The Magic of Actionable Plans and Tools for Higher Ed Success
Around New Year’s, I found myself laughing at several memes about it being the season for fancy new notebooks destined to change our lives. I’ll admit it: I’m one of those people who gets swept up in the magic of new stationery—the kind who believes that the perfect notebook, goal planner, or pens will somehow manifest my dreams.
Of course, bringing our goals to life requires more than just pretty office supplies.
From Vision to Execution: Annual Reviews and Planners
While I’d been mulling over my annual goals for some time, it wasn’t until I sat down and put my thoughts on paper that the process started to feel real (as any English professor will tell you, nothing is real until you write it down). An annual review workshop sponsored by the Clareo Group got me started with thoughtful prompts about the rhythms of my year and what I wanted to accomplish in my business. Around the same time, I received this annual review workbook in my inbox that guided me in reflecting on my past goals and assessing what worked, what didn’t, and what I wanted to change. One section in particular stood out: a space to draft my top goals for the new year.
The workbook encouraged me to narrow my focus to three primary goals for the first quarter. Here’s where I landed:
- Design a new group coaching program
- Increase my LinkedIn followers by 20%
- Increase my newsletter distribution list by 20%
While I didn’t find the entire workbook useful—some sections covered topics I’d already explored, and others didn’t resonate with me—it provided a solid starting point.
Next, I turned to my gorgeous makselife Goal-Setting Planner to dive deeper into my annual goals. This planner is the kind of tool that makes you hesitate to write in it because it’s almost too beautiful to use. Created by Life Coach Sierra Friend, the planner is not just beautiful; it’s also a practical guide to breaking down annual goals into monthly and weekly tasks. When I’m in an organized mindset, I use it weekly to outline the steps that will move me closer to my larger objectives.
To get started, I completed the Life Compass assessment ,a tool that helps identify areas of opportunity and growth. Reflecting on last year’s achievements (and a few misses), I realized the importance of creating clear, quantifiable goal statements. Ambiguity had been my downfall in the past, so this year, I’m focused on specificity. After brainstorming across eight goal areas—personal, fun & recreation, work & learning, family & relationships, health & wellness, spiritual & personal growth, financial, and physical environment —
I crafted a comprehensive list of goals. Here are some highlights:
- Personal – Knit myself a hat
- Fun & recreation – Spend 10 days at the beach
- Work & learning – Read 100 books & achieve my revenue goal
- Family & relationships – Rescue a dog
- Health & wellness – Log 4,000 Peloton minutes
- Spiritual & personal growth – Meditate once a week
- Financial – organize important papers
- Physical environment – Upgrade the lighting in the living room
Breaking Down Annual Goals into Monthly Action Steps
Once I had a list that I was happy with, I used my planner to map out actionable steps for January. For measurable goals, like reading eight books or completing 333 Peloton minutes, it was straightforward to break them into monthly targets. The real challenge, however, lies in the day-to-day execution—navigating a busy calendar to carve out time for the priorities I’ve set. It’s all too tempting to default to answering emails or tackling other low-effort tasks instead of doing the deep, meaningful work that moves me closer to my goals.
The true magic of goal setting lies in the consistent, incremental actions we take to bring them to life. Tools like goal-setting planners and structured workbooks can provide valuable guidance, but ultimately, it’s up to me to stay disciplined and intentional as the year progresses. This year, I’m determined to balance ambition with actionable plans and grace when I need it. I’m committed to a more gentle approach to achievement and adapting as the year unfolds. And, maybe, I’ll turn some of these pretty notebook dreams into reality.