How I use it: Part 2

Let's talk a little more about the goal book.

If you have no idea what I am talking about,
start here,
then go here.

Is this a perfect system?
No.
Is there a perfect system?
I don't think so.
Do I have this one figured out?
Nope.
I'm still learning.
I find new ways to use it every day.
That is why I left everything unlabeled.
Life is unpredictable.
You are going to change your direction and goals and desires.  Hopefully as you change, you are coming closer to whom you are meant to be.

Let me give you a quick example of how one of my life goals changed.

I am a "ranner".  Meaning, I used to run.
I ran a lot.
It was definitely a passion.
I ran until the day I delivered on every one of my pregnancies.
I started running a week after each delivery (I only waited a week because the doctor told me I had to).
I loved it.
I needed it.
One of my life goals was to run for the rest of my life.
And to be good at it.
I was training for my first marathon.
My mileage was starting to get pretty significant.
My pace was getting quicker.
I was feeling great.
Then it happened.
I felt a little pain in my knee.
At first, I thought no big deal.
I kept running.
Then I decided I better take a break...
I had no idea how long that break would be.
To make a long story short,
My "no big deal" injury ended up being rather significant.
I was told I would never run again (I choose not believe that).
I have since had 2 knee surgeries.  (One involving sawing a bone and screwing it back in.)
It has been over 2 years since I have ran even a step.
This was a huge trial for me.
I know it seems so insignificant.
It's just running.
But it was important to me.
It even had a spot in my goal book.
That aspect of my life had to change.
New goals have evolved.
New passions have developed.
Does that mean that all my hard work was wasted?
Absolutely not.
Writing those goals down,
working towards them,
and seeing success,
made me stronger.

Even if you change your mind,
the process of working towards something has helped you to become more.

Don't be afraid to write it down.
Just start somewhere.

The way this is set up, you can rip out pages and print out some new ones.  Or keep the old ones to remind you of what you tried, and put new ones next to it.  You are in charge.

How I use it: Part 2

My mom sent me a bunch of fun pens.
I love pens.
I use them.

If that is not your thing, don't worry!  Colorful doodles are included...

This week I need to focus on exercise.  I have a Dr. appointment in a few weeks.  I need to make sure that I am really strengthening my knee and leg muscles.  I still have a lot of atrophy...that happens way to fast!  I'm using those small boxes to keep track of what I do.  Each box is  a day of the week.  Each day better have something in it!  I'm planning on changing from a "ranner" to a "runner" this year...

I have some projects that I want to work on this week.  I put a circle by each project.  When I get them done, I'm going to give myself a star.  I don't know why I like those stars!  There is something so satisfying about putting a star by an accomplishment.  Way better than a check mark!  Try it...you will see!

What about all those little tasks that need to get done?

Do the Laundry.

Dust the book shelves.

Mop the floors.

Make that phone call.

Write that email.

Blah, blah, blah.

I made some check lists. 

These little pages are meant for things that need to get done.

Tasks are a necessary part of life.

That is never going to change.

I paper clip them to the top of my week.

If they don't all get done this week,

I move them to next week.

I made half page sheets, 

and quarter page sheets.

There are lines with circles to star (or check, if you are a checker, or x if you are an x-er...),

just lines,

and blank sheets.

You can use them as check lists,

idea catchers,

journal sheets, 

shopping lists, etc.

Once again, you are the boss.

These are all hand drawn and they are in color and black and white.

You can buy the packs at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Half page here.

Quarter page here.

They are saved as PNG files and PDF.  You can print one at a time or you can print a whole sheet.  You can either cut them out or hole punch them.  Whatever works best for you.

If you are hesitant to join TPT,

don't be!

It is completely free.

There are so many teachers and parents who are members of the site.

There are sellers and buyers.

You would not believe the wonderful resources you can get from TPT. 

So many of them are free.

It is a fantastic resource.

It is totally worth the few minutes it takes to sign up.

Having a goal book has been so important for my life.  It makes such a difference to find purpose and work towards that purpose. I read this great article from Meridian Magazine called "7 enemies to Reaching Your Potential."  You can read it here.

It explains exactly why a goal book is so important.  I really feel so strongly about this.  That is why I put this together and made it available to anyone.  In the article it gives staggering statistics!  He says that according to youtube stats, 1037 years of youtube are watched per day!  Per day!  That is mind boggling.  Let's not contribute to those statistics.  Let do something with our life!  Don't let anything stop you from reaching your potential.

Get to work!

It is so much fun.

I promise.

How I use it. Part 1.

In my last post I introduced my new book.  In this post I am going tell you a little bit about how I use that book.

First of all, this goal book isn't supposed to make you feel overwhelmed or like a failure.  It is far too easy to feel that way.  I know that some people look at something like this and think, "oh great, another thing for me to fail at".  Or, it may just seem plain tedious.  That is not how I want you to feel when you look at this book. It is meant to give you a place to write down what you are aiming for.  It is a place to write it down, cross it off, change it, decide differently, whatever you want.   I made it as a way to inspire myself and hopefully others. 

Think about this.  If your life was written down in a book, what would you want it to look like? 

This can be that book.

 I know that this life is a journey.  

Journey is defined as a  "passage from one place to another" (Noah Webster 1820 dictionary). 

This life is  a time for us to discover where our journey is going to take us.  We must discover who we are and what we are meant for.  We all have a purpose.  I know from my own experiences that I have to make a plan to find that purpose.  I use my goal book to hash that out.  I have gone through years of making huge plans and accomplishing maybe only one or part of one of those huge plans.  But I made a plan and I didn't forget that I had something I was working towards.  I have had many days that I know I just have to get through the day.  But I wrote in my goal book to be patient and kind on that day.  So I get through the day and the thing that I remember the most is that I did it with patience and kindness (even if I had to fake that patience and kindness...).

The point is, you are  recognizing that you make a difference.  What you do makes a difference.  You are taking responsibility for those things.  You get to actually see your accomplishments and your failures, and learn from them.

How I use my goal book, Part 1:

Get a binder.

This is one that I already had.  I got it from target.  They have some really fun designs.

Put the title page and all of your dividers into page protectors.  I find that if I don't do this, they tear out because I am flipping through them so frequently.  

It also makes it easier to put tabs in my book.  I buy either already printed sticky tabs or sticky tabs that I put my own labels into.  Then I just stick them on the page protectors.

What are year goals?

Obviously it is going to be different for everyone.

Here is what they are to me.

There are certain things that I want to see happen in my life.  They are big things.  I call them my life goals.  I know that I cannot accomplish those things in a day or quite possibly, not even in this life time.  So I divide them into incrementally smaller goals.  My year goals are set to help me accomplish those big time life goals.

For example, I want to know Christ better.  Here is one of my all time favorite quotes:

"We must know Christ better than we know him; 

we must remember him more often than we remember him; 

we must serve him more valiantly than we serve him...

What manner of men and women ought we to be? Even as he is."

Ezra Taft Benson

That is a lifetime goal.

During the year, I pick books that I want to read that will help me get a little closer to that goal.

I decide the steps that I am going to take.

I write it down.

Another life time goal is to be the mother that my children need me to be.

Right now a big part of that is home schooling them.

My year goal is figuring out what works best for us.

I make steps

I write it down.

As you can see, I don't fill up those pages right away.

I like to really ponder on what it is I want to accomplish.

It takes time.

Now I can take those goals and break them down into what I will do during the month.

The arrow boxes may include a project I want to get done or a lesson I want to plan.

I like to have a box that I keep track of the books that I read during the month.

I also like to have a box that I write down things the kids say or do.  Or thoughts that I may have for them.

My calendar is just that, a calendar.

Each calendar has a motivational saying at the top.

Here are some examples.

I have one doodle circle on the calendar with a box in it.  I often have a goal that I must see done that month.  I want to see it as often as possible.  I write that goal in my circle and when I do it, I put a huge star in the box.

On to my weekly goals.

I have the same motivational thoughts on all of the weekly goal pages.

"Be joyful.  Be still.  Be pure.  Be thoughtful.  Be brilliant.  Be thankful.  Be graceful.  Be funny.  Be crazy.  Be diligent.  Be honest.  Be humble.  Be kind.  Be more." 

"There are seven days in the week and someday isn't one of them".

Once again, I break down my month goals and see what I can do during the week.
I have a place for daily or more than once a week goals.
These can be things like studying your scriptures, exercising, drinking water, reading a book, being patient (can you tell that is important to me...), waking up at a certain time, or even not doing something, like "don't have negative thoughts".  I like to put a star on each day that I do each goal.  Sometimes I have stars on all the days, sometimes just one day.  Either way, I feel like I have learned something and made a positive step.

There is an empty doodle circle that I write down something I want to memorize.
I want to have inspiring thoughts running through my head.  I try to find something short and sweet.  I may even keep the same thought for the whole month.

The empty rectangle is a character trait that I want to work on.  My mom gave us a family home evening years ago.  It was about something that Benjamin Franklin did in his life.  He was always working on a character trait.  I'll write more detail about that another time.  Ever since my mom taught us this lesson, I have tried to do the same.  It is amazing the difference it makes to have those traits on my mind.

On the right side of the weekly goals, I write down the steps I am taking that week to work towards my monthly goals (which you will remember are linked to my year goals and ultimately my life goals).   For example: What am I doing for school?  What am I doing to know the Savior better?  It also has things like, write thank you notes, or take a field trip.  If I find a quote that inspires me, I will write it down.  It can be a to do list (although I am making an insert specifically for that), or a space to make some journal entries.  I did not label any boxes on purpose.  Everyone creates their own life.  You decide what those boxes are for.

I feel like doing this for my life each year has helped me to get to know myself and my potential a little bit better.  I have learned more about my weaknesses and my strengths.  I have learned a little bit more about what happens when I expect too much of myself or too little of myself.  I am still learning.  I know that I will be learning for the rest of my life. I am a work in progress.  Progress being the key word.

That is the point.

I want to be an active learner.
I want to be an active participant in my life.

This is how I do it.

The Book of Aim Zing

I have put my heart and soul into this book.
It is pages and pages of sketching and doodling.

It is one of a kind.
It is bright.
It is inspiring.
It is ready!

For years and years I have put together a goal book for me and my mom.  Every year I think I have it just right.  Some how I always find a way to change it and evolve it into a "better" version.  This year I wanted to make a book that  included all of the changes that I have made through the years that have made it just a little bit closer to the "perfect" goal book.

I wanted there to be a lot of boxes.

Boxes for doodling.
Boxes for quotes.
Boxes for thoughts.
Boxes for things to do.
Boxes for things the kids say and do.

I wanted there to be a lot of color.
I wanted there to be order.
I wanted motivational words on the pages.

I wanted it to be something that others would want to use.
I want you to be inspired.
I want you to use this book to change your life.

Become a lover a life.

Introducing:

The Book of Aim Zing

Wait for it...

This book with give you a place to "Aim".  You can use as much or as little "Zing" as your heart desires.

Make your life amazing ("aimzing"...get it?  I totally rocked that title.)

I think one of my favorite parts is the Cover page.  I love how it came together.  I totally gave myself a lot of pats on the pack and air high fives.  I might have even given myself a fist bump.  Yep.  I'm a nerd.  Oh wait, I'm giving myself a thumbs up right now.  Yep.  I am truly a nerd.

The Quote at the beginning.  Because I love pretty word art.  

More pretty words.

Dividers.

Goals for the year.

Calendars.

Planner.

This planner is set up so that you make all the decisions.

I didn't put any labels on any boxes.

You decide what you want those boxes to be.

I gave this planner a lot of  "aim".

It is up to you to put your own "zing" into it.

What do you want to do with your life this year?

Do you want to have purpose?

Do you want to have aim and a place to put that aim?

If so, then this is for you.

186 pages of awesome-ness.

You can get it at my teacherspayteachers store.

HERE!!!!!

If you are not a member of TPT you should be!  It is such a fantastic resource.  It is free to sign up and you get to be a part of this great community where parents and teachers are seeking to better our children.  Parents and teachers work really hard to offer a variety of handouts and resources.  Anyone can be a part of it!  There are so many free things to choose from too.  If you make comments you get credits that can go towards any purchases you make.  Pretty cool!

Don't step around

I have this goal.

I want to see how many days in a row,

I can study and ponder the scriptures.

Not just read them.

I want to really know what the Lord is teaching me.

I always feel so determined when I start.

I usually put a day 1.

Then a day 2.

And I might get all the way to day 4.

Then I miss a day or 2.

So I don't write day anything.

Then I miss a few months,

because I have spent them in UT, and didn't have the room to bring all my scripture study equipment.

So I write a smallish day 1,

and start the cycle all over again.

I'm trying to get back into a rhythm.

I was reading 1 Nephi chapter 19.

Verse 7 says:

I am not a trampler.

I know what is of great worth to me and my family,

both body and soul.

I don't trample...

I was talking to Brian about this scripture and he said:

"Don't step around them either"

My husband says some profound things.

Some.

And this was one of them.

I don't trample.

But I might do some stepping around.

Guess what.

I got sick.

I missed a few days...again.

But I'm not discouraged.

Here is to another day 1!