As many of our usual events have shifted online this year—school, work, happy hours, and playdates—picking up pen and paper became a welcome “screen break” for many of us. With more time at home, we’ve uncovered new ways to stay productive while balancing home, work, and more.
With 2020 coming to a close, it’s a great time to reset and get back on track with your goals and dreams, learn new habits and how to plan with intention to make next year noteworthy!
Create Balance
A balanced life is a happy life. When working from home and virtual events became the norm, more screen time became a necessity. Despite this keeping us connected, many experienced screen fatigue and craved ways to disconnect from devices. If you found the lines between professional and personal time blurring this year, it may be time to set some healthy boundaries and dedicate time to being off screen.
Nurturing all the facets of your life will make for a better version of you. Whether it’s a successful client pitch, pulling off a surprise party for a friend, or nailing that 10-page presentation, life is about celebrating all moments. Find ways to be present and give your goals and events the full attention they deserve, like:
- Blocking off time to catch up with friends
- Putting your phone on DND one hour before bedtime
- Set aside time to put pen to paper instead of digital calendars
- Or even one act of self-care a week
It may not seem fun to have to schedule out your “me-time” and create boundaries, but when your reminder for your weekly bubble bath pops up, you’ll be happy you did! Invest time into yourself to recharge.
Get On Track (and Stay There)
Life has a way of keeping us on our toes. There will always be something going on. The part that many of us struggle with is getting on track and staying there. But if this year has taught us anything, it’s to allow ourselves the grace to bounce back and pivot to get back on course.
If you find yourself falling short in crossing off your to-do lists, it can be easy to feel down and fall back into old habits. Figure out your distractions and ask yourself: What kept me from getting this done? Work fatigue? Too much binge-watching? Getting wrapped up in the kids’ schedule?
Finding your routine will take time—you are not alone! What’s important is to remind yourself of what matters to you the most and letting that motivate you.
Find Tools to Stay Organized
Finding the right tools to complement both your personal and professional life will help you manage all of your responsibilities. Map out your daily schedule, weekly to-do lists, and reminders with a 2021 Southworth® planner to stay organized. Decorate with stickers, colored pens and markers, or anything you need to personalize your spread.
Support your goals and ideas by taking note of what’s important. Use your Southworth® journal for all of your planning, brainstorming, and list-making. Then turn your fleshed-out ideas into specific goals that you can copy into your planner.
Take time to find a system that works for you and stick to it.
Stay in Touch With Your Goals
Creating the life you want takes effort and consistency, but it’s worth it. Whether it’s family, fitness, social, or career-related, write out your goals and create check points to track your progress. Start with a monthly overview and revisit these steps each week to not overwhelm yourself.
But without a positive mindset, accomplishing your goals can feel like a daunting task.
Schedule regular times to check in and reflect on your journey. Touch base with yourself on how you’re feeling. Point out the things you’re grateful for and make plans to improve where you can.