Prepare for 2017
The Common Experience
If you’re like the average person in society today, you are excited for the new year to come. The new year signifies a time for us to receive a “fresh start” to another chapter of our lives. Along with this transition comes New Year’s resolutions, which start on January 1st and end around February. We have all been there at one point. Ambition is high and strong coming into the year, but then reality hits. Responsibilities pile up and the “personal me time” we have set aside every day to read a book or to go the gym takes the backseat.
The Problem
The problem with the new year is that we wait for it to come to then begin changing our behaviors. We do all of the hard work and grinding to set ourselves up for our resolutions in the first half of January. Then, mid-January we actually start making progress towards our goal which soon dies out as we go through February.
The Solution to the Problem
As someone who has experienced what I mentioned above way too often, I reached out to the higher education community which is comprised of thousands of student affairs professionals working at colleges. I asked the community what they found to be the best methods for promoting productivity and holding themselves accountable. Below are the variety of resources I received from those who commented on my post. So to answer the question:
The key to reaching your goals is to be intentional about them by starting to plan for your next chapter NOW. December is the time of the year where you are in your “preparation phase” for your new year. Set goals and develop a plan NOW so when 2017 starts, YOU ARE READY TO GO!
Enough chit-chat, it’s time to go to work!
PHYSICAL PRODUCTS
Passion Planner ($) --> An all-in-one weekly appointment calendar, journal, goal setting guide, and to-do list log integrated into one planner.
Create Your Own: Bullet Journals --> Simplified journal that you can create yourself to get things done.
Day Designer Planner ($) --> Planner that allows you to achieve balance in life by strategically planning with all work and personal tasks.
Commit30 Calendar ($) --> Calendar that focuses on accomplishing your goals within 30 day increments
One-Line-A Day Journals --> Sum up your day in one line whether that’s on your lesson learned for the day or focusing on something positive! All you need is a pen and a journal of your choosing!
ONLINE / APPS
Evernote --> Essentially an online notebook that allows you to take and store notes and organize them as you please. You can also sync multiple devices to your Evernote account to access these notes anywhere.
Google Keep --> Similar to Google Calendar, Google Keep syncs directly with your phone (so long as you download the app) and allows you to easily store your notes (either by typing or speaking into your phone) via to-do lists and photos within the app. Pin the app to your lock screen to allow for easy accessibility
Google Calendar --> Schedule reminders and “to-do” items in your google calendar, utilize google calendar on your phone (automatically syncs together) and allow your notifications to keep you on track. Phone App, goals function
PEOPLE
Accountability Partners --> Team up with someone who you know will be able to check-in with you on a weekly basis so that you both can discuss your progress towards your individual goals.
Find a Mentor --> Reach out to someone close who you feel may be the person you need to keep you motivated. Ask them if they would be willing to assist you with making progress with your goals. Simply by talking with them it may help to process what it is you need to do next.
Create a Group --> Go on Facebook messenger, GroupMe, iMessage, etc. and start a group with people who are all motivated and are on the same wavelength that you are. This will serve as your “Motivation Crew” as you begin to accomplish your objectives for the year
If you have any questions about any of these resources or if you'd like to work out a plan for the new year, feel free to reach out!
LETS MAKE 2017 THE BEST CHAPTER YET!!!