Whether you're in the market for a new planner or just want to use the planner you already have more effectively, here are 7 questions to consider before you click purchase and start using your new planner. 

I hope my sweater can serve as proof, as inspiration, that even though it may take time. Even though it may feel like progress is slow and you take two steps forward and one step back, things change. And those things that you love will always be there. They're not holding a calendar or timer. They know you'll be back. The question is - do you know?

When you've tried all the things and still don't follow through, it's time for some external accountability. For someone else to create the deadline and hold you to it. To hold the space on your calendar for you to do the thing you've said you want to do. There's nothing wrong with asking someone to help you do the thing you can't seem to get yourself to do.

When I help clients set up systems and routines around the house, it's to free up more time, with the hope that they'll use that time for fun, enjoyment, and relaxation. But those same routines also serve you in seasons of survival. They make it easier to keep things running when you're low on energy, motivation, or health. Whether you're in a season of enjoyment or a season of survival, here are 5 of the routines that keep life running and free up time and space for whatever it is I need.

Making decisions in advance about how you want to spend your time, makes it so much easier to say yes or no to things that come up along the way. You can always change your plans or change your mind, but for now, you're creating a tentative map. And that feels so good!

Instead of being this thing that felt so hard and so outside my reach, I narrowed my focus to what was within my reach. Some people call them "lead indicators" and the larger goal itself, the "lag goal". I love this concept and have been thinking a lot about that with other goals in my life and the goals that my clients are working toward.

Are you taking "photos" of your life? Are you taking snapshots and notes so that someday in the future you can look back and celebrate how much has changed? How much you've changed and grown? And are you taking the time to dream about what it is that you want to "plant" in your life? Being able to see and celebrate your progress is a skill and it’s not one that most of us are taught. But it’s crucial to feeling good in your life.

It takes effort and energy sometimes to do the mundane, adulting chores that are just a part of life. When you batch, it means less energy spent "getting the wheels turning". Once they're rolling, you just keep rolling. And that to me is worth it. As you're thinking about what chores or recurring tasks you can batch, here are a few tips that I've learned over the years that make for a successful batching session, regardless of whether you're batch cooking or processing paperwork.

"I need to figure it out"

It's a phrase I hear frequently and I want to talk about it because it's sneaky and often drains your mental energy.

How? Because it's not specific.

It creates open loops and unanswered questions that your brain desperately wants to close. And that constant scanning and thinking in the background takes extra energy that most of us don't have to spare.

Here's what you should say instead.

Thinking about a goal and taking action toward a goal are two different things. I've had the same goal for myself for the last three years but have very few results to show for it. Why? Because I realized I've been spending my time thinking, researching, and planning instead of DOING.

Do you carry over any tasks from day to day, week to week, or month to month? Do you get frustrated because you’re not completing ALL of your tasks? Here’s one big tip for you and how to overcome that feeling: dedicate time to actually doing the thing. Plan for when or how.

This is one of the first things I teach you inside Beyond Balance - how to improve your relationship with time. You could be super organized and have the best planning system, but if your relationship with time is out of balance, you'll never feel the way you want to feel - relaxed, calm, in control.