Daily Goal Setter Planner - my review

Do you ever find you need a helping hand to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative, maybe the whole process of setting and prioritising goals is feeling like a bit of an overwhelming task? If you're like me and the answer is yes (and even more so since returning from holiday!) then the lovely people at Mål Paper have the answer.

They kindly offered to send me a copy of their Daily Goal Planner to review. First impressions on receiving the planner was just how professional it looks. I opted for the black finish as I wanted something smart enough to use on the go and at meetings while still being small enough to fit into a tote bag along with a laptop. It also has a sturdy back pocket perfect for keeping receipts in or any important keepsakes.

The planner is split into monthly, weekly and daily pages with a rating score on each page. The daily pages have a section to note down great things that happened that day. This is such a good idea - it's all too easy to focus on the negatives in life and this really helps you to focus on the positives whether they're big or small. You could have finally got that long awaited promotion or simply had lunch with a friend, either way, they're all positive things in your day.

At the front of the planner is a very helpful section on getting started. We all have dreams and ambitions but sometimes they feel a bit overwhelming and unreachable. By breaking them down into realistic and achievable goals - it helps you declutter your mind to reach those goals.

It talks you through setting effective goals:

• Identify the goal
• Identify it's importance/value
• Write it down
• Review your goals

Are your goals SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely

There's also a section on routines, helping you to rate your tasks using the ABCDE method which prioritises tasks from A (must be completed) to E (no consequence if task isn't completed that day). Also suggested daily, weekly and monthly routines so that you can get into the habit of practising daily gratitude and daily affirmations. All of which helps to create a positive mindset.

One feature I particularly like is that the pages are undated. There's no pressure to make an entry every day and if you forget, go on holiday or are ill, you don't start again with blank pages making you feel bad about what you missed! 

The planner is available in black, grey or pink from Mål Paper for £20.95. Perfect if you want help to focus on a more positive outlook and realise your dreams.

Thanks for reading

Cathy

(Planner was gifted for the purpose of this review)

A New Year - 16 in 16

Hello there,

Happy New Year! The lovely Sophie from Busy Little Fee had the wonderful idea of looking at 16 things we can do in 2016.

I have to admit, it was pretty hard to think of 16 things. I don't believe in making resolutions as such and I don't tend to share my personal life on here too much so inevitably there are some things which I will keep private. But I did eventually come up with a list of 16 things:

1. Move the blog to self hosting. Now I'm just a hobby blogger, I'll be the first to admit that, but I do love doing it and it's coming up to the two year anniversary in March this year. So I aim to try to move to self hosting by then. Arghhh.....!
   
2. Try to do 4 posts a month. Sometimes life overtakes us and plans like this go out the window. But I'm going to try my hardest. I did my own version of Blogmas last year and I survived, so 4 posts a month can't be too hard...can it?
   
3. More OOTDs. I have a terrible habit of getting to the end of the day and completely forgetting to take a pic of what I wore. Now admittedly, a lot of the time, it's just jeans and jumpers, but on some days, I push the boat out and it's those days I need to remember to blog about.
   
4. As some of you will know, I work free-lance from home. This year I really want to build on this and be more successful.
   
5. Travel more. Ideally round the world! But failing that, anywhere. Working from home esp, it's far too easy to become housebound. This isn't really a new goal, more of a continuation from previous years. Even a trip to the next town along to do some shopping, or a day trip to London. A change of scenery does you the world of good.
   
6. Try vlogging before the year is out. Now, I've done holiday videos in the past and some for hobbies, but none yet for the blog. Quite what I could talk about, who knows, but I'll try to do something this year.
   
7. Ignore the people who think blogging is silly, vain, a joke, a waste of time etc. I don't tend to tell many people that I have a blog for this very reason. But even so, I've heard all of the above.
   
8. De-clutter!! Again, this is a continuation. I've been selling on Ebay and charity shopping all the things I no longer wear or need. It's hard going - I tend to get over-sentimental and hate getting rid of things. But de-clutter I must - esp if I want to buy new things!! (see the problem there??).
   
9. Save money - use charity shops more. Now this isn't hard to do at all. I love nothing more than having a good old mooch around our local charity shops. But they don't just do clothes. Use them for homeware, books, curtains and even greetings cards.
   
10. Museums. I love museums and I'm so aware there's lots in the Hampshire area that I haven't yet visited, despite living here all my life. So I plan to compile a checklist and see how many I can do in the coming year.
    
11. Do one thing per month that's new. This kind of ties in with the previous goal, but doesn't just have to be museums. Instead of passing by a cafe or shop and wondering what it's like - stop and go in. You might find a new favourite.
    
12. Stop for coffee - again, similar to the previous goal. I want to rush less and stop for coffee (or in my case - hot chocolate). Take time out to stop and watch the world.
    
13. Spend less time online. Now this is a weird one. Yes, I want to grow my blog, but I also need to spend less time comparing it to other blogs. It's mine and unique to me and will grow in it's own time. I don't spend a lot of time on Facebook already - anything with too many dramas is a real switch-off!
    
14. Crafting. I love crafting, esp jewellery making. That's really dropped by the wayside though in the last year or so as I've had less free-time after going freelance. It's a relaxing hobby so I'd like to start again in 2016.
    
15. Remember to reply to messages! Those that know me will know how bad I am at this! I look at a message, think of a reply in my head, then get distracted and never actually do it. I will try to do better - honest!
    
16. Be as fabulous in 2016 as I was in 2015! I saw this image going round online in the last few days and I think it's so true.
    
    

These aren't resolutions, just goals and aims for the forthcoming year. And if none come to fruition - than we'll all still be just as fabulous as we were at the start of the year.

Anyway - that's my goals for the year. Hope you enjoyed reading them and I'll try to revisit maybe halfway through the year to see how I'm doing.

Thanks for reading

Cathy

xx