How to use your Daily Review Planner

The Daily Review Planner is designed to help you focus on what you want to achieve in your life. The process has three steps – Reflect, Plan and Implement.

REFLECT

Before you can start planning where you want to go, you first need to reflect on what motivates you. In the planner there are four questions to help you do this. It is essential to take your time with these questions as each step leads on to the next. If you don’t properly reflect then you won’t plan goals that matter, and you won’t stick to them. Your answers should give you an excellent idea of the sort of goals to pursue.

PLAN

The planner uses the SMART goal setting technique because it covers off the essential elements of a solid goal. The process will also give you the next steps you need to take to achieve your goal.

The elements of a SMART goal are:

Specific           Describe the detail of your goal as precisely as you can

Measurable     Describe how you will know when your goal has been achieved

Ambitious        Describe why your goal will be a challenge to achieve

Rewarding       Describe what motivates you to pursue your goal

Timebound      Never underestimate the value of a deadline

For example:

Specific           Write a first draft of my book

Measurable     Achieved on the day I send the draft to a professional editor

Ambitious        I have never written a book and my writing could be better

Rewarding       It would be a huge achievement that would also help my career

Timebound      Six months from today

I have written more about the SMART goal setting technique here if you are interested.

Once you have worked through this process you will have a solid goal that excites you.

Now you need to write down all the actions that will lead you to achieve your goal. Be as specific as possible and include mini-deadlines to keep you on track towards your larger goal. Goals are achieved by the achievement of many smaller actions.

Some actions from my book example above could be: enrol in a writing course, find an editor, write the outline, decide on the tone etc. all with mini-deadlines finishing before the six-month major deadline.

 When setting your goals, use these three tips:

1. State them positively (e.g. ‘I want’ rather than ‘I don’t want’)
2. Create visual reminders and put them somewhere you look each day (e.g. the bathroom mirror or fridge door)
3. Schedule periodic reviews to update your actions

IMPLEMENT

The key to achieving your goals is to work on them each day. That's why the planner has space for three daily priorities, one of which must be goal-related. Again, state your priorities as specifically as possible. For example, "work on my website" is not specific enough; "complete the About page of my website" on the other hand, is.

There are also separate sections for notes and a daily review. Write something you are grateful for, note what went well and record any lessons learnt.

Studies have shown that by completing a simple gratitude exercise you can boost your overall happiness levels. We all have so many amazing things to be grateful for that we take for granted. Your health for example - remember how good that first day of feeling healthy is after being sick? I know how happy to feel normal again. 

Recording your daily successes and lessons learnt has a similar impact. You focus on the positives and give yourself the best chance to learn from any mistakes. Don't be afraid of making mistakes - it is a sign you are pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, expanding your skills.

We look forward to hearing how you like to use your planner! Get in touch with us here or tag us on social media.