One of the things I really wanted to learn how to do this year with my iPad was to create a digital planner. I am very much a paper and pen kind of person, but I am trying to minimize the amount of paper items that I utilize.
I follow K Digital Studio on YouTube and Kirstin does an amazing job providing step by step instructions switching to digital note-taking. I actually watched her class on how to make a digital planner on SkillShare, which you can try for 30 days free through my referral link here.
She teaches you how to build a digital planner using Keynote on both the iPad and MacBook. It was a pretty easy process overall with the most time-consuming piece of linking the slides back to the month and week calendars.
I created a blank cover for my planner and linked monthly calendars with the tabs on the sides. For example, here is my August 2021 monthly view of the calendar.
In Kirstin’s class, she teaches you how to make an undated planner, but I went ahead and dated mine for July 2021 – June 2022 in my own handwriting. Here are my daily pages:
I then exported the Keynote file to PDF and downloaded it to my GoodNotes app to use for the rest of the year!
My goal is to continue using SkillShare to learn how to make other digital products that I can sell online through my website and through Etsy.
Because this is my first attempt and I’m planning to use this version myself, I am providing a FREE download of the digital planner here:
When it comes to big life decisions, planning and preparation are key. However, sometimes we are faced with time constraints that limit the ability to see the big picture. I have been in both situations where I had the luxury of time and where I did not. There are some common strategies that I employed in all circumstances that helped me come to the ultimate decisions that I made.
While I sometimes wonder “what if” I had made a different decision, I do believe that everything happens for a reason and I’m on the path I’m supposed to be on. I’m personally in the process of using these steps to help me with a big life decision regarding leaving the country and potential work. So here are three strategies to consider as you think about the next big decision in your life.
Advice for big life decisions
1. Be selective about the advice your receive
I do believe it is important to seek out advice from the people who may be impacted by your decision or who have been in similar situations. However, be mindful of sharing your dilemma with every single person in your life. If you tell 15 people, you may end up getting 15 different suggestions on what you “should” do. Most people are trying to be helpful, but they can only speak from their personal perspectives and experience.
I am definitely a list type of gal. I love to write things down and check them off as I go. The benefit of writing pros and cons is to visualize all the possible things that could be good or bad about your decision. My suggestion is to do a brain dump first and just create two lists: one with all of the pros that go along with your possible decision and one with the cons that go along with your decision.
After getting every possible consequence, reason, or benefit that you can think of down on paper, then start to prioritize the importance of those impacts. For example, if you are thinking about moving to another state, but your child is in their senior year of high school, can you wait one year? Or, if there is an opportunity to make more money that could benefit the long run and the chance won’t come around again, then perhaps you might want to seize it.
3. Write down the most important questions
If there are any unknowns about your potential big life decision that someone could answer, then write down every question you have. What are the things you want to know? Who can you talk to for advice that you trust? What else has to happen if you make this decision?
You will probably think of questions as you are creating your pros and cons list and go back and forth between these two strategies. Do your best to find answers to these questions as you process the best course of action regarding this life decision. Again, prioritize the most important responses to help facilitate the best decision for you and the people you care about.
A few reminders as you think about what to do with these big life decisions:
You probably won’t be able to make everyone happy no matter which course you choose.
Don’t be swayed by everyone’s input to the point of confusion.
Be realistic about your timeline as you start planning so you don’t get rushed at the end if you can help it.
Whatever it is that you’re thinking about changing in your life, employ these strategies to try to come to the best decision possible. We are human and sometimes we don’t make the right ones, so be forgiving with yourself and the people around you as much as possible, particularly during stressful times. Big life decisions are no easy tasks. Wishing you every happiness in your life!
Mindset matters and it’s important to figure out how to create positive shifts. I have had a lot of conversations lately with friends and family about mindset shifts. And I’m fascinated by the prospect that we have control over lives simply by changing our mindset about certain situations. Thoughts are powerful things and we can either let them run us down or build us up. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I truly do need to do the work of reprogramming my mind to worry less and recognize reality.
Now, I have done a lot of internal work to overcome this and I believe if I didn’t have such strong goal-setting protocols, I probably would be much more all over the place. Using mindset shifts, I’ve been working on getting rid of limiting beliefs that I think are holding me back from the potential I have.
When I talk with others about the power of changing a fixed mindset, I’m reminded of how much control we can take over our lives. So what exactly is the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset?
Mindset Matters – Fixed Mindset
As an educator, I learned about the work of Dr. Carol Dweck and students’ mindsets toward achievement. Her research looked into how students respond to different messages in terms of motivation and achievement.
In this EdWeek article, she talks about how we need to own our fixed mindsets in some way before being able to shift to a growth mindset. And that the reality is that we are all some combination and fixed and growth mindsets.
A fixed mindset is basically telling ourselves that it is what it is, essentially. My dad always says that and I just realized how that probably influenced a lot of his thinking and actions over the years.
Our beliefs foster our realities. I am truly trying to embody what it means to have a growth mindset during a time of great uncertainty in my life. How can I respond to the cues in my environment to make the most of my situation? What talents or skills am I not putting to full use right now to manifest the things I need in my life.
The writing of George Couros goes beyond the growth mindset to what the terms the innovator’s mindset. The example he uses about obstacles is that someone with a fixed mindset might give up in that situation.
Someone with a growth mindset would persevere despite odds stacked against them. And someone with an innovator mindset will seek possibilities and opportunities within and outside of the obstacles that they face. This is why mindset matters.
As I think about how this relates to my life and the people around me, I want to constantly seek new ways of thinking and expand the bounds of my knowledge. To do that, I have to be open to opportunities and willing to take chances. To do this, I need to work on my empowerment mindset and personal empowerment techniques.
I’m a work in progress right now, but then again, aren’t we all?
Have you ever had any automatic negative thoughts?
As a worst-case scenario thinker, I recently learned from my therapist that these are called automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). And that it’s actually quite common, so I’m not alone in these thoughts. However, if I let them persist, it can result in some not-so-pleasant effects.
Therefore, she said I need to recognize them in real-time and try to create strategies for my brain to stamp them out and get rid of them. I suppose it does feel good to know there is a name for these thoughts as they come into my head and I’m not the only one who has to deal with them.
My therapist used the analogy of these thoughts coming marching in like ants. If I let them take hold and build a nest, then more and more ants will join the group. However, if I see it and squish it before more join, then I can start to change some of my thought patterns for the positive.
It’s okay to have the ANTs, but the key is noticing it in time before it starts to cause more damage to confidence and create unnecessary worry and anxiety.
I immediately thought of the pink panther and had the “dead ant” dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” joke in my brain. And if you sang along to those words in quotation marks, you know exactly what I’m talking about. In case you don’t, check out the theme song and put the words dead ant to the beat.
So let’s stamp out thoseautomatic negative thoughts from our thinking. Keep in mind that I am not a licensed therapist, just someone who tries to take my therapist’s advice and apply it in my own way to my own life.
When automatic negative thoughts come rolling in, notice them, acknowledge them, and then find a counter-narrative. For example, if I think that the outfit I’m wearing looks terrible, I might focus on the earrings or bracelets that look nice. Or, I might appreciate something about myself to give me more confidence.
Stop the spiral. So maybe you let in one negative thought by accident. When you get a second or a third, begin to take notice of how those thoughts are impacting your beliefs about yourself and even your actions. Change course and implement affirmations instead.
Be realistic. Start to ask yourself what the reality of the situation entails. What if? What if? What if? By putting things into perspective, you can tell which thoughts are not serving you well. Ask yourself detailed questions about the thoughts or situation.
If you’re having trouble breaking these negative thought patterns and stomping out the automatic negative thoughts, then try some stress-reducing techniques. It’s a process that might take a long time to work through. Trust me, I am deep in the process myself. However, I don’t want to get caught up in toxic positivity either where I’m so far removed from reality.
And if you genuinely find something about yourself that doesn’t feel right, then think about growing and changing, and recognize that that’s okay too. You don’t have to stay the same version of yourself forever.
I recently went back through some of my initial blog posts in February 2021 to add links to more recent articles I’ve written. For the SEO stuff I’m learning, this is supposed to help increase domain authority to get me to rank in Google search results. I know that takes time to accomplish, but I need to set myself up for success as I move forward in building this website.
Here is my first post on February 9, 2021 about organizing my workspace. As I review this post, I feel like the ideas are good, but it’s a little more sterile than some of the later posts. I was originally planning to have a formula for my posts: essentially pick a topic, share some background, and then list some tips or resources for people to take away. I also wanted to include more links for affiliate marketing as a way to earn some extra income.
What I realized is that for this particular blog I want my voice to be central in my posts. So, I started to share personal experiences and discuss the ways in which I come up with blog topics. But, truthfully, I’m still kind of figuring this out as I go and learning in public with this process. By doing so, I hope to inspire others to go out and chase a dream or hobby and just see what happens.
When people post comments on my blog, it also helps me respond to the needs of the people who are reading. And so, I want my voice to be helpful as well as inspirational to others. So if you’ve made it this far in reading my post, drop a hello in the comments below! I’d love to interact more with the 192 people who have chosen to follow this journey thus far.
Every month, I plan to go back to older posts and re-read them for clarity, engagement, and link to more recent blog articles that I’ve written. As I go through this editing process, I hope that my voice starts to come across more and more and that the connection is purposeful and authentic.
By going through this self-reflection process and continuing to learn new strategies to market the blog, I believe my writing will also improve. I’m used to being an academic writer, which is a much more prescribed and formulaic type of writing. I’m embracing the creative aspect of owning my own domain and choosing how to present ideas to the world.
I write and think a lot about time management skills. I don’t consider myself to be an expert on time management skills yet. In fact, I consider myself a work in progress, constantly looking for ways to improve or better balance the competing demands of life. However, I love sharing what I’m learning about time management with others. For example, I created this time management 30 day reflection journal as a way to challenge yourself to dig deeper into how you manage your time.
Time flows in and out of our lives every second and no matter what, it passes. So the question is, are you making the most of your time? Sure, I also talk about productivity here, but that’s not the only thing that can benefit from effective time management skills. As I’ve shared time management tips and strategies before, now I want to talk a bit more about the reasons why you should care about your time management strategies.
5 Reasons Effective Time Management Skills Will Help You in the Long-Run
Less Stress – If you have ever been running late to something or staying up all night to finish a project by a deadline, then you know the kind of stress that procrastination can bring. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but many times, we can take steps to identify upcoming dates and deadlines and be prepared before that time arrives.
MoreOpportunities – Whether this is for personal or professional reasons, you will get more opportunities because you will have time to say yes or no to the things you want to do. If you want to take on a new work project or hobby or just take some downtime for yourself, you will have the opportunity to choose.
Reaching Goals – If I had not managed my time effectively to set a training schedule around work, family, and other commitments, I probably would not have been able to complete a half marathon. By balancing commitments and prioritizing tasks, you have a greater chance of reaching personal and professional goals.
Positive Relationships – It is easier to follow through with a friend or coworker when you manage your calendar effectively. This could be as simple as entering all important birthdays, anniversaries, and events on an annual repeating basis so you can keep track of what is on the horizon.
Enjoy Life – As part of this work, work, work culture, it’s easy to get caught up in putting out fires and a sense of urgency around everything. Same thing with family schedules and the competing needs of the people around you. By keeping up with goals, prioritizing importance, and regularly checking your calendar, you may find more time to have some fun or just take some time for yourself. This one also goes hand in hand with less stress because you can feel confident that you did the best you could and hopefully enjoy the hard-earned time to yourself and with your family.
I want you to take away from this message that your time is important. It’s not necessary to fill the calendar to the brim all the time to be an “effective” time manager. Rather, it’s more important to focus your time on the things that matter and are important to you or perhaps necessary at a given time in your life. And your time management strategies and techniques may ebb and flow with the goals and circumstances of your life. Be true to that, to yourself, and to the people you care about.
My new focus is purposeful productivity. I recently read another post about the dangers of toxic productivity. I’m all for getting rid of the idea of being productive for productive’s sake or for the betterment of someone else’s goals and ambitions.
Have you seen that meme about how U.S. workers will be in the hospital having an email away message saying that they can be reached by text while other countries will have an away message that says I’ll get back to you in a few months or eventually or never?
Well, if you haven’t, you should Google it. And then reflect on it because it really slaps you in the face if you’re a workaholic like myself. It makes me reflect on how we’ve been conditioned to think that we owe our entire lives to our employer or our job. There’s even fear of retribution if we have to for some reason call out or handle personal or family emergencies.
Fortunately, I’ve actually worked in a lot of places that have been more understanding of my situations than I have. Meaning, I’ve often been tougher on myself or felt more guilty about not following through if something came up. But, that’s life. That’s reality. And people and family and your personal physical and mental health are more important than a job.
There are many conflicting opinions on what people should have done with their time during the pandemic. Some advocated for rest, while others said it was time to learn a new skill or finally reach that goal. The reality is that we were all living in a time of uncertainty and every single person’s own situation was unique and distinct to them. There is no room to judge others for what they should or shouldn’t have done with their time.
So as I’ve been seeing more and more about the toxic productivity culture, I tried to think of an alternative to always just being productive. I thought of purposeful productivity and was excited at the prospect of coining a new phrase. But alas, Google showed me there were a couple of really awesome articles already written about the topic. One useful checklist includes ideas for mental, digital, and physical areas of our lives. Another post includes 35 strategies to achieve purposeful productivity in your life.
My reason for trying to combine purpose and productivity is that sometimes we can be productive for our own self-care and not just for the sake of getting something done. Additionally, I find that when my actions are tied to a greater purpose or “why”, my productivity actually increases and I have more motivation to complete the task or activity.
As I think about being more purposeful in my day-to-day activities, I’m trying to develop a morning routine to help guide my productivity toward my purpose. There, I set my intentions and my to-do list to match my goals. Here are the questions I ask myself for reflection:
Why am I doing this particular task or activity?
Who does this benefit? (Is it me or someone I care about? Is it related to paying bills and my livelihood?)
Do I need to report back on my time and justify my work to anyone?
Is this connected to bigger goals for the future?
Can I make this task more efficient or automated like a habit?
Even if I can’t answer one of the above questions, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s something I shouldn’t do. However, maybe it’s something that doesn’t need to be done quite at that moment or with a sense of urgency.
As I continue on this productivity journey, I plan to be mindful of my purpose and not fall into the trap of productivity for productivity’s sake. YOU are valuable and sometimes taking a nap or walking or building a sand castle with your kids is exactly the kind of purposeful productivity that you need.
What are the best podcasts for learning new things? I absolutely LOVE to learn new things. I’ve semi-joked with friends and family about just going to school forever. I even went so far as to look up the Guinness Book of Records information for the person with the most degrees. If I had unlimited money to pay for school, I might actually consider breaking that record of 30 degrees for the highest and 14 for the second-highest. I really think I could do it.
However, in the meantime, I search for free ways to gain new knowledge, of which there are plenty. There are numerous websites, YouTube channels, and podcasts that highlight new ideas, re-package long-standing ideas, and help process things that could help you in any area of your life.
If you’re interested in learning a new skill or content area, just start with Google and go from there. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for, perhaps that’s an opportunity for you to create a blog or something to fill that gap and share that knowledge with others.
Podcasts are a great way to get information and be entertained at the same time. I wanted to share here my top 5 best podcasts for learning. They are listed in no particular order as I listen to whatever sounds interesting when I log in to Apple Podcast.
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist who regularly speaks and writes on the topics of work and creativity. Interestingly, he is one of the 10 most influential speakers on management. In addition to his podcast, I encourage you to subscribe to his newsletter to get new insights and information on a weekly basis. His podcasts span numerous topics from careers, regret, identity, and “the science of ….”, fill in the blank with many things. There is usually an expert researcher, thinker, or speaker who he talks with during each episode.
2. Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam
“Hidden Brain explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world. Our work, led by Host and Executive Editor Shankar Vedantam, is marked by a commitment to scientific and journalistic rigor, and a deep empathy for our guests and audience.”
This is one of the most fascinating podcasts to listen to on a regular basis. I love learning about how our brain works and the why behind certain behaviors. Late each summer they do a series on You 2.0 and discuss how to understand yourself and work to achieve your goals. This is one of the best podcasts for learning new things.
3. The Next Big Idea with Rufus Griscom, and featuring Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink
This podcast is all about discussing new and innovative ideas that can change the way we see the world, our work, and each other. A recent episode was on the future of email at work and it inspired me to monitor my own email usage for a week. Today’s episode is all about getting smarter and thinking outside of our brains featuring Annie Murphy Paul. I haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet, but I’m very intrigued by the description and the possibility of using science to get smarter.
As an economics major in college, I cannot help but be drawn to econ related content. As a reader of the Freaknomics book series, it’s only natural that I also listen to Stephen Dubner’s Freakonomics Radio. According to the podcast description, “Each week, Freakonomics Radio tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything.” And the description is highly accurate for the types of content in this podcast. I’m always interested to learn more about the topics he shares each week.
5. The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
If you haven’t yet taken The Science of Wellbeing through Coursera, I highly recommend doing so. It’s an excellent summer activity for self-reflection and personal development. In addition to the course, Dr. Santos hosts this podcast for deeper discussion on topics relating to money, happiness, life, and well-being. As a professor of psychology, she uses science and story-telling to share ways we can enrich our lives and the myths about things we think will make us happy.
I listen to lots more podcasts, but these are some of the best podcasts for learning new information. Check them out and let me know what you think!
I have to say one of the best personal development books I have read in the past year is Atomic Habits by James Clear. As I was reading, I kept thinking, that makes total sense. Why didn’t I think of that before? So even though most of the knowledge was pretty common, he packaged it in such a way that made it tangible and helpful.
The cover of the book says “tiny changes, remarkable results” and “An easy & proven way to build good habits and break bad ones.”
On a news clip, Clear talks about the fact that it isn’t us that’s our problem with building better habits, but it’s our system and environment. Furthermore, small changes that sometimes can go unnoticeable can actually go a long way and make a big difference.
He says, “if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done” (p. 15).
James Clear
On the flip side, getting worse has a huge detrimental effect over that one year.
Four and a half years ago I ran a half marathon. I trained, followed my plan, and met that goal. Then what happened? I took a day off from training. Then another day and then another. Before long, I had stopped running completely.
Clear says, “Achieving a goal only changes your life for the moment” (p. 25). His suggestion for changing my system now is to simply put sneakers next to my bed on the first day. Then, maybe add in another article of clothing until I get up and walk for a minute. Then, continue to compound those small changes until my system and routine are changed.
Another point that Clear makes in his book that has stuck with me is how our identity influences our habits. For a long time, I’ve been trying to be more of a morning person and I constantly say that I’m not. Those beliefs have power over our actions. If we want to change our identity, we need to start with small habits.
The four laws of behavior change can be used to build better habits. They are cue, craving, response, and reward. Clear says that we need to cue our environment to make habits obvious. Conversely, if we want to break a bad habit, we need to make it invisible. We have to train our brains to pick up clues and not even think about what’s happening.
I was just talking to my accountability partner this week about building habits. I referenced this book, which inspired me to write the post you are reading right now. One of the pieces of advice I gave came from Clear’s book, which is habit stacking.
Essentially, you place a new habit immediately after something that is already a habit. For example, I’m trying to get better at remembering to put moisturizer on my face at night. So, after I brush my teeth (an automatic habit), I put moisturizer on.
Recommendation on Reading Atomic Habits
I’m not going to give the whole book away because I do recommend that you read it. Throughout Clear’s discussion of how to build better habits and how to break bad ones, he gives clear, relevant examples and offers practical steps and advice to make it happen.
He has a cheat sheet that describes the four laws of creating a good habit with advice that you can download and print from his website. Additionally, it’s worth signing up for James Clear’s weekly newsletter that offers 3 short ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question.
Overall, Atomic Habits has been highly influential in changing my thinking and behavior little by little, which I hope in the long run has hugely positive impacts on my life. Hey … I think it’s time I re-read this book for summer! Best of luck in your journey of building better habits!
I am constantly looking for ways to improve productivity in an efficient manner that honors the self care I’ve committed to myself. I’m on a journey of professional and personal growth and I want to share 3 tips that have helped me become more productive (when I follow them).
Now, one book that I read this past year that truly helped me to understand how habits work and why I should start small is from James Clear’s Atomic Habits. It also made me realize why I stopped running long distances after completing my half marathon.
I had a large goal that I reached, but ultimately, I didn’t keep it up because I didn’t have another goal to work towards lined up afterwards. If you haven’t read this book yet, do it, because the advice seems so simple, yet powerful at the same time. It’s really about starting with small manageable steps toward larger goals.
Another book that I read recently is the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. While I don’t do everything on his list, I try to implement the practice of being intentional when I start my day. I’ve especially been working on trying to stop snoozing my alarm clock in the morning so I can wake up a bit more refreshed.
One method to improve productivity is to batch like tasks together in a single time block. For example, I might set aside 7:00am – 9:00am to complete household chores or do laundry. I also recommend only checking email at set times throughout the day. When it is easily accessible on our phones or in our Internet browser tabs, we are more likely to run to do whatever comes across instead of staying focused on the thing that was in front of us in the first place.
Another strategy is to use the Pomodoro technique to work in 25 minute increments with a 5 minute break. Spend 2 hours of your time block utilizing this technique to tackle a big project or report for work or your home life. I spent several months organizing my day using the time blocking method to make sure that I was able to get to everything on my list.
Narrow Your Daily Focus
I used to create these big long to do lists because I thought it made me more productive to have long lists. What I realized was that if I didn’t get to everything on my list, I would get mad at myself for not being as productive as I could have been. When I start my morning routine, I now focus what my priorities will be for the day. I use a variety of different types of to do lists, but I try not to overload or overwhelm myself with listing everything that needs to be done.
I can be proud at the end of the day if I manage to check off the majority of things I wanted to get done.
So what can you do if you’re trying to be more productive?
Tracy Dee Tips 