Welcome to Friday 411, issue #069. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you’re going to turn your biggest goals into daily actions using my (Garland’s) favorite planner.
I (Garland) have a confession. I am an addict. I’m addicted to planning tools. Striving for greater productivity, I’m constantly trying out the latest planners and software.
I (Dorothy) (and anyone who has ever worked with Garland) can tell you multiple tales of Garland’s adventures in organizational support. It all began early in our marriage when I realized I had committed my life to someone who (trying to say it kindly) was not naturally inclined toward organization. My first clue was waiting for him to pick me up for our wedding rehearsal as we had planned. After giving up and getting myself to the church, I marched down the aisle to find him waiting for me on the front pew.
“Forget anything?” I asked.
Garland looked up at me in complete oblivion. “I don’t think so.”
Why Paper Planners Work
After months of more forgotten tasks and missed appointments, I (Garland) realized that I needed support. I began a life-long quest to find the best planning tools to keep me organized and productive.
Unfortunately, this quest also began a cycle of frustration when many of the tools failed to provide what I needed long-term. I’ve repeated this cycle with digital tools (Nozbe, ClickUp, and Todoist to name a few) and also with paper planners. There is a large amount of research on the benefits of using paper planners:
- Writing Down Your Goals Increases Your Commitment: According to a study by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University, writing down your goals increases your chances of achieving them up to 42%. This is because the act of writing makes the goal more concrete and reinforces your commitment to it.
- Writing Down Your Plans Enhances Your Focus: A paper from the Association for Psychological Science notes that writing by hand forces the brain to mentally engage with the information, promoting deeper focus and understanding. This process helps in setting and prioritizing goals effectively.
- Writing Down Your Aspirations Increases Your Motivation: A study published in The Academy of Management Journal found that writing about your ambitions can boost your productivity, prioritization, focus, and motivation. Seeing your goals on paper can remind you of your intentions and inspire you to take action.
My Question for the Best Paper Planner
Since 2015, I’ve purchased dozens of paper planners. I’ll use it for a couple months before I get frustrated with it and give up. (For one of them, I used it less than one week before I realized that it wouldn’t help me.)
In spite of these multiple failed attempts, I continued to try out new planners. Finally, in early 2023, I discovered one that I love! I want to share that planner with you today. It’s called the Goal Crazy Planner. I’m a raving fan of this planner because it helps me:
- Turn my long-term hopes and dreams into short-term goals.
- Keep me focused on the goals that are most important to me right now.
- Turn those goals into daily actions.
Today’s Friday411 is going to look different for two reasons:
- I recently interviewed the creator of the Goal Crazy Planner, Jason Vandevere. You’ll find a video of our interview at the top of this page. We’ll discuss the features and benefits of the Goal Crazy Planner and what makes it unique.
- We have a gift to share with you:
If you’re interested in trying out the Goal Crazy Planner: use this link to pick up a copy AND get 1 free month of the weekly accountability group.
This group has been a game-changer for me. I used to spend two hours planning out my week because I would get distracted while I was trying to plan.
In the accountability group, Jason brings together Goal Crazy users and hosts a 30-minute Weekly Planning session. It’s so focused that I get my whole week planned and blocked out in half an hour. He’s cut my planning time by 75%!
Get Your Copy of the Goal Crazy Planner
If you want to learn more about the Goal Crazy planner, click here. That link gives you one free month of the Accountability Group when you purchase the planner.
