Productive Pixie: March 2019

March 30, 2019 No comments

Have you ever heard of goal mapping? Maybe you have a goal you want to complete, but it is very overwhelming because you have no idea how to take any action to reach this goal. Goal mapping is a very effective tool you can use to reach your goals, and today, I'll be showing you how you can get started with this easy technique!

How to Use Goal Mapping to Reach Your Goals

If you haven't, today I am going to introduce you to how you can do goal mapping to help you reach your goals.

Goal mapping is a great way to set and achieve your goals because it is so flexible and there are so many different ways in which you can do it.

I use goal mapping for all of my goals and I use multiple different types of goal mapping because each goal is different so I can't usually use the same type of layout for each goal.

Let's get started because I am super excited to introduce you to goal mapping!

So what do I start with to create a goal map?

Great question! :) All you need to create a goal map is a piece of paper and a pen or pencil, but a protracter and a ruler are great to have too.

I use two different types of goal maps. One has lines on it in a 1, 2, 3 fashion and under each number an a, b, c layout which is great for more structured goals.

It would look something like the following example.

My first step to reach my goal

My first substep
My second substep
My third substep

My second step to reach my goal

My first substep
My second substep
My third substep

You probably get the idea. You can add as many steps and substeps in as you need, so this is ideal for structured goals.

The other way, which you can also use is a little harder to set up, but I really like using it because it can work for any goal.

You can check out the image at the beginning of this post to see what this type of goal map looks like.

To make a goal map like this, start with a blank piece of paper. Now divide it up into as many sections as you need for checkboxes, doodles, notes and more.

I can't really give much more instruction than that because every goal map is different, but I can try. :)

One way to do a goal map is by starting with writing your goal in the middle.
Then draw lines coming from the goal in the middle.
At the end of each line, write the steps you are going to take to reach that goal.
Now draw lines coming out of each step.
At the end of each line, write down the substeps you are going to take to finish each step.
Add some doodles and have fun!

This type of goal map is great for goals with lots of steps, substeps, and even substeps of the substeps.

I like to use a ruler to draw lines, so the lines on my goal map don't mess me up. Stickers are a great way to add some motivation to your goal maps too!

If you liked this post, make sure you check out these other ones too.

If you are running out of ideas, make sure you head over to Pinterest.

Thank you for pinning!

March 23, 2019 3 comments

What do you think of when I say the word "habits"?

Do you think of all of the failed habits, or how much you struggle to keep your habits going when your planner doesn't even work for you?

When I think of habits, I always think of a habit tracker, which is one of the first things you can try to see if tracking your habits works for you.

There are many creative ways (and minimalist ways) to do this! Find whatever works best for you.

In your planner or bullet journal

habit tracker on a separate page
habit tracker going down the side of your monthly page
putting a habit tracker sticker on your weekly page
writing your habits in your monthly squares and then checking them off or coloring them in
using a yearly tracker (like a year in pixels spread)

On your phone

have your home screen be a to-do list with your habits on it (I use my home screen as a to-do list and it works great!)
add your habits into your calendar as a checklist with reminders

On your desktop calendar

Use a habit tracker stamp to add monthly habit trackers into the notes section or space at the top of the page

On a separate page

If you feel like none of the above options work for you, try printing out a free habit tracker printable and putting it next to your bed.

After you have picked out one or more of the above options, it is time to actually create those habits. Write down on your habit tracker every single habit you want to start.

Pick a time of the day when you are going to do your task to turn it into a habit. Below are some ideas you can use.

Wash the dishes right after the meal
Make your bed right after you get out of it :)
Go to bed at or before a certain time
Exercise at 3:00 in the afternoon
Wake up at a certain time

I hope you get the point, you need to pick a time of the day for each one of your habits. If you pick a time of the day to do your task, it will more easily turn into a habit.

You need to make sure that you don't put off doing your habit because then you just end up not doing it!

Okay, so the next step after you have picked a time of the day is to set your reminder or your alarm.

How are you going to remember to do [Insert your task here] at a certain time?

Set a reminder on your phone (Certainly one of the easiest ideas!)
Do that task after a certain thing

Doing it right after lunch
Right when I arrive at the house
Right after I exercise

Set an alarm on your watch
Use time-blocking in your planner or bullet journal, to keep your day on track

Now you need to think about what is stopping you from creating these habits. What is stopping you from creating your habits???

Create a list of everything that is stopping you from creating your habits. Below is an example of what your list might look like.

THE HABIT - Wake and get up at 6:00

Going to bed too late
Hitting the snooze button
Turning on my phone first thing and then looking at it "WHOOPS, I didn't mean to be on for 30 minutes!"
Having a too comfortable bed (just joking! :) )
Not using an alarm clock

After you have a list of everything that is keeping you from creating your habits, create a list of what you can do to fix that problem.

THE HABIT - Wake and get up at 6:00

Going to bed too late - Easy fix. Go to bed earlier.
Hitting the snooze button - Put something in the way, so you can't press that button or just don't press it.
Turning on my phone first thing and then looking at it - Don't have your phone next to your bed or don't use your phone for your alarm.
Having a too comfortable bed (just joking! :) ) - No need to fix this one. :)
Not using an alarm clock - Buy an alarm clock.

And there you have it. That is how to create habits easily. Let's recap what is in this post.

Print out a habit tracker and write down a list of all of the habits you want to create.
Pick a time of the day when you are going to do each habit.
Set a reminder or an alarm.
Figure out what is stopping you from creating your habits.
Write down a fix for each problem.
Go start tracking those habits! :)

Other productivity posts that you may like...

I hope that you liked this post and that it will help you be more productive. Thanks for reading and I would love it if you left a comment!

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