2019 is upon us and calendars, planners, and planning are the hot topic. Am I right?!
Are you working on your 2019 calendar? I will be soon. There’s something about the feel and smell of a new planner. #love
It’s a clean slate and fresh new start to the upcoming year. Dreaming big. Anything is possible.
Part of my planning process includes copying over important dates to the new calendar as well as scheduling and penciling in as many dates as I can so that I don’t have to worry about it throughout the year. It’s so easy to forget about these items until its too late or they get lost in the day-to-day activities of life + work. This planning time is a moment I treasure.
Why do I do this?
100% – Organization! Having a calendar helps me visualize my day, month and year ahead. It’s my roadmap to what the year will look like.
What do I include on my calendar?
I like to start with the basics: birthdays, anniversaries, first and last day of school, school holidays, etc. While that’s a good place to start, I do like to go a little deeper. My goal is to have routine appointments, time out of the office and business related dates on the calendar as well.
By going through this process, I feel less anxious about not knowing when something is taking place. I am more prepared when I do my annual and quarterly planning, I know when I can/cannot take calls with potential clients or when to schedule strategic intensives.
It paints a pretty clear picture of where there is capacity for other personal, work, and life activities.
Now, I understand that not everyone enjoys the planning process as much as I do. However, I want you to realized that by taking the time to do this activity will help keep your mind from being scattered. Instead, you will be more focused, organized and productive.
If we don’t make it a point to schedule something, it probably won’t happen. It’s not the end of the world, but when you know what needs to be scheduled, why not just do it now to save some time (and headache) in the future?
So, go ahead and grab your favorite writing utensils, your favorite beverage, that brand new planner and start filling it in!
Hopefully, this list gives you a starting point or even something new to add that you haven’t already thought of.
Happy Planning!
Let me know … what items do you add to your calendar at the beginning of the year? What items did I miss that you think should be included?