Searching for "how to stand out at work"

Functional Planning

The Secret to Consistent Functional Planning

Do you have a planner, goals, and priorities, but find yourself struggling to use your planner consistently? You’re not alone. Without a consistent planning routine, it’s easy to feel like you’re treading water, making little progress toward the things that matter most.

Here’s the truth: consistency builds the habit of planning. When you plan regularly, you not only remember more tasks and details, but you also become more organized and efficient with how you spend your time.

Planning doesn’t mean you need to structure every minute of your day, but it does mean identifying your priorities, scheduling key tasks, and creating a simple plan to ensure you’re focusing on the areas of your life you’ve intentionally chosen to cultivate.

Let me show you how to develop a consistent planning routine that will help you use your planner effectively, improve your productivity, and achieve your goals with ease.

The Two Essentials for Consistent Planning

If you want to start using your planner consistently to improve your productivity, you’ll need two key things:

1. A Functional Planner
The planner you use matters. Most planners on the market only provide basic tools like yearly reference calendars, monthly spreads, and weekly agendas. While helpful, these inserts represent just a small part of a complete productivity system.

A functional planner is designed to support your planning process from start to finish. It includes all the space and tools you need to:

  • Get your ideas out of your head and onto paper.
  • Prioritize tasks effectively.
  • Organize projects and schedules in a way that’s manageable.

The Charmed Life Master Planner is my planner of choice because it provides a comprehensive system to help you manage your time, tasks, and goals. With tools like Brain Dump Inserts, Project Planning Pages, and Daily and Weekly Agenda Spreads, this planner ensures that everything you need is in one place—no scattered notebooks, no missing pieces.

>> Get your copy of the planner here!

2. Functional Planning Routines
The second essential element is creating consistent planning routines. I sit down to plan almost every single day, but I don’t follow the same process every time. Instead, I use different routines for yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily planning.

These routines allow me to break down my big-picture vision into small, actionable steps that I can tackle each day. By following these routines, I ensure that I stay on track with my goals and always know what to focus on next.

When you combine a functional planner with these routines, you’ll have the tools and structure you need to plan consistently and make meaningful progress toward your goals.

The Essential Functional Planning Routines

Consistency in planning isn’t about spending hours each day with your planner—it’s about following a series of routines that align your goals and priorities with actionable steps. These functional planning routines will help you break down your big-picture vision into manageable pieces so you can stay on track, day by day.

Yearly Planning Routine

Purpose: Set the vision and direction for your year.

You can’t create the life you want unless you know what that life looks like and have a plan to get there. My yearly planning routine focuses on clarifying goals and breaking them into actionable steps.

Here’s what I do:

  • Set my goals for the year.
  • Break larger or longer-term goals into milestones.
  • Define objectives for achieving each goal and assign them to specific quarters or months.
  • Populate my planner with known tasks, events, and due dates.


Quarterly Planning Routine

Purpose: Create a 90-day plan of action and check your progress.

Planning for 90 days at a time gives you enough focus to make progress while staying flexible to adjust your plans as needed.

Here’s what I do:

  • Check progress toward my goals and milestones.
  • Adjust plans to account for obstacles or changes.
  • Generate a quarterly business plan.
  • Populate action plans for the next quarter’s objectives.
  • Allocate tasks to monthly trackers and master task lists.

Monthly Planning Routine

Purpose: Set reasonable expectations for what can be accomplished in a month.

Overloading your monthly to-do list is a recipe for frustration. My monthly routine ensures I have enough time to focus on what matters most.

Here’s what I do:

  • Brain dump new tasks and ideas for the month.
  • Populate my monthly calendar with important dates.
  • Check progress on project plans.
  • Fill in my monthly master task list and tracker.
  • Assign important projects and tasks to specific weeks of the month.

Weekly Planning Routine

Purpose: Outline a schedule to manage tasks and expectations for the week.

The week is the perfect unit of time for time management—168 hours to allocate instead of being constrained by just 24 hours in a day.

Here’s what I do:

  • Get clear on the week’s objectives and priorities.
  • Assign tasks, events, and deadlines across the week.
  • Create a weekly to-do list.
  • Ensure I’ve planned for self-care and other essential habits.
  • Optional but impactful: Check in with key people in my life to align expectations.

Daily Planning Routine

Purpose: Create a prioritized schedule for each day.

At this point, my goals and tasks are already organized, so daily planning becomes about showing up and executing the plan.

Here’s what I do:

  • Review my ideal daily schedule, scheduled items, and weekly to-do list.
  • Assign my top 3 priority tasks for the day.
  • Identify other tasks to work on to fill my time.
  • Leave white space in my schedule for unexpected items or interruptions.

Each of these routines builds on the one before, helping you move from a clear vision for your year to small, actionable steps for each day. With these routines, you can feel confident in your plans and stay consistently productive.

Tips for Sticking to Your Planner Consistently

Developing routines is essential for consistent planning, but sticking to those routines requires a bit of extra strategy. Here are some additional tips to help you integrate your planner into your daily life and make it a habit:

1. Set a Daily Planning Time Block
Dedicate a specific time each day to review and update your planner. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, during lunch, or in the evening, consistency is key. Treat this time as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself.

2. Use Reminders to Build the Habit
Set phone reminders to prompt you to plan and check in with your progress throughout the day. A morning reminder can help you set your day’s priorities, while midday and evening reminders ensure you stay on track and reflect on your progress.

3. Keep Your Planner Visible
Out of sight, out of mind! Keep your planner open and in a place where you can see and access it easily. This visual cue helps you stay engaged with your plans and reduces the likelihood of forgetting to use it.

4. Start Small
If you’re new to consistent planning, start with just one routine—like daily planning—and build from there. As you grow comfortable with the habit, add in weekly, monthly, and quarterly routines to enhance your system.

5. Make It Enjoyable
Add personal touches to your planner that make you excited to use it. Use colorful pens, stickers, or motivational quotes. When your planner feels like a tool and a source of inspiration, you’ll naturally want to engage with it more.

6. Reflect and Celebrate Progress
Take time to look back on what you’ve accomplished. Reflection not only helps you improve your planning process but also reinforces the value of using your planner consistently. Celebrate your wins—big or small!

By following these tips and pairing them with functional planning routines, you’ll turn your planner into a daily tool for focus, productivity, and progress.

Consistency doesn’t happen overnight, but with these strategies, you’ll soon find your planner becoming an essential part of your day!

Learn More About Planning for a Balanced and Successful Life

Are you ready to take your planning to the next level? If you’ve ever wondered how to balance all your work tasks, personal responsibilities, and the many other priorities in your life, my upcoming workshop is designed just for you!

Mark Your Calendar: How to Plan for a Balanced and Successful Life in 2025

🗓️ Saturday, January 18th at 12pm EST / 9am PST

In this live workshop, I’ll share:

  • How I juggle work, personal life, and other key priorities without feeling overwhelmed.
  • Strategies for aligning your daily plans with your long-term goals.
  • Detailed guidance on how to use your planner to stay productive and focused across all areas of your life.
  • Actionable tips to balance your tasks while creating time for the things that matter most.

This workshop will give you a deeper understanding of how to plan intentionally and productively, so you can approach your days with clarity and confidence.

✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to start 2025 with a clear plan and the tools you need to succeed!

Click here to register for the workshop and learn more.

Let’s make 2025 your most balanced and productive year yet! 🌟

xoxo,

Functional Planning Productivity

10 Productivity Problems That Can Be Solved with a Functional Planner

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you plan, you just can’t get ahead? Endless to-do lists, scattered ideas, and that overwhelming feeling of burnout—it’s not you; it’s your system! What if I told you there’s a way to solve these productivity problems once and for all with the right planner?

Most planners on the market aren’t designed to solve real productivity issues. They’re great for jotting down dates and tasks, but they leave out the tools and strategies you need to truly manage your time, tasks, and goals. That’s why today, we’re diving into 10 Productivity Problems That Can Be Solved with a Functional Planner. By the end of this post, you’ll understand how the right system can completely transform the way you plan and get things done.

Problem 1: Endless To-Do Lists

  • Issue: If you feel like you have a never-ending to-do list, you may struggle to organize or even start on your tasks. Often, people pick tasks they feel capable of doing but leave high-priority items incomplete. Over time, these neglected tasks can create bigger problems.
  • Typical Planners: Most planners encourage task listing but lack a framework for prioritization. While writing down everything you need to do is a good first step, it often results in overwhelming lists with no clear action plan.
  • Functional Planner Solution: A functional planner provides dedicated space to capture all your tasks and a method to prioritize them. The Charmed Life Master Planner includes Brain Dump Inserts with the Eisenhower Prioritization Matrix, helping you identify tasks that need immediate attention, those that can be scheduled, delegated, or deferred, and tasks that can be eliminated altogether.

Problem 2: Scattered Ideas and Lack of Focus

  • Issue: You have lots of ideas and projects floating in your mind, but they lack clarity or a clear path forward. This scattered thinking can make it hard to focus or take actionable steps.
  • Typical Planners: Most planners don’t offer tools to brainstorm or refine ideas. Without a space to work through raw concepts, you may lose track of creative thoughts or fail to develop them into actionable plans.
  • Functional Planner Solution: A functional planner includes dedicated Brainstorm Pages for mind mapping and refining ideas. The Charmed Life Master Planner ensures you have space to generate, organize, and turn your raw ideas into actionable strategies.

Problem 3: Poor Project Organization

  • Issue: Big projects feel overwhelming because you can’t see how the tasks fit together or where to start. Without clear organization, progress stalls, and deadlines loom.
  • Typical Planners: Standard planners don’t have sections to break down and track projects, making it hard to strategize and stay on top of all the moving parts.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Charmed Life Master Planner includes a Project Planning Section with tools like the Yearly Project Matrix to distribute tasks across timelines, Project Tracker to monitor progress, and detailed Project Plans with Notes to clarify objectives and next steps.

Problem 4: Overload and Burnout

  • Issue: You feel overwhelmed trying to tackle too many tasks or goals at once. Without a plan to distribute your workload, it’s easy to burn out before making meaningful progress.
  • Typical Planners: Most planners don’t offer tools to spread out tasks and goals over time, leading to an “all-at-once” mindset that creates unnecessary stress.
  • Functional Planner Solution: A functional planner helps balance your workload with tools like the Yearly Project Matrix in the Charmed Life Master Planner, which allocates tasks across short-term, mid-term, and long-term timelines. This ensures steady progress without overloading yourself.

Problem 5: Lack of Routine

  • Issue: Without daily and weekly routines, it’s hard to establish consistency and maximize your time. You may find yourself reacting to tasks instead of proactively planning your day.
  • Typical Planners: Most planners don’t include sections for designing routines, leaving you to figure it out on your own.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Charmed Life Master Planner includes a Routines Section to help you create daily and weekly schedules that align with your goals. These routines become the foundation for sustainable productivity.

Problem 6: Lack of Progress Tracking

  • Issue: Without a way to track your progress, you might feel like you’re spinning your wheels, unsure of how far you’ve come or how close you are to achieving your goals.
  • Typical Planners: Standard planners lack tools for monitoring milestones or visualizing progress, making it harder to stay motivated.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Charmed Life Master Planner provides tools like the Yearly Tracker, Monthly Task Lists, and progress-oriented project inserts, giving you a clear view of where you stand and what’s next.

Problem 7: Disorganized Information

  • Issue: When notes, tasks, and ideas are scattered across multiple notebooks or apps, valuable information gets lost, and time is wasted searching for it.
  • Typical Planners: Most planners don’t provide comprehensive sections to keep everything in one place.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Charmed Life Master Planner consolidates everything with Notes Pages, Brainstorm Inserts, and project tools, so you can keep all your information organized and accessible.

Problem 8: Inefficient Use of Time

  • Issue: You find yourself running out of time each day, unsure where it all went. Without a plan to allocate time wisely, it’s easy to waste valuable hours.
  • Typical Planners: Many planners focus only on daily or weekly schedules without tools to evaluate how you’re actually spending your time.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Charmed Life Master Planner includes tools like Daily Agendas, Yearly Trackers, and Routines Pages to help you make the most of your 24 hours and align your time with your priorities.

Problem 9: Lack of Motivation and Goal Clarity

  • Issue: You lose momentum because your goals feel vague or disconnected from your day-to-day tasks. Without a clear vision, staying motivated is a challenge.
  • Typical Planners: Few planners include tools to help you define or connect with your goals meaningfully.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Vision Board Section and Goal Planning Inserts in the Charmed Life Master Planner help you clarify your objectives and keep your vision front and center for daily motivation.

Problem 10: Feeling Disconnected from Progress

  • Issue: Without a process to reflect on your achievements, it’s hard to recognize the progress you’re making, leaving you feeling stuck or stagnant.
  • Typical Planners: Most planners don’t provide tools for reflection or progress review.
  • Functional Planner Solution: The Charmed Life Master Planner supports reflection with tools like Progress Trackers, Monthly Reviews, and space to celebrate milestones, helping you stay motivated and aware of your growth.

Ready to Transform Your Productivity?

If you’re ready to take your productivity to the next level and finally solve the problems holding you back, the Charmed Life Master Planner is here to help. It’s not just a planner—it’s a complete productivity system designed to prioritize your tasks, organize your projects, and balance your time so you can achieve your goals without the stress.

Whether you’re juggling work, personal life, or big dreams, this planner gives you the tools to stay on track and get more done.

Click the link to learn more and grab your Charmed Life Master Planner today. Let’s make this your most productive and successful year yet!

xoxo,

Functional Planning Productivity

Does Using a Planner Really Make You More Productive? 

Does using a planner really make you more productive?

It’s a great question, and the short answer is yes. Yes, your planner can help you become more organized, more productive, and even get more done. But let’s be honest—for many people, this just isn’t happening. Why? Because it all comes down to the system your planner provides.

A planner is more than just a place to write down your to-do list or schedule appointments. At its best, a planner gives you a system or process to manage your time, tasks, and goals effectively. Unfortunately, most planners on the market don’t offer a great system—and that’s where the problem lies. Let’s break this down.

The Problem with Typical Planners

Think about the planners you’ll find at Target or your local office supply store. Most of them include:

  • A few mini calendar pages at the beginning for reference.
  • Monthly spreads with boxes big enough for reminders or appointments.
  • Weekly agenda pages where you can list a handful of tasks per day.
  • A few notes pages or maybe a contact list tucked in the back.

Sound familiar? Now ask yourself: what system or process is this type of planner encouraging you to follow when you use it?

From what I’ve seen—and I’ve researched and designed systems as a core part of my business—this type of planner guides you to take two main actions:

  1. Write down important dates on your calendar.
  2. List out your daily to-do list.

These are certainly useful steps, but they’re just the basics. A system like this leaves out solutions for crucial productivity challenges:

  • Prioritizing tasks: Without a way to decide what matters most, you’re stuck trying to tackle an endless to-do list with no plan.
  • Brainstorming raw ideas: There’s no space to develop ideas or refine solutions.
  • Organizing projects strategically: You’re left wondering which tasks belong together or how to approach bigger objectives.
  • Distributing goals over time: You may feel pressure to do everything all at once, leading to burnout.
  • Building routines: These planners don’t help you manage your time beyond the limits of a single day.

The result? A planner that solves a few basic problems but leaves much to be desired when it comes to supporting your productivity in a meaningful way.

Introducing the Charmed Life Master Planner

When I noticed these gaps, I knew there had to be a better way. That’s why, in 2014, I began developing the Charmed Life Master Planner. This isn’t just another planner—it’s the first Functional Planner, designed to bridge the gap between a typical planner and a fully supportive productivity system.

Unlike standard planners, the Charmed Life Master Planner is built around a three-phase system that turns ideas into actionable plans, helping you balance your time and workload while staying focused on your goals. With over a dozen unique inserts, this system was designed to make planning smarter, not harder.

Overview of the Three-Phase System

Phase 1: Capture Brilliant Ideas

The first phase helps you clear your mind, prioritize tasks, and organize raw ideas into plans. The tools include:

  • Brain Dump Inserts: Write down everything on your mind, then prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. This helps you cut down an overwhelming list into a manageable size.
  • Brainstorm Pages: Dedicated space for pre-planning and mind mapping, allowing you to refine ideas into actionable solutions.
  • Notes Pages: A convenient place to capture extra details and reference information, all within your planner.

Phase 2: Organize Your Work

Once you’ve captured your ideas, the next step is to organize and strategize your goals and projects. Tools include:

  • Yearly Project Matrix: Distribute your objectives across short-term, mid-term, and long-term timeframes so you’re working methodically throughout the year.
  • Project Tracker: Track all your projects and their statuses at a glance.
  • Project Plans with Notes: Clarify goals, outline resources, and create strategic action steps for each project.

Phase 3: Track and Allocate Your Time

In the final phase, you track your progress and manage your time effectively. Tools include:

  • Yearly Calendar, Tracker, and Overview: Plan your year with clarity and forward-plan key dates and milestones.
  • Monthly Calendars and Task Lists: Keep your schedule and tasks organized at a monthly level.
  • Weekly and Daily Agenda Spreads: Manage your time and stay focused on your priorities day by day.
  • Routines and Vision Board Pages: Build consistent routines and keep your goals front of mind for motivation.

Why This System Works

The Charmed Life Master Planner isn’t just about tracking tasks—it’s about creating a process that makes productivity achievable. Here’s what makes it different:

  • It prioritizes effectively: Helps you focus on what matters most.
  • It strategizes intentionally: Aligns your daily actions with long-term goals.
  • It balances workloads: Distributes tasks across time to prevent overwhelm.
  • It builds habits: Supports routines that create sustainable productivity.
  • It works smarter, not harder: Backed by research to ensure every feature serves a purpose.

Ready to Transform Your Productivity?

So, does using a planner really make you more productive? Yes—but only if it provides the right system. The Charmed Life Master Planner is your partner in achieving more with less stress, helping you turn your ideas into action and your goals into reality.

If you’re ready to use a planner that will finally improve your productivity, it begins here.

Or you can get the whole system as your free bonus with this option.

Start planning smarter today. Your most productive year is waiting!

xoxo,

Productivity

Overcoming Productivity Guilt: 7 Ways to Let Go and Move Forward 

Screenshot

It’s easy to feel guilty when your to-do list is longer than a novel, and you haven’t checked off every item. But here’s the truth: guilt is often more paralyzing than it is motivating. If you’re ready to ditch the shame of “not doing enough,” here are seven ways to overcome productivity guilt and start making real progress—without sacrificing your peace of mind.

  1. Recognize What “Enough” Means for You
    • Why it Helps: Productivity guilt often comes from comparing your accomplishments to an unrealistic standard—usually someone else’s or society’s.
    • Action Step: Define your personal “enough.” This might mean completing three major tasks a day, or dedicating a certain amount of focused time on projects. When you hit your personal benchmark, let yourself feel accomplished.
  2. Focus on Priority Tasks, Not Every Task
    • Why it Helps: The temptation to tackle every single item on your to-do list leaves you overwhelmed. Instead, target the tasks that are most aligned with your goals or values.
    • Action Step: Use methods like the Eisenhower Matrix or the 1-3-5 rule (1 big task, 3 medium tasks, 5 small tasks) to prioritize what truly matters and let the rest go guilt-free.
  3. Stop Counting the Wrong Metrics
    • Why it Helps: Productivity is about outcomes, not activity. Doing more tasks doesn’t always mean you’re moving forward.
    • Action Step: Track progress on important milestones or goals, rather than the number of tasks completed. This shift helps you see quality over quantity.
  4. Acknowledge the Work You Already Do
    • Why it Helps: When you dwell on what’s left undone, you ignore what you’ve achieved. This perpetuates the cycle of guilt and drains motivation.
    • Action Step: Try a nightly “win list” where you quickly jot down what you accomplished or overcame that day. Seeing real evidence of what you have done combats negative self-talk.
  5. Set Realistic Boundaries Around Your Time
    • Why it Helps: Overcommitting yourself creates a constant sense of failure. By underestimating the time tasks take, you set yourself up for stress.
    • Action Step: Be honest about how long projects realistically require, and leave buffer time between tasks to accommodate life’s unpredictability. This buffer reduces guilt when things don’t go exactly as planned.
  6. Give Yourself Permission to Delegate or Delay
    • Why it Helps: You may feel guilty if you can’t do everything on your own, but no one achieves productivity alone. Delegation and delay can free up your schedule to do what only you can do best.
    • Action Step: If a task isn’t essential to your unique skills or immediate goals, see if a family member, coworker, or automated system can handle it. Eliminating or delaying non-urgent tasks prevents overload.
  7. Reframe “Failures” as Growth
    • Why it Helps: When you inevitably miss a deadline or skip a workout, guilt can snowball into harsh self-criticism. But failure is simply feedback—it shows you what to adjust next time.
    • Action Step: The next time you stumble, ask yourself what lesson you can take from the experience. Maybe you planned too many tasks for the day or underestimated a project. Adjust for tomorrow, and move on with compassion.

Final Thoughts

Productivity guilt can become a relentless cycle—one that leaves you feeling you’re always behind or not enough. By prioritizing tasks that genuinely matter, tracking real progress, and embracing self-compassion, you’ll find yourself free to enjoy the wins (big and small) that come your way. Remember: your worth isn’t defined by the number of checked-off boxes but by the meaningful strides you take toward your goals—and the grace you show yourself along the way.

Try these steps out and watch your productivity guilt melt away. Because once you learn to let go of what doesn’t serve you, you open the door for what truly matters to flow in.

Ready to Take Your Productivity to the Next Level?
If you found these habits helpful and want to dive even deeper into creating a life that feels truly balanced, I invite you to join my upcoming How to Plan for a Balanced and Successful Life in 2025 workshop. In this live session, I’ll walk you through practical strategies for setting meaningful goals, aligning your daily habits with your bigger vision, and simplifying your planning routine to reduce overwhelm.

Click here to sign up and secure your spot. Let’s make 2025 the year you finally achieve both productivity and peace of mind!

xoxo,

CEO Strategy Goal Getter

How to Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve

As the end of the year approaches, I often hear this question from my community:

“How do I set goals that I will actually achieve?”

It’s a question that speaks to the heart of effective planning—wanting not only to dream big but to create a plan you’ll follow through on. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about how to set goals that truly work, I want to break down some common reasons you aren’t achieving your goals and walk you through the goal setting method I teach and avoids these common pitfalls.

Let’s start with a thought-provoking question: What if the reason you haven’t achieved certain goals before wasn’t due to a lack of motivation or discipline but simply because your goal-setting process wasn’t designed to truly work for you? Many people struggle to reach their goals because they unknowingly fall into common pitfalls:

  1. Setting Arbitrary Goals: Many goal-setting methods encourage us to set goals in predefined categories, like health, career, or finances. While these areas are generally important, focusing on arbitrary categories often leads us to set goals based on what we think we “should” do rather than on what truly matters. When a goal isn’t personally meaningful, it’s difficult to stay committed. My process focuses instead on defining your true priorities, which are unique to you, and using those as the categories to set your goals against.
  2. Mistaking Habits for Goals: It’s common to set habits, like “drink more water” or “work out daily,” as primary goals, but these habits are actually objectives or action steps to take that support a larger goal. For example, if your overarching goal is improved health, drinking more water is a strategy to support that. Reading a specific number of books a year isn’t a goal itself, rather it’s a reflection of the type of person you want to be who may be more informed or considered well read- which is the actual goal you desire. Identifying and linking these habits to a big-picture goal makes it easier to stay motivated and see meaningful progress because you have correctly identified the reason why the habit itself is crucial to your success and self-image.
  3. Relying on Goals to Create Change: Many believe achieving a goal will magically create a sense of accomplishment or transform them into a better version of themselves. The version of themselves who eats right, works out, is great with money etc. In reality, change begins internally and must happen before you achieve the goal. Start by embodying the person you want to become, taking the actions that person would take and then your goals will happen as a natural result of the changes you’ve made.

If you resonate with any of these common mistakes or have used a goal setting method in the past that encouraged these errors to begin with, I am here to tell you that with the right goal setting system you can achieve your goals. Today I want to give you a brief overview of my method and process which has helped hundreds of women set goals they actually end up achieving.

Women like Rose who started using my method years ago and after the first month reported back to me “so far January has been my best month ever regarding productivity, focus, and goal achievement.”

She has been loyal to my method ever since and even purchased the workshops to share with her team because she swears by my method for goal setting and planning!

And Peyton who messaged our accountability group: “I’ve been truly struggling with identifying priorities and narrowing down my goals. I watched the master class and it was game changing for me. Something finally clicked and I was able to identify my true goals and priorities based off my current life situation and I am so proud of this! I think Alexis is a true subject matter expert and I’m so glad I decided to join the master mind!”

Or Karmon who ended up achieving all her goals much earlier than expected one year due to my method and had this to say: “I think this is the 4th of 5th year I’ve goal planned the year with Alexis. The process evolves and refines each year. The break out sessions with the other attendees was a great addition – the additional perspectives and glimpses into others’ goals were inspiring. Definitely the kick start I needed to work on my annual plans. Thanks, Alexis.”

I’m sure you are thinking now, Alexis, what is this unique goal setting process?!

Here’s the step by step process I have used for the last 10 years to set goals that I can achieve and get so much more done than most solo business owners.

Step 1: Choose 1-5 Priorities for the Year
The first step in any goal-setting journey is identifying what matters most to you. Think about the core aspects of your life that bring you joy, fulfillment, and purpose—these are your priorities. It could be family, your home, career, or a passion project. By narrowing your focus to 1-5 key priorities, you create a strong foundation for meaningful and impactful goal-setting.

Step 2: Set 1-3 Goals per Priority
For each priority, establish up to three specific goals. Each goal should represent an outcome that either raises, changes, or maintains a standard in your life. Make sure these goals are clear and measurable so that you can track your progress. This clarity not only gives you direction but also ensures that every goal aligns with your most valued priorities.

Step 3: Define Objectives for Each Goal
With goals in place, now it’s time to create objectives—these are the specific actions that will lead you to your desired outcomes. Think of objectives as your action steps. They should be chosen based on your strengths and interests, so the journey feels engaging and rewarding. And remember, your path can be unique to you; it doesn’t have to follow a conventional approach if there’s a better way that suits you.

Step 4: Assign Objectives Across the Months of the Year
Goal-setting is a marathon, not a sprint. Instead of trying to do it all at once, assign your objectives to different months, focusing on just a few at a time. Be realistic here—no more than three objectives per month will allow you to make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed. This pacing is key to creating a sustainable rhythm throughout the year.

Step 5: Use a Functional Planner to Track Your Tasks
Finally, your plan will only be as good as your follow-through, so tracking is essential. Using a functional planner (like the Charmed Life Master Planner) allows you to map out each objective, month by month, and track tasks daily and weekly. This approach keeps your goals top of mind, ensuring you make consistent progress toward achieving them.

Why this method works

  • You are setting goals based on your priorities and where you want to go in life next, not arbitrary goals you feel like you “should” be setting but may not be meaningful for you.
  • You have a clear roadmap put in place at the start of the year so you can confidently show up in the short term to take actions knowing that by the end of the year everything will add up to the completion of your goal, instead of trying to do it all at once, getting overwhelmed and giving up.
  • You are limiting the amount of new tasks you can apply to a given month so you don’t take on too much and then fail to complete any single one objective.
  • You have room for changes and adjustments because your future objectives are penciled into your roadmap but not planned out in depth until you reach the month they belong to. I can’t see the future and neither can you, so our forward planning needs to be a point of reference, not detailed instructions.

Now, it’s one thing to read about the process, but it’s another thing to actually see the activities and steps as you would be performing them all together.

That’s why today I want to give you a look inside my YOU GOT GOALS Planner, including the Annual Review & Goal Prep Workbook!

The video is going to answer another major question I am often asked about my goal planning system…

“Is the YOU GOT GOALS Workshop + Planner only for personal goals or can you also use it for business goals?”

Answer: No, this system isn’t just for personal goals, you can also use it for business goals as well. However, because business goals require more specific types of annual planning including strategic projects, marketing and campaigns, I use another system that is designed specifically for reviewing business data and breaking down business related goals, called the CEO RETREAT!

Both systems are available as on-demand workshops to purchase from my shop individually or as a special bundle.

But of course, Charmed Life Master Mind members get these workshops included in their membership subscription. Master Mind members get to attend the live workshops for direct coaching from me during our class and also get on-demand goal setting support through our private Slack community.

So, if you want to use a goal setting method that increases your chances of success instead of setting you up for unnecessary expectations and failure, I’d love for you to get your hands on one or both of these guided goal planning systems.

🏆 Set your 2025 goals with a guided system

👯‍♀️ Or set your goals along with me for extra support and accountability!

I can’t wait to see what you achieve in 2025 with these goal setting systems!

xoxo,

lifestyle Productivity

The Charmed Life Gift Guide: Everyday Luxuries for a Beautiful and Productive Life

It’s Holiday Gift Giving Time and if you are looking for some gift ideas for yourself or the other ladies in your life, you have come to the right place. I know gift giving is a challenge for some people, but I was born with the gift. My friends and family know that I am very anti-gift card and cash presents. If that’s more to your taste, awesome, but for me, I look at gift giving as an art and an opportunity to surprise and delight my loved ones by finding something amazing they didn’t even know they couldn’t live without! Throughout the year when I come across interesting items that remind me of someone close to me, I keep track of it. Sometimes, I don’t have one specific person in mind. Sometimes the person I’m buying for is myself. But I’ve been told many times over that I find great gifts and things most people just wouldn’t think to buy for themselves. So much so that people come to me looking for ideas for gifts to give their circle. And the best part is, my gifts are usually quite affordable. Of course, what is considered affordable varies person to person and budget to budget, but on this gift list you are going to find some great everyday luxuries that retail from $10-$200, most being under $50 with just a handful of items over $100. Each item on this list has been chosen with a specific woman in mind- the one who loves functionality and beauty, and appreciates any little way she can improve or upgrade her life.

1: Burga iPhone Cases

I recently upgraded to the iPhone 16 Pro Max from a very old iPhone 8 Plus, so I have been spending an unnecessary amount of time and energy thinking about and browsing iPhone cases. I know I might be in the minority here, but I like my phone to have a wardrobe of gorgeous case options for different scenarios. In researching cases for my new phone, I ended up back with a brand I have used in the past with my last iPhone and was subsequently one of my favorite cases. That brand is Burga. You have probably seen their cases on Instagram, they do lovely designs and a few varieties of protective case styles. Here is the thing, they are expensive, dare I say overpriced, especially when you consider they come from outside of the US- Lithuania I believe- and are not made from any significantly more expensive materials than most cases. In the past I’ve had issues with shipping. My most recent order arrived in a little less than two weeks which is good. But all that being said, the cases are elegant and I love them. Sure, you could find dupes of the patterns online for less, but I couldn’t find any cases that had similar patterns and had MagSafe compatibility. These cases are definitely one of those splurge treats, but also make an unexpectedly fun gift for a friend as long as you know her taste and pick a pattern she’ll love!

2: Veger Portable Wired Charger 

Newsflash, diamonds are no longer a girls best friend, in 2024 it’s portable chargers. They are lifesavers and I cannot leave home without one or two thanks to the variety of gadgets we now rely on to live and work. The first type of charger I think we all need to have is a portable wired charger- one with those built in wires and different port heads compatible with a variety of gadgets. I have been using and loving this Veger charger because it’s slim, has a nice sized battery for charging multiple items, and works with most of my gadgets. Yes, I bought the lilac purple version because it’s my favorite color.

3: Anker Portable MagSafe Charger

Now, the second type of charger I think we all need to have is a portable MagSafe Charger as long as you have a MagSafe compatible phone and case. Now that I have the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I can use this amazing feature. So, all I have to do is stick this Anker charger to the back of my phone, turn it on and viola, I can charge while on the go, while talking on the phone and I don’t have any wires or bulky charging apparatus’ to deal with.

4: Chic Wireless LED Touch Lamp

Whoever came up with these wireless LED touch control lamps is an absolute genius. I have never been one to gravitate to table lamps because they just seem so impractical. You have to make sure you have a plug for them in the vicinity of where you want the lamp, and if you don’t, you are either out of luck or need to use an ugly extension cord. On top of that, they just sort of permanently live where you put them, but what if you want to move it around? Or you only need a lamp in a specific place sometimes? Impractical. But these wireless lamps are fantastic. I own a few varieties of these lamps, but this is my favorite because it’s pretty tall compared to some other wireless lamps and a chic silhouette that manages to look both classic and modern at the same time. 

5: Caudalie Fig Oil

For the longest time, I did not understand why people used body oils until I discovered oils like this that came in a spray form. Regular bottles of oil that come with a pump or even no dispenser at all can get messy and make it hard for you to evenly distribute product on your skin. Spray oils are fantastic and easy to use and now I get why people use body oil. I’ve just recently started using this Caudalie oil because I love the brand and the smell was so delightfully herbaceously bougie. 

6: Pfefe Cryo Sticks

If you’ve been following me for a while you may know I don’t use fillers or botox (at least not yet- if ever). I prefer using manual tools for facial massage to lift, tighten and stimulate collagen production naturally. One of the newer tools in my routine are these Cryo Sticks. You keep them in the fridge and use them to de-puff your face and tighten your pores. Icing your face has become such a big thing in the last few years and it does really seem to make a difference in the short term to the quality of your skin. 

7: Cloud Trinket Dish

When it comes to home decor, one element I always feel like I don’t have enough of are trinket dishes. How often do you put little things down on the table or countertop and they get misplaced, knocked off or simply roll away and you can’t find them. Trinket dishes are necessary, but of course basic ones will not do, I need lovely little works of art like this cloud trinket dish. I love that it comes in silver and gold chrome finishes because I think those will stand out gorgeously. 

8: Deborah Pagani Large DP Hair Pin

I am not exaggerating when I say that these hair pins by Deborah Pagani have been the find of the decade for me. They are elegant but sturdy, and are the single hair accessory that I can use to hold my hair in place for the whole day without worry. Hair ties always fail me, but the DP Hair Pin does not! I credit these pins for how I got my hair to grow out so long so quickly, because once I switched away from using elastics on my hair, length just kept accumulating unchecked! They are just so safe and gentle on my hair and help me create an easy protective style for my locks.

9: Simple Modern Mug 50oz

While everyone else is busy fighting over Stanley tumblers, I am living in my bliss bubble with my Simple Modern 50oz mugs. Yes, I own a couple, but for good reason- they keep my water amazingly cold for what feels like forever, they are more spill proof than Stanley’s, and I can fill it up once and drink it all day and feel like I got all the hydration I needed. Okay, sometimes I drink two in a day. The only downside to the 50oz size is that it’s more for home than travel because it doesn’t fit into a cup holder. And that’s why I also have a 40oz tumbler for on the go, but I use my 50oz by far the most.

10: Sleep Headphones

Are you interested in getting the best sleep of your life? Trick question, of course you are, and that’s why you need a pair of sleep headphones. This option is one part sleep mask and one part bluetooth headphone. Put it on at night, connect it to your phone or tablet, and play some relaxing sleep music with delta waves from either Youtube or Spotify and you will have the best quality sleep. When I wear mine, I fall asleep quicker, I stay asleep longer, and I wake up less frequently.

11: Travel Jewelry Case

I’m ashamed to admit it, but until recently, I did not keep my jewelry organized in one central location. I had bits and pieces all over, usually kept in their original bulky boxes and I couldn’t see everything I owned in one place. So, I finally purchased one of these travel jewelry cases and I love it. What is great about this specific style, because there are many options you can buy, is that this size and shape is great for home use or travel. It fits a good amount of jewelry inside comfortably and it looks pretty discreet. 

12: Marshall Willen Portable Speaker

I actually own three Marshall Speakers. An Acton III, an Emberton II and this Willen. Some might think this is overkill, but each speaker serves a distinct purpose in my life. The Acton is a great non-portable home speaker that I can connect with my devices including my smart TV, but I mostly use it to listen to music that fills my house with a great quality sound. The Emberton is a portable model that I have used in the past as my office speaker to listen to music while I work, but right now I have it wirelessly connected to the smart TV in my bedroom and it acts as a soundbar which is great because you know how bad the sound is on most flat screen televisions. The speakers are normally in the back, which means the sound is pointing the wrong direction, and so you need something like a soundbar or sound system to get great front facing audio. My Emberton does the trick and can still serve other uses for me. But the Willen, this little guy is my portable little champ. I always travel with it. I take it to the beach, the pool, to other people’s homes. I’ve taken it to restaurants and used it while sitting out on their patio seating where you can barely hear the music playing from the interior of the restaurant (genius). Although the Emberton is another portable model, the Willen is more portable. It has a strap on the back which means you can attach it to things like a beach chair, or the strap of your bag. It’s awesome, I love it and it connects to your phone and you can take bluetooth calls through it as well. It’s also water and dust proof (so is the Emberton) so you don’t have to worry about it. Plus the battery life is solid, I think something like 15 hours. Charges with USB-C, it’s like essentially perfect. 

13: Chanel Baume Essentiel

What woman could say no to a luxury lip balm? I love the Baume Essentiel because it’s more than just Chanel’s normal lip balm. First it’s huge so you get a lot for the price and it lasts forever. Second its a multi use stick, so it can be lip balm, and a face highlight or a blush and even an eye shadow. I normally stick to the color Transparent and use it as my lip balm and a sheer but glowy highlight, but if you choose one of the colorful shades it can be a blush and shadow.

14: Chanel Nail Polish Ballerina

I am so glad that minimal clean looking nails are back in fashion. Technically, they never went out of fashion because they are classic, but with the rise of the quiet luxury aesthetic, neutral nails are back in. Nothing says quiet luxury, clean girl, neutral classic nails like Chanel’s Ballerina, the perfect wash of nude pink that gives you that your nails but better vibe.

15: Bala Workout Gear | The Power Ring & The Bala Beam

I am not a gym girlie. In the past when I had a gym membership, I used it for the unlimited tanning and massage beds. I much prefer home workouts. I don’t mean I want to build a home gym, instead I prefer to have a few key pieces of equipment at home that I can use to do a variety of exercises. In the past, this equipment was your standard run of the mill hand weights and kettle bell. I try to get them in a cute color so I don’t hate the sight of them, but the options are limited. That’s why when I found Bala I was in shock and awe. If you aren’t aware, Bala is a brand of workout equipment that is beautiful and functional at the same time. I have a few of their pieces, but the two I love the most and recommend are the Power Ring and the Beam. The Power Ring is a reimagined kettle bell that is so much more functional because you can use it with one hand or two, and because of the shape it sits and fits on various areas of your body during different workouts. I might put it around my neck and sit it on my shoulders to add weight while lunging. I might lay it on my abdomen while doing bridges. I can put my arm and leg through it so I’m not limited to holding it in my hand. It’s a very flexible and functional piece of workout gear. Next, the Bala Beam, this is essentially an EZ Bar, so I can use it as a dumbbell, one or two handed. Its ergonomic design means it also sits on my shoulders, hips or legs for different workouts in a circuit. The best part of these pieces are that you can just leave them out if you want almost like home decor, because they don’t look like what they are, they look like sculptural decor elements.

16: Hatch Sunrise Alarm Clock

I don’t use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning but if I did, it would be this one! These sunrise alarm clocks wake you up gently with both sound and light which really helps you manage your circadian rhythm. If you have a hard time waking up in the morning, or wake up startled by a fog horn of an alarm on your phone, you could definitely benefit from this sunrise alarm clock. I know you may already have something you use, and this might feel like an unnecessary purchase, but sleep is so important to your productivity and an alarm like this can really help you build more positive sleep and wake habits.

17: Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Braiser

My beloved Le Cruset Enameled Cast Iron Braiser is by far my most used piece of cookware. You can use it like a frying pan or like a dutch oven. Alas, Le Cruset is a heritage brand with a premium price tag, so my next best pick for you is from the brand Lodge. Still great quality cookware, similar shape and of most important it’s enameled cast iron (not the same as regular cast iron) so it’s easier to care for and retains heat beautifully. I fully believe that food cooks and tastes better when it’s prepared in enameled cast iron. 

18: Greater Goods Electric Gooseneck Kettle

I avoided purchasing an electric kettle for the longest time. It felt like an unnecessary kitchen gadget when I could boil or microwave water. But oh my goodness, an electric kettle really upgraded my life. You’d be surprised how often they come in handy. I use mine for tea, instant coffee, powdered drink mixes, making stock from bouillon, sterilizing, heating milk, and making hot compresses. I definitely get my use out of that kettle and I can’t wait to upgrade mine to this charming gooseneck version.

19: J.Crew Oversized Cashmere Wrap

When I think of luxury items, I don’t necessarily think of designer labels and high price tags. I think about what items would be a benefit to my life, that will be versatile and last me a long time. This Cashmere wrap definitely checks all the boxes for a fabulous luxury addition to your wardrobe. A wrap like this is a great wardrobe staple that will never go out of style, and bonus, it’s not just a wrap! You can use this as an oversized scarf or blanket, great for traveling or just getting cozy on the sofa. Cashmere is such a warm, luxurious fabric, and with proper care it’s long lasting, unlike many other wraps or blankets made from synthetic materials that feel fabulous on day one, but after use and cleaning become an itchy, shedding mess.

20: Dosey Pill Compact

As part of my productive, healthy lifestyle, I take vitamins and supplements! And using a pill organizer is a great way to keep on track of the habit and ensure you take your pills daily. Most pill organizers and pill planners as they are often called are basic and plastic. But this compact is chic and elevated. Great for travel or just leaving at home. I adore it and it’s not necessarily something you would think to pick up for yourself or give as a gift. 

I hope this Charmed Life Gift Guide has inspired you to add a little everyday luxury to your gift-giving this season! Whether you’re shopping for the beauty enthusiast, the productivity lover, or the woman who just enjoys a touch of elegance in her daily routine, these carefully chosen items are sure to make her feel seen, special, and pampered. Each item on this list was selected with the goal of blending beauty and functionality—gifts that are delightful, practical, and unique enough that she might not even know how much she needed them until now. So, as you wrap up your holiday shopping, remember that the best gifts come from the heart, with a little added charm.

Happy gifting!

xoxo,

Functional Planning Goal Getter Habits + Routines

The Simplest Mid-Year Reset to Uplevel Your Life in the Next 6 Months!

It’s Time for a Mid-Year Reset

It’s that time of year again – time for a mid-year reset. I absolutely love the idea of a mid-year reset because we’re halfway through the year. If you’re anything like me, you started January 1st with huge goals and plans. However, life inevitably gets in the way, things shift, and you might find yourself off track. Now, as we approach the halfway point of the year, it’s a fantastic opportunity to realign, re-strategize your goals, and reset your plan.

Why a Mid-Year Reset is Essential

If you didn’t set goals at the start of the year, don’t worry – that’s totally okay. The transition into the new year can be incredibly busy. Often, we have the best of intentions to set goals, but if it doesn’t happen in January or by February, we feel like we need to wait until next year. That’s simply not true! This mid-year halfway point is a perfect chance to clarify the goals you want to achieve, make a plan, and organize your life to support those plans.

Don’t Have Goals Yet? No Problem!

Full disclosure: this post isn’t going to dive into the specifics of goal setting and planning. If you haven’t set your goals yet but want to follow my process, I recommend purchasing my You Got Goals Planner and workshop series. As a special treat, use the code 2024RESET at checkout to get 50% OFF. This will help you set the right goals now to carry you through to the end of the year!

The Power of a Mid-Year Reset

My approach to a mid-year reset is inspired by an amazing quote I heard years ago: “Six months of hardcore focus and alignment can put you five years ahead in life.” I truly believe this is true. If you can get clear on your goals, align your life with them, and put in the work, you can achieve in a matter of months what most people take years to accomplish.

The Four Stages of a Mid-Year Reset

This guided mid-year reset activity consists of four stages. For each stage, I’ll share some thoughts and specific activities for you to work through. I recommend setting aside at least one hour to complete this process in one sitting. Once you get the ball rolling, you’ll build momentum that will help you complete it sooner. When we break things into smaller pieces, we often either don’t finish the process or it takes much longer than it needs to.

Make sure to grab your goal materials and plans for the year, plus extra space to write and go through the activities – a notebook or a notes app will work just fine.

The four stages we’ll work through are:

  1. Goal Reset
  2. Vision Board Reset
  3. Goal Life Realignment
  4. Goal Life Organization and Reset

Phase One: Goal Reset

In this phase, we’ll take a close look at our annual goals and the plans we’ve made so far. This step is crucial to ensure we are moving forward with the goals that truly matter to us.

Activity: Reviewing Your Goals

Start by reviewing your list of goals for the year. For each goal, complete the following prompts:

  1. Assess Progress:
    • What progress have I made on this goal so far?
    • What is left for me to do in order to accomplish it?
  2. Identify Obstacles:
    • If no progress has been made, what obstacles have stopped me from taking action?
    • Is this still something worth prioritizing this year?
  3. Commit to Goals:
    • Which goals am I committed to pursuing for the next six months?
    • What objectives do I need to achieve to complete them?

From here, assign 1-3 objectives to each remaining month of the year. This will act as the outline for your monthly planning.

Understanding Objectives

If you’re not familiar with my goal-setting terminology, an objective is the action plan for how you will achieve a goal. If the goal itself is what you want, the objective is how you will make it happen. Objectives take one of three forms:

  1. Project Plan: A series of steps that you complete to get your desired outcome.
  2. System: Similar to a project plan, but instead of working through the process once, systems are repeated on a recurring basis.
  3. Habit: A single action you take on some recurring frequency.

For each goal you decide to move forward with over the next six months, you may have a number of different objectives to accomplish it. Take all those objectives and assign 1-3 per month of the year. Some objectives, like systems or habits, may need to be assigned to more than one month and that is perfectly fine.

Moving Forward

Once you know which goals you are committed to pursuing for the rest of the year, you can move on to Phase Two: The Vision Board Reset.

Phase Two: The Vision Board Reset

Creating a vision board for my goals has been an essential part of my process for years. Here’s why: when we can see the things we desire over and over, it not only reminds us of what we are working towards but also helps us get into the energy of that desire. It activates our creativity, our problem-solving abilities, and regulates our nervous system around the idea of trying new things to get new results.

I like to use the mid-year reset as a time to get back into the excitement of my goals by creating a new vision board. Whether or not my goals list has changed, it’s just nice to freshen things up and bring in a new excitement and energy around our goals.

How to Create Your Vision Board

  1. Envision Your Goals:
    • Take each of your goals one by one and think about what you envision for this goal.
    • What would it look like for you to live in the reality where you have achieved it?
  2. Search for Images:
    • Use Pinterest or other online resources to find images that resonate with your vision.
    • Save the images to your computer.
  3. Create Your Vision Board:
    • Make two versions of your vision board: one landscape orientation for your computer and iPad background, and one portrait orientation for your phone and planner.
    • Use tools like Photoshop or Canva to create your vision boards. Alternatively, you can print your images and create a physical collage.

Tips for an Effective Vision Board

  • Get Clear on Your Future: Ensure the images reflect the future you envision when you achieve each goal.
  • Choose Inspiring Images: Pick images that seriously inspire you.
  • Avoid Faces That Don’t Look Like You: To maintain relatability, either choose images with no faces or blur out the faces.
  • Create Multiple Versions: Having different versions for various devices and places ensures you see your vision board frequently.

With your new vision board created, it’s time to move on to Phase Three: The Goal/Life Realignment.

Phase Three: The Goal/Life Realignment

In this phase, you will identify the habits you need to put in place to support your goals and create your ideal weekly and daily schedules to make room for each of your goals, ensuring dedicated time and space to work on them.

Habits for Goal Achievement

There is a quote attributed to Aristotle that I love: “You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” When it comes to achieving your goals, they are not just tasks you experience once; you need to develop the right habits that make your goals a consistent part of your life.

For each of your goals, get clear on which habits will help you achieve them and make them a permanent part of your life.

Additionally, I recommend incorporating the following seven success habits, which I call the Self-Mastery Seven. These are daily habits for success, and while you don’t need to do each one every single day, your life and goal achievement will benefit from doing them most days of the week.

  1. Mindset Work: Engage in activities like visualization, affirmations, journaling, or meditation. You don’t need to do all of them daily, but doing one of these most days of the week will improve your mindset, which plays a major role in achieving any goal.
  2. Movement: Aim for 150 minutes of zone 2 cardio a week, which translates to 30 minutes, five days a week, of a workout at roughly 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. This has significant science-backed benefits for managing your wellness and personal energy.
  3. Planning: Consistently plan before taking major action. Setting your top three priorities and scheduling your day will make you more focused and productive.
  4. Cooking: Prepare and eat home-cooked meals most of the time, as they are generally more nutritious and cost-effective.
  5. Learning: Engage in continuous learning through reading, taking courses, watching instructional videos, or listening to educational podcasts.
  6. Connection: Reach out and talk to people, develop intimate relationships, and share your innermost thoughts and feelings with trusted individuals. This significantly helps in reducing stress.
  7. Sleep: Prioritize getting a good night’s sleep. Protect your sleep like it’s the most important thing you can do each day, as it truly is. Most people are sleep-deprived, which has the same effect as being drunk. Better sleep is crucial for every area of your life.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Self-Master Seven – Daily Success Habits Planner Card!

Creating Your Ideal Weekly Schedule

Next, let’s talk about creating your ideal or default weekly schedule.

If you’ve never heard me discuss the default weekly schedule, it is the master outline for what I do across an average week. Whether you realize it or not, you likely already have a loose weekly routine because we all fall into patterns. Taking control of this weekly routine allows you to create an intentional schedule that gives you time and space for everything that matters in your life.

While it’s true there aren’t enough hours in a day to fit everything, when we zoom out to the week, we have 168 hours to play with. To utilize your week strategically, think about the major categories of tasks you do—for work, home, personal goals, etc.—and time-block them across your week.

  • Morning Routine: Include your mindset work and daily self-care.
  • Recurring Tasks: Set aside time blocks for your grocery run, meal planning, and meal prep.
  • Workouts: Schedule your exercise sessions.
  • Connections: Allocate time for one-on-one interactions.
  • Rest: Include rest periods.
  • Life Essentials and Goals: Dedicate time blocks for life essentials and deep work on your goals.

Creating a themed workweek can be helpful, whether you work for yourself or in a job where your tasks vary. A default template for when you work on each category of tasks helps you stay focused and achieve better results.

Use this template as the skeleton of your plan when planning your weeks. Batch tasks and leave room for white space, so if something unexpected comes up, you have time for it without ruining your plans.

Creating Your Ideal Daily Schedule

Just like the default weekly schedule, you should have a version of your ideal day, noting when you will do certain habits or essentials. Since many activities are done daily or most days, set aside time in your daily routine for them.

Only schedule habits into your daily routine if it’s something you should do most days. Think about adding time for the Self-Mastery Seven mentioned earlier. Once you have this ideal daily routine, it becomes the template for how you move through your day. While it won’t always be 100% accurate, and some days will require adjustments, having this template will help you establish strong routines that make you a more organized and successful person.

Once you know what habits you need to work on, you can start adding those habits to your existing routines and create this time-blocked default weekly schedule to work from.

Phase Four: Goal/Life Organization

Now it’s time to get to the fourth and final phase of this mid-year reset process: Goal/Life Organization!

In this phase, we will cover what needs to get organized in your life to support the achievement of your goals. We’ll look at how your environment is currently set up and how it may already be supporting or perhaps hindering your goals. When I say environment, I mean three things: your physical environment (home, office, spaces where you live and work), the people in your environment who are impacting and influencing you, and your mindset (self-talk and limiting beliefs).

The way I see it is this: there is a reason you don’t have your goal yet—it’s because your environment isn’t optimal for you to take action. It doesn’t make it easy and stress-free for you to show up and live your life. So we need to ask ourselves some hard questions to see what needs to change so we have an environment conducive to achieving our goals!

Evaluating Your Current Environment

First, evaluate how your current environment either supports or hinders your goals. Look at your physical environment, the people in your life, and your mindset. What is working and what is not? Identify elements of support in each area and areas of hindrance that need to be fixed.

With that brain dump of ideas out of your head, let’s start getting more specific. Which areas of your home, office, or other personal spaces need organizing or optimization to bring you into alignment with your goals and ideal life?

Optimizing Your Physical Environment

One strategy I recommend for everyone is to get a handle on your wardrobe by choosing a Daily Uniform Template. Then, organize your closet so that your uniform is prioritized and the excess you don’t wear is moved or decluttered. Getting dressed in the morning is one of the most stressful points of the day for a woman. Research shows women are stressed out in the morning trying to choose what to wear, even with closets filled with clothes. A Daily Uniform Template solves this. It’s essentially deciding on a formula for dressing that works with your body shape, personal style, and the formality you dress for daily.

For example, my template for summer is a tank top, linen button-down, and linen pants or shorts. In the winter, I wear wool joggers and cashmere sweaters. Knowing this, I have cleared out clothes I don’t wear, pieces that don’t fit this template, or can’t easily be integrated with it, and streamlined my closet. This makes it quick and easy for me to get ready in the morning, and I know it will make it easier for you as well!

Beyond the closet, think about what you need to change in your physical environment to get the most from your space. Do you need to better organize files in your office? Reorganize the closet in the spare bedroom? Find a better storage solution for your towels in your bathroom? Identify the areas that need to be addressed. Some issues may have simple solutions like purchasing an organizational tool, but others may be projects requiring time to reorganize a space. These changes won’t happen overnight, but clearly identifying them means you can schedule time over the next few weeks to address them.

Evaluating the People in Your Life

Next, think about the people in your life. There is a quote I love that says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If you are trying to hit specific goals, you need to surround yourself with people who have also hit those goals or at least people with goals they are also going after.

On the flip side, if you have people in your life who are negative, unsupportive, or just not on a journey for personal growth, you may need to set boundaries with them, especially if they drain your time and energy more than necessary.

Ask yourself who in your life is bringing you stress and draining your energy. Take steps to set limits with them and protect your energy, so you have more energy for your goals and for interacting with like-minded individuals who are also working on their goals and dream life.

Sometimes, finding people on a similar journey is difficult, which is why I have the Charmed Life Master Mind where women in my community can learn, find accountability, and get coaching together to help them achieve their goals and create their best lives.

Improving Your Self-Talk

Finally, let’s address your self-talk. The way you speak to yourself is a major factor in your success. You are either your greatest hype person or your biggest critic. Your words and thoughts can motivate you into action or spiral you out of control. We need to get our self-talk to a more positive place by identifying the limiting beliefs we need to replace.

When you think about your goals, what limits do you see to your potential? A good way to identify limiting beliefs is to ask yourself why your goal might not work out. The answers will reveal the beliefs you need to face and replace. For each limiting belief, find some evidence or an affirmation that challenges the negative belief.

Here are a few examples:

  • Limiting Belief: I can’t get healthy; my whole family is out of shape.
    • Evidence: There are so many people who came from unhealthy families who made a change and ended up inspiring their families as well!
  • Limiting Belief: I can’t start a business; this niche is already too saturated.
    • Evidence: A saturated niche means plenty of business opportunity if I show up in a unique way.
  • Limiting Belief: I’m in my 40s and still not married; I’ll be single forever.
    • Evidence: People get married and divorced at every age; the right person for me is out there somewhere, also looking for me.

Once you have this evidence or affirmations, use them with your mindset work scheduled as part of the Self-Mastery Seven Success Habits!

Watch the Mid-Year Reset Video

Congratulations!

Once you have worked through this process, you have completed your Mid-Year Reset! You now have a clear vision for the next six months, a fresh vision board, realigned goals and life, key habits identified, template weekly and daily schedules in place, and a plan to organize your environment for success. Well done!

Join the Charmed Life Master Mind!

If you loved this post, gained valuable insights, and wish for more resources to help you plan and organize your life around achieving your goals, you belong inside the Charmed Life Master Mind!

The Charmed Life Master Mind is a planning, productivity, and personal development community designed for ambitious women. Here, you can learn, gain accountability, and receive coaching to help you show up as your best self each day, achieve your goals, and live your best life!

What You’ll Get in the Master Mind

  • Live Classes & On-Demand Tools: Access a mix of live classes and on-demand tools to enhance your planning and productivity skills.
  • Community Support: Join a supportive community where you can find inspiration, solutions, and coaching from me and other like-minded women.
  • Daily Inspiration & Coaching: Get daily inspiration and coaching as needed to keep you motivated and on track.

Why Join?

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you lack growth-minded people in your life right now, the Charmed Life Master Mind can be the community you need. Share your journey, struggles, and celebrate your wins with people who also want the best for you—including me! I’ll be there to mentor and coach you as often as you need it.

Remember, six months of hardcore focus and alignment can put you five years ahead in life. Massively up-level your life this year by joining the Charmed Life Master Mind and getting the support and tools you need to make a quantum leap with your goals!

Click here to enroll now and I can’t wait to work with you on your goals inside the Master Mind soon!

xoxo,

Habits + Routines Productivity

Productive Things to Do During Transition Times

Productive Things to Do During Transition Times

Transition times—they sneak up on us in the midst of our busy lives, catching us between tasks, appointments, or even just mundane moments like waiting in line or during commercial breaks. These pockets of time may seem insignificant, but they hold the potential to be valuable moments for personal growth and productivity. In this post, we’ll explore the concept of transition times and suggest productive activities to make the most of them.

Understanding Transition Times

Transition times encompass those moments when you find yourself in limbo—whether you’re commuting, waiting for an appointment, or simply taking a break between tasks. These intervals are typically too short to dive into significant tasks but often long enough to feel like wasted time if not utilized purposefully.

Instead of idly scrolling through your phone or letting your mind wander, consider embracing transition times as opportunities for engaged activity. By having a plan for how to spend these moments, you can transform them from mundane pauses into valuable periods of personal enrichment.

Productive Activities for Transition Times

  1. Read or Listen to a Book: Carry a book or download audiobooks to your device. Use transition times to immerse yourself in literature, whether fiction for relaxation or non-fiction for personal development.
  2. Learn Something New: Tune into a podcast or online class during your commute or downtime. Take advantage of the wealth of educational content available to expand your knowledge on various topics.
  3. Organize Photos on Your Phone: Use transition times to declutter and organize your digital life. Sort through photos, delete unnecessary files, and create albums for easy access.
  4. Respond to Quick Emails: Clear out your inbox by tackling short, straightforward emails during transition times. It’s a productive way to stay on top of communication without dedicating large chunks of time.
  5. Mindset Work: Practice affirmations, journaling, or guided meditation to nourish your mental well-being. Transition times offer ideal moments for quick mindset exercises that can boost your mood and productivity.
  6. Make a Plan: Take a few minutes to jot down goals, tasks, or ideas for the day ahead. Having a plan in place helps you stay focused and organized, even during brief intervals of time.
  7. Braindump: Release mental clutter by jotting down thoughts, ideas, or to-dos onto paper or a digital device. Transition times provide a perfect opportunity for a brain dump, clearing space for fresh inspiration.
  8. Brainstorm or Mindmap: Use transition times to brainstorm ideas or create mind maps for upcoming projects. Engaging in creative thinking exercises can spark innovative solutions and insights.
  9. Take a Nap: If you’re feeling fatigued, consider using transition times for a quick power nap. Even a brief rest can recharge your energy and enhance cognitive function.

Embracing Productivity in Transition Times

Transition times don’t have to be wasted moments in your day. By adopting a proactive approach and implementing productive activities, you can make the most of these intervals and turn them into opportunities for personal growth and self-improvement.

As you integrate these strategies into your routine, consider exploring further productivity techniques and strategies. Join the Charmed Life Mastermind to gain access to exclusive resources, coaching, and support to optimize your time management and productivity. Let’s transform transition times into moments of empowerment and progress together-giving you back more of your time!

Unlock the potential of your time and embark on a journey towards greater productivity and fulfillment. Join the Charmed Life Mastermind today and elevate your productivity game to new heights.

Click here to join now!

xoxo,

Functional Planning High Vibe Metaphysics

How to Leave Room for Inspired Action in Your Plans

How to Leave Room for Inspired Action in Your Plans

In the intricate tapestry of goal pursuit, the intersection of meticulous planning and the mystical realm of inspired action unveils a dynamic dance that propels us towards our deepest aspirations. It’s a delicate balance, where the precision of our plans meets the spontaneity of the universe’s guidance. This blog post is an exploration into the art of harmonizing structured planning with the magical process of manifestation—how to weave a roadmap for your goals while leaving ample space for the universe to whisper its guidance through inspired action.

In the realm of goal achievement, it’s easy to be consumed by the allure of well-structured plans. Yet, true mastery lies not just in the art of planning but in the art of allowing—allowing the universe to weave its threads of serendipity, synchronicity, and inspired nudges into the fabric of our meticulously laid-out goals. Join us on this journey as we unravel the secrets of purposeful planning, visualization, setting intentions, and the graceful embrace of inspired action, all culminating in a harmonious symphony that transforms aspirations into reality. As we navigate the confluence of strategy and spontaneity, may you discover the magic that lies in leaving room for inspired action within the carefully crafted blueprints of your dreams.

The Foundation of Purposeful Planning

In the grand orchestration of goal pursuit, purposeful planning stands as the cornerstone—a foundation that sets the tone for the symphony of achievement. As you embark on the journey toward your aspirations, it’s essential to craft a roadmap that not only guides your steps but aligns with the very essence of what you seek to manifest.

Begin by clearly defining your goals. What is it that you yearn to bring into existence? Whether it’s a career milestone, a personal transformation, or a creative endeavor, articulate your aspirations with clarity. Break down these larger-than-life visions into tangible, actionable steps—milestones that serve as markers on your journey.

As you lay out your plans, think of them as the blueprint for your dreams. This meticulous structuring not only provides a clear path forward but also instills a sense of direction and purpose. Each task, each objective becomes a conscious choice, a commitment to the larger narrative you’re weaving.

Consider your plans as the compass guiding you through uncharted territories. In the realm of manifestation, precision in planning is akin to tuning an instrument before a symphony—it ensures that every note, every action resonates in harmony with the melody of your overarching vision.

Moreover, purposeful planning involves a realistic assessment of your current resources, capabilities, and timelines. Be mindful of what you can realistically achieve within a given period. Setting achievable yet challenging goals creates a balance that propels you forward without overwhelming the journey.

In essence, this foundational step in goal pursuit is about creating a roadmap that aligns with your vision while remaining adaptable to the ebb and flow of life. As you meticulously sketch out the steps toward your dreams, remember that your plans are not rigid laws but flexible guides—invitations for the universe to collaborate in the grand composition of your aspirations. With purposeful planning as your ally, you’ve set the stage for a journey that is not only intentional but also open to the magic of inspired action.

Cultivating Alignment through Visualization

In the realm of manifestation, visualization serves as the vivid palette with which you paint the canvas of your dreams. It’s not just about plotting points on a map; it’s about immersing yourself in the sensory experience of your desired destination. As you weave your plans, take the time to cultivate alignment through the powerful practice of visualization.

Begin by creating a mental image of your goals as if they were already a reality. Close your eyes and envision the details—see the vibrant colors, feel the textures, and immerse yourself in the emotions associated with the accomplishment of your aspirations. Visualization is more than a mental exercise; it’s an emotional and sensory journey that connects you deeply with the essence of your dreams.

As you integrate visualization into your planning process, you infuse your goals with intention. The act of seeing your success in your mind’s eye is a powerful affirmation, a declaration to the universe that you are ready to receive the abundance you seek. This intentional alignment between your plans and your visualized success creates a resonance that reverberates through your actions.

Think of visualization as the compass that aligns your inner world with the outer reality you’re seeking to create. The more vividly you can see and feel your success, the more you align your energy with the frequency of achievement. This alignment is a magnetic force that draws your goals closer to you, making each step in your plan a purposeful stride toward the manifestation of your dreams.

In the practical sense, incorporate visualization into your planning routine. Dedicate moments to close your eyes, quiet your mind, and project yourself into the future where your goals are not just possibilities but living, breathing realities. This intentional visualization becomes a North Star, guiding your actions and decisions with a clarity that transcends the limitations of mere strategic planning.

In the grand interplay between vision and planning, the art of visualization bridges the gap, transforming your roadmap into a living, breathing document—a testament to your belief in the manifestation of your deepest desires. As you cultivate alignment through the practice of visualization, you invite the universe to join you in the co-creation of a reality that mirrors the vibrant images you paint in your mind.

Setting Intentions in Your Plans

Intentions are the silent architects of your reality, shaping the energy that flows through every action and decision. As you embark on the journey of turning your goals into reality, infuse your plans with purposeful intentions. This deliberate act goes beyond the mere execution of tasks; it’s a conscious alignment of your actions with the vibrational frequency of your desires.

Each element of your plan should be adorned with intentionality. Consider not just what needs to be done but why it matters. Attach profound meaning to each task, transforming them from mundane actions into purposeful steps on your journey. For every goal you set, ask yourself: What is the underlying intention behind its achievement? How will it contribute to your overall vision?

Setting intentions in your plans involves weaving a narrative of success. Instead of merely listing tasks, accompany each item with a clear intention. For instance, if one of your goals is career advancement, your intention might be to contribute meaningfully to your field, inspiring others with your work. This intention transforms a job-related task into a purposeful contribution to your overarching goal.

Moreover, intentions act as guideposts, keeping you focused on the deeper significance of your actions. In moments of challenge or ambiguity, revisiting the intentions behind your plans provides clarity and motivation. It becomes a source of inspiration that propels you forward, ensuring that your journey is not solely about reaching destinations but about embracing the transformative power of the path.

Consider integrating a dedicated intention-setting ritual into your planning routine. Before diving into the details of your tasks, take a moment to reflect on the greater purpose behind your efforts. Whether through meditation, journaling, or a simple pause for reflection, this ritual becomes a conscious declaration of your commitment to infuse each step with intention.

In the dance of manifestation, intentions act as the melody—the soulful undertone that harmonizes with the rhythm of your plans. As you set intentions in your plans, you’re not just navigating the course of achievement; you’re conducting a symphony of purpose, weaving a tapestry where every note contributes to the beautiful composition of your manifested dreams.

Leaving Space for the Unexpected

In the orchestration of goal pursuit, the unexpected often emerges as the silent conductor, introducing nuances and melodies that add depth to the symphony of your plans. Recognizing the magic that can unfold when you leave room for the unforeseen is a crucial aspect of the manifestation process. Rigidity in planning may stifle the spontaneity and serendipity that can lead to inspired action.

As you meticulously outline your roadmap, deliberately leave breathing room within your schedule. Avoid overloading your agenda with a relentless succession of tasks, allowing for pauses and open spaces. It’s within these gaps that the universe has the opportunity to weave its surprises into the narrative of your journey.

Consider these moments of open space as blank canvases awaiting the strokes of inspiration. The unexpected may manifest as chance encounters, sudden realizations, or unforeseen opportunities. By creating a flexible framework, you invite the universe to collaborate, guiding you through twists and turns that may ultimately enhance the richness of your experience.

Leaving space for the unexpected is not a surrender of control but a conscious acknowledgment that there are forces beyond your immediate understanding. It’s an invitation for the universe to contribute its creative flair to the masterpiece you’re crafting. Embrace the uncertainty, for within it lies the potential for discoveries, connections, and breakthroughs that may surpass even your most intricately laid-out plans.

Moreover, these open spaces act as a safety net, providing resilience in the face of unexpected challenges. Life’s unpredictabilities are inherent, and by leaving room for the unexpected, you cultivate adaptability. This adaptability becomes a powerful asset, allowing you to navigate detours with grace and turn unexpected twists into opportunities for growth.

In the dance between structure and spontaneity, leaving space for the unexpected ensures that your plans are not rigid scripts but dynamic narratives. As you embark on your journey, be open to the surprises that may unfold, for it is often in these unscripted moments that the universe whispers its guidance, leading you toward the serendipitous magic of inspired action.

The Dance of Inspired Action

Inspired action, like an ethereal dance partner, joins the symphony of structured plans, infusing your journey with spontaneity and magic. This dynamic interplay between strategic planning and the impromptu whispers of the universe transforms your aspirations into a living, breathing experience. The dance of inspired action is not a deviation from your plans but a harmonious improvisation that enhances the melody of your goals.

Recognize that inspired action often arrives as intuitive nudges, sudden insights, or an unexplained desire to pursue a specific course. These gentle whispers from the universe may not always align with your preconceived plans, and that’s the beauty of the dance. It’s in these moments of spontaneous guidance that you may find a shortcut, a novel approach, or an unexpected connection that propels you closer to your goals.

To fully engage in the dance of inspired action, cultivate mindfulness. Be present in the moment, attentive to the subtle cues that may direct your next steps. As you move through your planned tasks, remain open to the possibility of deviation—trust that these deviations may lead to the most profound discoveries.

Moreover, inspired action often unfolds in the spaces between tasks. While planning provides structure, it is within the gaps that the universe may introduce its most profound guidance. Allow these moments of stillness to be fertile ground for inspiration to bloom. Whether it’s during a quiet walk, a meditative pause, or a moment of reflection, let the dance of inspired action find you in the serenity of these interludes.

Incorporate flexibility into your plans to accommodate the spontaneous twists that inspired action may introduce. Consider your plans as a choreography that allows for improvisation, making room for the unexpected dance moves that may arise. By maintaining a balance between structure and spontaneity, you invite the universe to co-create with you, transforming your journey into an enchanting dance of synchronicity.

Ultimately, the dance of inspired action is a celebration of the dynamic relationship between your intentions and the subtle guidance of the universe. As you engage in this rhythmic interplay, relish in the joy of spontaneity, for it is within the dance that your goals come to life with a vibrancy that transcends the limitations of meticulous planning. May each step, whether planned or inspired, contribute to the enchanting choreography of your manifested dreams.

Embracing Synchronicity

Synchronicity, the artful alignment of meaningful events, often unfolds as the universe’s way of affirming your path. Embracing synchronicity within your plans is an acknowledgment that there is a higher order at play—one that weaves a tapestry of interconnected moments and serendipitous encounters. As you navigate the journey of manifestation, remain open to the signs, people, and opportunities that may cross your path, for within these moments lie the subtle whispers of the universe.

Incorporating synchronicity into your plans involves developing a heightened awareness of the meaningful coincidences that unfold around you. Pay attention to recurring themes, symbols, or unexpected encounters. These may serve as guideposts, directing you toward a more aligned and purposeful course.

As you engage in the dance of manifestation, invite synchronicity to be an active participant in your journey. Trust the unfolding of events, even if they deviate from your initial plans. Sometimes, what may seem like a detour is, in fact, the universe’s way of guiding you toward a more direct and fulfilling route to your goals.

Cultivate mindfulness in your daily life to fully embrace synchronicity. It may manifest in the form of a timely conversation, a chance meeting, or a serendipitous opportunity that aligns perfectly with your aspirations. Be present, and allow these synchronistic moments to be more than mere coincidences—let them be the threads that weave seamlessly into the fabric of your plans.

Consider keeping a synchronicity journal, where you document meaningful occurrences and the insights they bring. This practice not only reinforces your connection to the unfolding magic of your journey but also serves as a reflective tool for recognizing patterns and themes that may guide your future actions.

Embracing synchronicity is an invitation to co-create with the universe, acknowledging that your plans are not solely crafted in isolation. By allowing meaningful coincidences to influence your path, you infuse your journey with a sense of divine orchestration, transforming your goals into a harmonious symphony where each note resonates with purpose and meaning. As you navigate the dance of manifestation, welcome synchronicity as a trusted companion, for it is often in the alignment of these beautiful moments that the universe whispers its guidance most profoundly.

A Harmonious Symphony of Plans and Inspiration

In the grand finale of your journey toward manifestation, behold the culmination of your efforts—a harmonious symphony where meticulously crafted plans waltz gracefully with the enchanting melodies of inspired action and synchronicity. This dance is a testament to the dynamic interplay between structure and spontaneity, strategy and serendipity.

As you reflect on the path traveled, acknowledge the role of purposeful planning as the architect of your aspirations. Your roadmap provided direction and intention, grounding your dreams in actionable steps. Yet, in the intricate choreography of your journey, the universe stepped in, leading you through the unpredictable rhythm of inspired action and the meaningful cadence of synchronicity.

This harmonious symphony is not just the realization of goals; it is a celebration of co-creation with the universe. Your plans were not static blueprints but living documents, open to the magic of unforeseen twists and turns. In this realization, you find the true essence of manifestation—a collaborative dance where the universe conspires with your intentions to compose a masterpiece of dreams turned into reality. As the final notes linger in the air, may your heart resonate with gratitude for the orchestration of your journey—a harmonious symphony where plans and inspiration dance together in perfect unity.

Planning + Manifestation = Effortless Success

Are you ready to embark on a journey of intentional manifestation, where meticulously crafted plans harmonize effortlessly with inspired action and synchronicity? Join us in the Charmed Life Mastermind, where you’ll discover how to leave room for the magic of the universe to unfold within your carefully laid-out plans.

In our community, you’ll connect with fellow seekers who understand the delicate balance between structure and spontaneity in the pursuit of dreams. Through guided discussions, personalized coaching, and shared experiences, you’ll learn how to infuse your goals with intention, cultivate mindfulness, and embrace synchronicity as a guiding force.

Don’t settle for a journey dictated solely by rigid plans—embrace the symphony of possibilities that arises when you invite the universe to co-create with you. Join the Charmed Life Mastermind and unlock the transformative power of aligning your intentions with the divine orchestration of your path.

Your dreams are waiting—let’s embark on this enchanting journey together. Join the Charmed Life Mastermind today and step into the flow of inspired manifestation.

Click here to join now!

xoxo,

Productivity

6 Prioritization Strategies to Shrink Your To-Do List

6 Prioritization Strategies to Shrink Your To-Do List

In the fast-paced rhythm of modern life, our to-do lists often resemble ambitious scrolls, growing longer with each passing day. As responsibilities mount and tasks multiply, the challenge is not just managing the list but strategically shrinking it to focus on what truly matters. Enter the world of prioritization—an indispensable skill that empowers us to navigate the labyrinth of tasks efficiently. This blog post is your guide to mastering six powerful prioritization strategies designed to not only slim down your to-do list but also amplify your productivity and time management. Let’s delve into these strategies, each a compass guiding you through the maze of tasks and responsibilities, helping you hone in on what deserves your immediate attention and energy. The goal is not just to do more but to do what matters most, making each moment count in the grand symphony of your daily endeavors.

1. Eisenhower Matrix: A Framework for Urgency and Importance

The Eisenhower Matrix, named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, provides a structured approach to prioritizing tasks based on their urgency and importance. In a world inundated with to-do lists, this method acts as a compass, helping you navigate the clutter and zero in on tasks that demand your immediate attention.

How to Use:

1. Urgent and Important (Quadrant I): These are tasks that require immediate attention. They are both crucial and time-sensitive. Tackle these tasks first and foremost to prevent crises or missed opportunities.

2. Important, but Not Urgent (Quadrant II): These tasks are significant for long-term goals but may not be time-sensitive. Schedule dedicated time to work on these tasks, ensuring they don’t become urgent later. This quadrant is often where strategic planning and personal growth activities fall.

3. Urgent, but Not Important (Quadrant III): Tasks in this quadrant demand immediate attention, but they contribute minimally to your long-term goals. Assess if these tasks can be delegated or minimized to free up time for more critical activities.

4. Neither Urgent nor Important (Quadrant IV): Tasks in this quadrant are neither time-sensitive nor crucial for your goals. Consider eliminating or postponing these tasks to focus on what truly matters.

Why It Works:

The power of the Eisenhower Matrix lies in its ability to bring clarity to the chaotic landscape of tasks. By categorizing tasks into these four quadrants, you gain a strategic perspective on what needs your attention most urgently and what contributes significantly to your long-term success. It’s a tool that not only helps you prioritize effectively but also ensures that your efforts align with your overarching goals, preventing burnout and fostering a more balanced approach to task management. Whether you’re juggling professional responsibilities or personal projects, the Eisenhower Matrix empowers you to make decisions with purpose, ensuring that your time and energy are invested where they will yield the greatest impact.

2. ABCDE Method: A Strategic Approach to Prioritization

The ABCDE Method is a straightforward yet powerful strategy for prioritizing tasks, providing a clear roadmap to address your to-do list systematically. Developed by productivity expert Brian Tracy, this method offers a practical framework for discerning the importance and urgency of each task, allowing you to allocate your time and effort with precision.

How to Use:

1. A Tasks: These are your top-priority tasks—those that must be done today. These tasks typically have immediate and significant consequences if not completed promptly. Focus your energy on completing A tasks before anything else.

2. B Tasks: These are important but not as time-sensitive as A tasks. B tasks have flexibility, meaning they should be done today, but you have some leeway. Schedule these tasks after completing your A tasks.

3. C Tasks: These tasks could be done today but are optional. While they may contribute to your overall goals, they aren’t as crucial. If time permits, address C tasks, but they should not take precedence over A and B tasks.

4. D Tasks: Delegate these tasks to others if possible. Effective delegation allows you to free up your time for more high-impact activities. If a task doesn’t require your specific skills or attention, entrust it to someone else.

5. E Tasks: Eliminate or postpone these tasks. These are tasks that, upon closer inspection, might not contribute significantly to your goals. If possible, remove them from your to-do list or postpone them to a later date.

Why It Works:

The ABCDE Method is effective because it forces you to assess tasks not only in terms of urgency but also in relation to their impact on your goals. By categorizing tasks into A, B, C, D, and E, you gain clarity on which tasks require immediate attention and which can be addressed with more flexibility. This method streamlines decision-making, ensuring that your focus aligns with your overarching priorities. As you tackle tasks in order of priority, you create a more efficient and purposeful approach to managing your time and responsibilities. The ABCDE Method is a valuable tool for anyone seeking a systematic way to navigate a demanding to-do list while staying focused on what truly matters.

3. Moscow Method: Streamlining Priorities with Precision

The Moscow Method is a prioritization technique that originated in the world of project management, gaining popularity for its ability to systematically categorize tasks based on their criticality. Derived from the acronym MOSCOW, this method provides a structured approach to sorting tasks and projects, ensuring that energy and resources are allocated with strategic precision.

How to Use:

1. Must-Have (M): These are non-negotiable tasks—absolute essentials that must be completed. They form the backbone of your priorities and should be tackled first.

2. Should-Have (S): Tasks in this category are important but not as critical as Must-Have tasks. They contribute significantly to your goals but offer a bit more flexibility in terms of timing.

3. Could-Have (C): Desirable but not crucial, Could-Have tasks are optional and can be pursued if time and resources permit. These tasks often enhance the overall quality or experience.

4. Won’t-Have (W): Tasks in this category can be deferred or eliminated. They are not immediately essential and can be revisited later or discarded altogether.

Why It Works:

The Moscow Method’s strength lies in its ability to provide a nuanced view of task priorities. By categorizing tasks into Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Won’t-Have, you gain clarity on what is indispensable versus what is optional. This method encourages a strategic focus on tasks that align with your immediate goals, preventing the dissipation of energy on non-essential activities. Whether applied to project management or personal task lists, the Moscow Method empowers individuals and teams to make informed decisions about where to direct their efforts. It’s a systematic approach to prioritization that ensures that the most critical tasks receive the attention they deserve, leading to more effective and purposeful outcomes.

4. Eat the Frog: Conquering Challenges Head-On for Peak Productivity

Coined by renowned productivity expert Brian Tracy, the “Eat the Frog” method is a metaphorical call to action that encourages individuals to tackle their most challenging tasks first thing in the morning. The “frog” represents the most difficult and often procrastinated task on your to-do list, and the idea is to confront it head-on to set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

How to Use:

1. Identify the Frog: Take a moment to assess your to-do list and pinpoint the task that feels the most challenging or demanding—the one you’re tempted to postpone.

2. Prioritize the Frog: Make the frog your top priority for the day. By addressing the most difficult task early, you ensure that it doesn’t linger in your thoughts, creating unnecessary stress.

3. Leverage Morning Energy: Tackle the frog during your peak energy hours, typically in the morning. This is when your mind is fresh, and you have the mental clarity to confront challenges effectively.

4. Enjoy a Sense of Accomplishment: Completing the most challenging task first thing provides a sense of accomplishment and sets a positive momentum for the rest of the day. It frees up mental space for other tasks.

Why It Works:

The “Eat the Frog” method leverages psychological principles to enhance productivity. By confronting the most challenging task early in the day, you eliminate the mental burden of anticipation and build momentum for subsequent tasks. This method capitalizes on the concept of willpower, which tends to be strongest in the morning. By accomplishing a difficult task early, you set the stage for a day characterized by achievement and reduced stress. “Eating the frog” is about cultivating a proactive mindset and fostering a sense of empowerment over your to-do list, ultimately leading to increased productivity and a more positive work experience.

5. RICE Framework: Maximizing Impact with Systematic Prioritization

The RICE Framework is a strategic prioritization method designed to help individuals and teams assess the impact of various tasks or projects. Developed by Intercom, a product management and design company, the RICE Framework factors in reach, impact, confidence, and effort to provide a comprehensive scoring system for prioritization.

How to Use:

1. Reach (R): Evaluate how many people will be affected by the task or project. Consider the potential audience, users, or stakeholders who will benefit from or be impacted by the completion of the task.

2. Impact (I): Assess the overall effect or benefit of the task. What will be the magnitude of the change or improvement resulting from the completion of this task or project?

3. Confidence (C): Estimate your confidence in the expected outcomes. How certain are you that the task will deliver the anticipated impact? This factor helps mitigate uncertainty in the prioritization process.

4. Effort (E): Consider the resources, time, and effort required to complete the task. This includes the manpower, tools, and any other resources needed for successful execution.

5. Calculate the RICE Score: Assign a numerical score to each of the four factors (Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort). The RICE score is calculated by multiplying Reach, Impact, and Confidence, and then dividing the result by Effort. The higher the RICE score, the higher the priority.

Why It Works:

The RICE Framework excels in providing a quantitative approach to task prioritization. By systematically evaluating reach, impact, confidence, and effort, individuals and teams can objectively assess the potential value and feasibility of various tasks. The RICE score allows for a comparative analysis, ensuring that efforts are directed toward tasks that offer the greatest impact relative to the resources invested. This method is particularly useful in product development, project management, and any scenario where tasks must be prioritized based on their potential influence and efficiency. The RICE Framework not only streamlines decision-making but also promotes a strategic allocation of resources for maximum impact.

6. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): Achieving More by Focusing on the Vital Few

The Pareto Principle, often referred to as the 80/20 Rule, is a universal concept that asserts that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Named after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, this principle can be applied to various aspects of life, including task management, to identify and prioritize the most impactful activities.

How to Use:

1. Identify the Vital Few: Recognize the 20% of tasks or activities that contribute to 80% of your desired outcomes. These are the high-impact activities that deserve your primary focus.

2. Assess Task Contributions: Analyze the impact of each task or activity on your overall goals. Which tasks contribute significantly to your desired results, and which ones have a lesser impact?

3. Allocate Resources Accordingly: Direct a disproportionate amount of your time, energy, and resources toward the vital few tasks that yield the most significant results. This may involve reevaluating your task list and adjusting priorities.

4. Minimize the Trivial Many: Acknowledge that not all tasks contribute equally to your goals. Identify and minimize tasks that fall into the “trivial many” category, recognizing that they may not significantly impact your overall objectives.

Why It Works:

The Pareto Principle is a powerful tool for optimizing productivity and efficiency. By focusing on the vital few tasks that contribute the most to your goals, you can achieve greater results with less effort. This principle encourages a shift in mindset, promoting the understanding that not all tasks are created equal. It prompts individuals to identify and prioritize the critical activities that drive success, allowing for a more intentional allocation of time and resources. Whether applied to business, personal development, or time management, the Pareto Principle empowers individuals to work smarter, not harder, by concentrating efforts on the tasks that truly matter. It’s a valuable principle that encourages strategic thinking and can lead to more impactful and rewarding outcomes.

Mastering the Art of Prioritization for Lasting Productivity

In the whirlwind of tasks and responsibilities that define our daily lives, the ability to prioritize effectively becomes the linchpin for sustained productivity and accomplishment. The six prioritization strategies—Eisenhower Matrix, ABCDE Method, Moscow Method, Eat the Frog, RICE Framework, and Pareto Principle—serve as invaluable guides, offering diverse approaches to navigate the labyrinth of to-do lists with strategic precision.

As we conclude our exploration of these prioritization methodologies, it becomes clear that the path to productivity is not solely about doing more but about doing what matters most. The Eisenhower Matrix prompts us to discern between urgency and importance, while the ABCDE Method encourages us to align tasks with our overarching priorities. The Moscow Method adds a layer of strategic categorization, urging us to distinguish between must-haves and optional tasks. “Eating the frog” challenges us to confront challenges head-on, leveraging the power of morning energy.

The RICE Framework introduces a quantitative dimension, allowing for a meticulous evaluation of tasks based on reach, impact, confidence, and effort. Lastly, the Pareto Principle stands as a timeless reminder that a small fraction of efforts often leads to the majority of outcomes.

Ultimately, the art of prioritization is a dynamic and personalized journey. It involves understanding the unique interplay of urgency, importance, impact, and effort within the context of our goals. As you embark on this journey, experiment with these strategies and adapt them to your workflow. Embrace the flexibility to refine your approach based on the evolving demands of your projects and objectives.

In the realm of productivity, prioritization is the compass that guides us through the noise, helping us carve a path toward meaningful achievements. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, a student juggling academics, or an entrepreneur steering the ship of your ventures, these prioritization strategies are tools to refine your focus, enhance your decision-making, and amplify your impact.

So, armed with these prioritization techniques, embark on your daily challenges with newfound clarity. Shrink your to-do list not through mere elimination, but through strategic prioritization—making every task a deliberate step toward your goals. May your days be marked by purposeful productivity and your to-do lists be transformed from overwhelming scrolls into concise roadmaps leading you to success.

Ready to take control of your to-do list and transform your productivity?

Join us in the Charmed Life Mastermind, where you’ll gain exclusive access to in-depth discussions, personalized coaching, and actionable strategies to implement these prioritization techniques effectively.

In our community, you’ll connect with like-minded women who are committed to mastering the art of prioritization and achieving lasting success. Together, we’ll navigate the complexities of modern life and empower each other to prioritize what truly matters.

Don’t let your to-do list overwhelm you—take charge of your productivity journey today. Join the Charmed Life Mastermind and start shrinking your to-do list strategically. Your charmed life awaits—let’s embark on this transformative journey together.

Enrollment is currently open, there are three subscriptions options available so you can choose the payment structure that works for you.

Enroll and Begin Today!

Imagine where you will be 3 months, 6 months or even a year from now! Your future is built by the decisions and actions you take today, so start building a better future for yourself, your family and your community by joining the Charmed Life Master Mind now.

xoxo,