If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail

No matter what your goal is, if you want to give yourself the best chance of accomplishing it, you need to plan. Without a plan, your goal is just a pipedream. You may want to accomplish it, but you aren’t taking it seriously.

Why are you much more likely to fail at your goals if you don’t plan them and write them down? There are several reasons.

Planning Your Goal Solidifies It

Once you put your goal down on paper, that goal immediately becomes more serious to you. It’s a simple action, but it works. It goes from something you’re thinking about doing to a legitimate goal that you’re focused on achieving.

It also helps you clarify your goal and enables you to remind yourself of your goal at any time. When you don’t have a goal written down, it’s easy to change it halfway there. It’s all in your head at that point, anyway, so what’s to stop you from deciding that you’re close enough? Writing it down will help you keep your eyes on the prize.

Planning Your Goal Gives You a Path to Follow

With a long-term goal, such as losing weight, finding a new job, or finishing your degree, you’ll need planning so you know which steps you should take to accomplish it. When you plan your goal, you can break down the process that you’ll need to follow.

Let’s say that your goal is to get your bachelor’s degree in business. If you just set that as your goal and start taking classes, you’re less likely to succeed, because you probably don’t know off the top of your head which classes you need to complete and what the prerequisites are for each one. With planning, you can figure out the graduation requirements and then put together a plan for which classes you’ll take and in what order.

Planning Helps You Find Potential Issues

Going after a goal is rarely as simple as going from point A to point B. There are obstacles along the way that can throw you off track, especially if you haven’t prepared for them. It’s much easier to handle an issue when you’ve already anticipated it than when you haven’t, as in the latter scenario, you’ll end up scrambling to find a solution.

Planning Helps You Prioritize

If you’re like most people, you probably have quite a few goals that you want to accomplish, with some that are far more important than others. When you start planning your goals, you can decide which ones matter most to you, and which ones aren’t a priority right now. If you don’t want to take the time to plan a goal, it’s a safe assumption that it isn’t very important to you, and you should put it on the backburner so you can focus on goals that are.

Planning Boosts Productivity

Want to get more done during the day? Then you need to plan. People who don’t plan often wonder where the time went at the end of the day, as they didn’t get much done. When you plan, you know what you need to do, so it just becomes a matter of execution.

How much do your goals matter to you? If they’re important, then they deserve your full attention, and that means you need to plan them. One excellent tool to help you plan your goals is a daily planner STARTplanner. There are plenty of different options available through STARTplanner, so you can find one that fits your style and needs.

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Planning a Stress Free Wedding -How To Do It

While a wedding is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, the planning and time leading up to the big day can be one of the most stressful times of your life. Enjoying the planning phase of the wedding is sometimes as rewarding as having a great wedding day. Here are some helpful tips to make the planning of your wedding less stressful and more enjoyable.

After the engagement has been announced, the planning will begin. The very first thing you should do is purchase a Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. This can be purchased online at www.startplanner.com. This will be your best friend during the wedding planning. You should write everything down in your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner and keep it with you at all times. You never know when you will need to refer to your planner.

It is important to remember that the day is about you and your fiance. Wait, no its about you the bride...This is not about the likes and dislikes of your family or friends. This is about you. While we all want to please everyone, we can't. The opinions of your close family and friends may be helpful.

However, these are just opinions and suggestions. You should only use these as helpful suggestions and not requirements. To make sure you know what you want for your wedding, you can write down some notes in your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. There are different sections for each aspect of the wedding so that you can keep your thoughts and ideas organized. If you have your ideas written down then you can be clear in what you want. It will then be easier to stick to what you want and not give in to the opinions of your family and friends.

To help make family and friends feel important and involved in the wedding planning, you can assign them projects to do. There will likely be many different projects going on during the planning phase. You can keep all of these projects organized in your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. You will be able to write down each step of the project, when the project needs to be completed, and who is completing the project.

A very stressful aspect of wedding planning is finances. Often times a family member will be contributing to the cost of the wedding. It is important to be very clear on your finances from the very beginning. The Happily Hitched Wedding Planner is going to be a great asset for finances as well. You can use the planner to make your budget as well as to keep track of who is contributing what. This will help to ensure that you stay on or under budget throughout the planning process.

While planning any big event can be stressful, it is important to keep the ultimate goal in mind. For your wedding, the ultimate goal is a special day for you and your fiance to celebrate your love and to start your life together. Make sure to make the day about you, remain calm, and stay organized by using your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. By following these steps, the planning will be enjoyable and your special day will be all you ever wanted it to be.

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How Do I Get More Done At Work? Plan Your Business Week Out In Advance

It is common practice for business professionals to rush to the office first thing Monday morning to get a jump on their activities and plans for the week. Diving head first into your projects and activities may seem like a smart idea that would lead to improved productivity, but a better idea may be to plan out your week by creating a daily schedule.

It only takes a few minutes to plan out key to-do items, special meetings and more for the week, and this effect can result in significant benefits. In fact, you can enjoy each of these benefits you when you spend a few minutes planning out and visualizing your week in advance.

Reduced Stress

For some people, stress levels are high at the beginning of the week when you think about everything you need to get done during the work. There may be a mad cramming session for the first few days of the week to get everything done followed by a lull of relative inactivity. On the other hand, some people may ease into their week by taking it easy on Monday, but you may pay for this day of inactivity later in the week when you have mountains of to-do items pending and less time to complete them in. You can easily reduce your stress level throughout the week by planning to do a little each day and by prioritizing the most urgent items first.

Greater Productivity

As you might well know, when you rush through projects either at the beginning or end of the week, there is good chance that you will need to revise the shoddy, rushed work that you did. This means that you may take more time to get the project done than it would have taken if you had done it right. In addition, you have down periods when you do not schedule your time when you have very few things to do. These are all factors that can impact productivity. By planning your week out, you can ensure that you are productive each day. 

A Balanced Life

Many people have both personal and professional responsibilities and activities that demand their attention. By planning your week out, you can pencil in doctor’s and dental points or other personal items so that they are not crammed into an already busy workday. You can also reduce the chance that you have to stay at work playing catch-up when you really should be at home with your family and friends in the evening.

Fewer Last Minute Activities

When you fail to create a schedule for the week, there is a good chance that you will overlook important to-do items. For example, you may get swamped working on a project you left until the last minute, and you may entirely forget about an important meeting. This can create a great deal of stress, rushing around and the need to re-schedule some items if possible. This ultimately can cost you time and can make your life miserable.

Scheduling your activities for the week on both a personal and professional level can help you to stay organized. This effort may be completed Friday afternoon before you leave for the weekend or first thing Monday morning for the best results.

It can ensure that you are productive rather evenly throughout the week rather than feeling excessively burdened on a specific day. It also helps you to avoid overlooking important tasks that demand your attention and can help you to balance your life. If you are not currently scheduling your life in a daily planner, make an effort to bring this change into your life. 

Want to crush it? Pick up our Fancy Pants, Hustle Or Legit Planners to get you on the right track.

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Everyone Has A Game Plan.. Until They Get Punched In The Mouth

The title of this article will likely sound familiar to anyone who followed boxing in the 80s or 90s, as it was one of the most famous quotes of one of the most famous boxers in history, Iron Mike Tyson. When Tyson said it, he was referring to how a boxer could come in to a fight with a plan, one hard punch was all it took to make them forget about that plan and go into survival mode. This was especially true for Tyson’s opponents, as he ranks among the most powerful punchers of all time.

That quote doesn’t just apply to boxing; it applies to life. Things rarely go according to plan, but one way you can roll with the punches is by writing down your goals and referring to them when the going gets tough.

The Power of Written Goals

Writing down your goals serves multiple purposes. The first is that just by writing something down, you give it more importance in your mind. You make it a priority in your life, so you’re more likely to follow through on it. Otherwise, it’s just a daydream.

Where written goals really come in handy, though, is when you experience setbacks that threaten to take you off course. Fortunately, you aren’t going to be getting in the ring with Tyson, but there are still going to be challenges along the way that stand in the way of accomplishing your goals.

Let’s say that your goal is to lose 15 pounds and run the mile in under seven minutes. Ideally, the plan is for you to gradually drop the weight and decrease your mile time until you reach your goals. But then you sprain your ankle and can’t run for the next two weeks. You’re off track, now, and it would be easy to forget about your goals.

When you have those goals written down, you can look at them every day and keep your eyes on the prize, even if you aren’t able to follow your original game plan. By staying focused on your goals, you’ll find ways to adjust and continue going after them. Maybe you find that you can use an elliptical machine or ride a stationary bike in the meantime, until you heal. Looking at your written goals can be a great motivational tactic when the going gets tough.

How to Set And Write Your Goals

There are plenty of great options to write your goals at STARTplanner. Not only can you set goals, but you can also record your progress every day, ensuring that you stay on track. You want to keep track of your fitness goals, nutrition goals as well as your work and lifestyle goals.

The key with writing goals is to make them specific. Notice how in the example above, the goal wasn’t just to “get in better shape.” Better shape means different things to different people, and it’s hard to go after a vague goal.

You won’t even know when you’re there, because your standard could easily change. If your goal is to make more money, how much more do you want to make? Will you be happy if you find an extra dollar, or do you want to bump your salary up $10,000 this year? Make sure every goal you write is specific and you’re clear on how you can reach it.

Start with setting your main goal, and then figure out how you can achieve that goal, step by step. If you experience setbacks along the way, adjust your plan so you can handle them and continue making progress. To find planners that are specifically designed for writing goals, check out the STARTplanner Hustle collection.

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Pen and Paper for a Better Digital Strategy

In order to be successful with social media and blog content, setting up a routine can keep you on track. Running a blog and social media account uses multiple tasks, and it's easy to get lost when trying to maintain each. A strategy can organize multiple platforms along with the date, time and item to post.

We exist in a digital world where there's an app for everything. It's assumed that the pen or pencil and paper are no longer useful when planning. However, people still find these tools useful today. They even integrate a paper planning method with an onscreen calendar app to keep track of their goals and to-do lists.

With the correct printable social media planning tools, the essential tasks can be listed and keep you ahead in the social engagement game. The perfect product will centralize each task for the week in one visual spot. In addition, it will include an area for goals, posts, and platforms. The START Content and Social Media Planner happens to address all these needs. All you need is a printer and pen to get those tasks organized.

Content for The Day Already Planned

An effective social media campaign requires a day-to-day strategy. Each day must be filled with unique content that conveys your message as well as inspires and entices your audience. Whether it's a video, meme or article, all content must be assigned for the day. This takes the guess-work out of the equation. By planning ahead, you free up time to use towards other tasks.

Setting Monthly and Weekly Goals

Successful implementation of a campaign takes advanced time and thought. Meaning just posting as the day comes will not contribute to your social media and content. Instead, think of the top goal of your blog and social media accounts. These goals should include content, audience and platform type. Once you've developed that, it's easier to lay plans for each month and week that stay true to your main goal.

Keep Track of Special Content and Events

Not all content is the same. Each blog post serves a unique purpose in furthering your social engagement goals. You must also plan for special types of blog and social media posts, like giveaways and partner content. With a suitable strategy, you can develop the content and prizes all in one place. The START Content and Social Media Planner even has a section that keeps track of such posts from start to finish.

Adapt to Your Needs

The sheet is versatile and can be part of more than one type of planning method. If you're solo or part of a team, it can be used in various ways. It's easily readable and searchable for anyone who uses it. This printable PDF can either be used as a collaborative tool or be a part of the brainstorming process.

A proper strategy will make your social media and content goals run smoothly. A content planning printable, along with a pen or pencil, can help organize your posts and content. With this one page PDF, you are able to stay ahead with the START Content and Social Media Planner.

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Start Organizing Your Life with STARTplanner

Life is busy. Most of the time it's too busy. Whether you are a mom, a career woman, both, or something else entirely, it is hard to keep all of the balls in the air. STARTplanner has a fabulous solution to help organize your life and keep you on track. The Hustle weekly planner is filled with specialized material for every aspect of your daily, weekly, and monthly needs.

Goals and Plans
At the beginning of your planner are sections to define your goals and plans. These can be lifetime, yearly, monthly, etc. This is an area for you to lay out some guidelines for yourself to have a place to start the planning. There are helpful sections that give you tips on goal planning as well. Do not be overwhelmed! You can jot down a few broad ideas then go back anytime and fill in more. Also, each month features mini-goal sections to help you stay on target.

Monthly Overview
In this section, you get the entire month's calendar in one larger view. This is helpful when looking at bigger picture planning, like trying to decide a good time to take a vacation or see when your child has Spring Break. If you are a business traveler, you may need to check times when you are out of town. The monthly overview gives you a good look at the whole picture.

Weekly and Daily Breakdown
Every month has it's own tab where there are breakdowns for each week and the individual days. On the spread you will see columns for Sunday through Saturday. You have a section for all of the daily activities, notes, goals, water intake, meal planning, budgeting, and more. It's hard to believe you have so many tools in one space.

Other Fabulous Features
The Hustle weekly planner has a budget section designed to keep you financially in check. You write in the goals for each month and then the actual expenses and savings for each month. This makes it very easy to see where any spending is happening that needs to be curbed or lets you know if you are staying the course. Another great feature is a spread that details mini-goals, health check, grocery list, and card/gift list. This is a monthly inclusion to continue to keep you organized and following the goals you have set. It is also a place to jot the items you need to pick up from the store and to quickly see who has upcoming events that require cards or gifts. There is even a handy pocket in the front of your planner to hold that birthday card until you get to the post office to mail!

STARTplanner has thoughtfully designed the Hustle weekly planner to meet every need in organizing your life to decrease stress and increase efficiency. As a bonus, the planner is as beautiful as it is functional. Start your planner journey today for an easier tomorrow.

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How To Stay Sane While Planning Your Rescue [Happily Hitched Wedding Planner]

We've all heard the blissful engagement stories: rose petals scattered in the sand, romantic starlight adding to the atmosphere of the occasion, a hired photographer catching the memories and the exhilarated smiles of the couple lighting up the venue.

On the other hand, we've all cringed at the distressing stories that can shatter such a special time: wedding planning begins, chaos ensues, stress levels rise, patience is tested and the bride and groom arrive at their wedding feeling nothing but relief that the horrid planning period is over. However, you can stay sane and enjoy your engagement thanks to STARTplanner's Happily Hitched Wedding Planner.

First, this quality wedding planner keeps you sane with its beautiful design. The cover boasts a modern and sophisticated white and gray pattern accentuated by embossed gold type. Each divider matches in pattern, color and embossed font. Additionally, its size is perfect to carry in your hand, bag or purse and weighs just over one pound. Its sturdy construction and quality materials allow it to stand up to the most intensive wedding planning. Not only is this a useful tool, but it's trendy and cute, too!

Next, keep your sanity thanks to the Happily Hitched Wedding Planner's layout. Four embossed tabbed dividers condense the details into simple, manageable categories: Goals, Projects, Financials and Plans. What's more, each divider features a pocket to keep relevant clippings, articles or samples handy. No more losing the business card of your seamstress or wedding singer! The 122-page planner also features a Quick Reference Guide which is an easy-to-find place to write the finalized location, address and time of your rehearsal, ceremony and reception.

When you take a more in-depth look at just how those tabbed categories can help keep you sane, you find they are full of useful tools. For instance, the Goals section helps you and your loved one set your expectations and dreams for the special day. One checklist suggests you set a budget and create a wedding website 12 months before your wedding date; it continues through a timeline to help you make sure you are not late in scheduling anything for your big day.

The Projects category includes a place to delegate helpers to make DIY projects or to complete other must-have projects by specific due dates. In the Financials division, breathe easily as the guide helps you stay on budget. It includes an estimated and actual cost of each wedding detail. Use the Plans section to organize everything from an engagement party and shower to your well-deserved honeymoon and changing of your last name. Throughout the four sections, checklists and timelines keep you organized.

Please do not be one of those brides who resorts to hysteria or anger as she strives to plan a perfect wedding. Rather than driving your loved ones away during this special time, draw closer to them as you make preparations for your happily ever after. Allow the Happily Hitched Wedding Planner to help make your engagement a joyous and fun-filled time, full of memories and keepsakes.

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