Growing Boldly

She also shares her close friendsā€™ stories too and how they grew in difficult situations. These stories reminded me that you can constantly grow and you shouldnā€™t be afraid of growing. I have enjoyed all of Emilyā€™s books and I feel they all served a purpose and helped me in different areas of times of my life. As I read the words, I almost feel like Emily is having a conversation with me. I highly recommend Growing Boldly to anyone.

While Iā€™m on a roll, Simplified just launched their new planners and products for the upcoming year and Iā€™m obsessed. You can check them all out here. What are your favorites?

This is just a look into what I’m loving. What are some things you are loving this week?

Categories
Fabulous living

Book and Planner Review: When Less Becomes More and the 2020 Simplified Planner

Happy Wednesday! I donā€™t know about you, but one of my favorite ways to unwind after a busy day at work or a great way to start my day is with a good book. I am looking to make more time for reading in my day to day life. I always start my day by reading a devotional and journaling. Now, I want to start incorporating reading a bit every night to wind down. 

Last November, Emily Ley launched her third book, ā€œWhen Less Becomes Moreā€, If you have been following for a while, you know that I love Emily Ley, her planners, books, and her mission. I have really made an effort to bring simplicity into my life and it has ultimately made me more balanced, calmer, and I lead a more purposeful life with it. 

My new favorite heading into 2020

Now, onto the book review. I remember Emily sharing with her followers the process of writing her new book and I couldnā€™t wait to dive in. 

The whole book is about how sometimes less is more and we can be happier in life when we arenā€™t distracted all the time and pulled in different directions. She breaks the book down in 10 areas where we can make the choice to live simpler lives and not be stretched so thin that we arenā€™t living fulfilling lives. 

I started reading the book right when it came out, which coincided with my upcoming college graduation. I was at a time in my life where I was balancing classes, being very involved with school and campus, working, applying and interviewing for jobs and ultimately being spread too thin. Emilyā€™s words about being overcommitted and not overwhelmed resonated with me. Like me, she loved everything that she was doing but felt burnt out. As I made my way through her book, I came to the realization that we have the power to make changes in our lives to lead happier and purposeful lives and thatā€™s something Iā€™m working on in this new stage of my life. Making time for things that matter to me and cultivating friendships and relationships that bring me only joy and allow me to grow. 

Without fearing of being too dramatic, reading Emilyā€™s new book came at the perfect time for me and it changed my life. I strongly recommend reading this book and Emilyā€™s other books as well. You can see my reviews of A Simplified Life here or what I learned about Grace Not Perfection here.

This year, I also decided to buy one of Emilyā€™s signature simplified planners. I purchased this one here. When I started a new job, I wanted to start on the right foot with getting organized. What I love about the Simplified planner is that you can use it however you want, for classes, meetings, to do lists, meal planning. There are so many ways to use it. 

New 2020 Planner

Iā€™m going to break it down for how I use I best for my schedule and life. 

I first use the month calendar for when I work, have appointments, events. I have it colored coordinated for work and personal, the same colors for the calendar on my phone. 

Full month calendar

For the day to day set up, I have what days I work, the times I work, and what things I worked on each day, then I have a to-list for each day. My days off is when I have longer to-do lists but I still like to see what I need to do every day. 

Day to day calendar

I like having all my information in one area that I always have with me and not in several different spots. 

Having a planner saves me time and makes my life run smoother, two things that Emily Ley is a big advocate for. 

Thatā€™s just a quick look into how I am starting off the new year and the mentality for the upcoming year.