I never planned...
I had this immature theory, back in my 20's, that planning was useless. It was backed up by the volatile nature of life, a lot of fear and huge and painful loss.
I recall it starting to take form - my theory - the year that followed a Christmas my mother, my mother's mother and sisters were excited about the idea of planning a family reunion in the States the Christmas that was to follow. We were living in Portugal then. That same year, my grandmother fell ill and passed away. It was the first time I had lost someone so close and so dear. I couldn't fully process it. I couldn't stop thinking about the plan, either.
I felt paralyzed. More than being done with planning, I just couldn't bring myself to doing it at all. In the years that followed, I'd find myself saying "I don't know." quite a lot in regards to committing to anything (big or small) set more than a couple weeks in advance. This was over 20 years ago, and these days, I wish I had been better at planning.
With age and kids of your own, planning is crucial and, for me, always work in progress; it doesn't come easy and it really needs to be made a priority by consistently reminding myself of my plans and goals. I'm a doer, after all, so if only I could be a better planner...
Alan Lakein said, “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” From a personal need to understand what keeps you on track and showing up to lay the groundwork and act on it to get closer to your goals and that future you envision for yourself and the ones you love, I put together a printable planner (and, I put everything I had learned about planning to use!).
In the process, my main finding from it all is that we tend to achieve our goals when they are strongly aligned with our beliefs; with what’s truly important to us and with where our values lie.
(My Life’s) Goal Planner was created with this in mind, to help you reflect and be reminded of who you are and what your ultimate purpose is, the "why" in why you bother to show up and get the job done.
I've illustrated it with notes to help you take care, stay inspired and excited about getting your thoughts and ideas out of your head and into the world as its pages prompt you to fill them in with mindful notes and take action each day while reassuring you that your life is your own to create.
From today through Valentine's Day, you can get My Life's Goal Planner in my Etsy for 6.56 USD. That's 20 % off the 13-page printable planner, including journaling pages, you can use all year, every year, as they are customizable. You can also enjoy 20 % other self-care reminder prints and activity sheets in the shop.
There are so many reasons to start planning and while the best time to do so was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.
So... go grab your planner in Lush Pink Floral or Blue Fun and make this one precious life of yours happen!
xo,
Christine
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