First, I want to wish you a happy, healthy 2018! We made it through 2017 my friends. I am so excited to start 2018 with you and this little beginning of the year "series" of posts. But before we get started, here is a friendly reminder that now is the time to update your copyright date on your website, photography programs, etc. Type in that 2018 date loud and proud. Now, with that little bit of business out of the way, let's get started on making plans for the New Year.

Setting goals for the New Year is one thing, putting said goals into action is another ball of wax. To be honest, I have never been much of a goal setter - until recently. This Stephen Covey quote sums up my history with setting goals. I finally realized that unless I have a clear plan, with a clearly defined work plan, I'm probably not going to consistently work on specific, long-term goals on a regular basis. Sure, I regularly work on what needs my attention most at any given time. But the long-term goals, with no immediate deadline, seem to get lost in the shuffle. This past year I have been working on systems that best suit me and the way I work. The overall system is surely a work in progress, but I hope that some of these tools might be useful to you. And, I am certainly interested in learning about any tools you have found that work for you. I hope that, together, we can help each other make 2018 our most productive year yet. So, let's start with planners.

Passion Planner

A couple of years ago, I was gifted a Passion Planner to use for 2016. I really liked the Mind Mapping, Goal Setting, and regular reminders to review your goals. Overall, I think it was a good planner for me, but I am still in search for a system with more customization because I think I need more help in making sure I am consistently working on my goals. This is not any fault of the planner, but rather my novice status at goal setting. As I mentioned previously, I am rather new to the whole goal setting arena and I am still trying to "educate" myself. I am certainly not ruling out the possibility of returning to this system, but I need to refine my system first. More information is good, right?

Your Best Year 2018

In 2016, I bought Lisa Jacobs book, Your Best Year 2016, but I never put it into action because I was using the Passion Planner. The Passion Planner is pre-dated and therefore, I perceived it as time-sensitive to put into use. Well, I returned to Lisa Jacobs this year and purchased Your Best Year 2018. I have printed the pages, organized them in a 3-ring binder, completed the "exercises", and I'm ready to get the 2018 party started.

So, now it is your turn. How do you set goals? And, more importantly, how do you hold yourself accountable for working on your goals or track progress?

I do hope you will return tomorrow. I will reveal the details of my primary planner for 2017, time management tools, and why I will still be using them in 2018.