It doesn’t take long for any of us to think of projects we’d like to finish, new skills we’d like to try, or talents we’d like to increase. Living a fulfilling life is all about creating new and meaningful experiences. These things require planning—they won’t just happen on their own. But sometimes we’re so buried …
Here are three ways your Franklin Planner can help keep your budget healthy during the holidays: Individualized Gift Budget Tracker Take a moment today and write out a list of everyone you plan on giving gifts to this holiday season. You can include your family members, extended family members, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, caregivers, and others …
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Greek mythology tells a story of the arrogant and deceitful Sisyphus, king of Ephyra, who tricked and trapped the god of the underworld. As a punishment, he was forced to push an immense boulder up a hill for eternity. Each time he nears the top, the stone rolls back to the bottom. One can assume …
Have you noticed how being busy is not equal to being productive? We’ve all had frustrating days when we’ve felt incredibly busy but had nothing to show for it. Equally frustrating are the days when we’re caught up in urgent matters and accomplish a lot, only to realize that we’d spent our day in meaningless …
Continue reading “When Productivity Meets What Matters Most”
As difficult as it may be to admit, summer is flying by. If you’re planning ahead, you’ve already written, “first day of school” on your planners and calendars. It’ll be here before you know it. Consistent planning is sure to help all of us prepare, so no one feels blindsided by deadlines and events. We …
Continue reading “Back to School: Our Top Academic Planners”
There are two essential parts to accomplishing any goal. First comes the planning phase, where you: Define the steps you need to take Develop a strategy for accomplishing them Schedule a timeline to complete them Once the plan is in place, it’s up to you to handle the execution of your plan, making sure that …
With the holiday season upon us, there is no shortage of things to do. By now, you’re already dividing your time between community events, parties with friends and family, school activities, and holiday shopping. All that activity could leave you bustling about continually. Yet, there is a big difference between motion and action. When you …
In the desert where water is scarce, we dig wells and tap into water that is flowing far beneath our feet—water we couldn’t begin to see on the surface. In most cases, this water is pure because it has been filtered by sand, rock, and time—so people desperate for water can be refreshed even when …
Continue reading “How to Create a Well of Happiness Through Gratitude”
Summer is a short, beautiful time that brings a unique set of stressors and challenges. For many of us, it’s a brief few weeks when our schedules change. The days grow longer, temperatures rise, and children have a little more freedom to play without the routine of school. We feel the urge to take a …
There’s a lot to be said for reliability. As people learn that you’ll finish what you start, keep your promises, and follow-through with commitments; they’ll grow to trust you. Trust is a powerful gift granted to us by others. It’s something we must work to maintain through honest effort. Highly effective people have a reputation …
Continue reading “The Core Four: 4 Essential Elements to an Effective Planning System”
Let’s start with a few facts. Life is about choices. Every one of us has 1,440 minutes each day to do as we choose. If we decide to, we will spend several of those minutes sleeping. We may choose to go to school or work. We may choose to prepare meals, taxi our children, watch …
Here’s to those of you who are literally shaping society—molding the next leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and agents of change. It’s a big job, yet it isn’t your only job. Moms are busy. You’re volunteers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, managers, bus drivers, firefighters—you name it. Even so, Mother is the job title you wear all the …
As a teacher, your job is unique. You spend hours coming up with lessons that appeal to each student and their learning style. You arrive at work well before your students and leave long after they’ve left. You often tote homework home and correct it after your own children have gone to bed. You aren’t …
It’s fair to guess that all of us have wishes, dreams, hopes, and goals. Often the things we place in this category are elusive, far-flung ideas. Over time, they might even seem beyond our reach—mythical, like forest sprites and unicorns. It’s easy to doubt we’ll ever see them. We can all quote the phrase: A …
What does it mean to be effective or efficient? In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey defines it as, “getting superb results today (production) in a way that allows us to get those results over and over again (production capability).” Covey calls it the P/PC balancing act. If we focus only …
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The desire for change and growth seems to be hardwired in each of us. It’s part of the human condition. We can’t remain stagnant without feeling stuck. Instead, we look ahead and determine where we want to be and what it will take to get there. Yet, some changes can be tough. It’s true that …
Continue reading “21-Day Planner Challenge: Replacing Old Habits with New Ones”
For some of us, time is a constant, plodding taskmaster—demanding our attention and dictating our actions. For others it’s a welcome adventure—a powerful tool that we use to make the most of our skills, sharpen our talents, dabble in hobbies, and work toward goals. What’s the difference? It isn’t time. Time is unchanging and beyond …
Continue reading “The Top 3 Time Robbers and How to Overcome Them”
We all want something in life. We want to become better people. We want to have nice possessions. We want to experience new things. The art of setting goals helps us get from where we are now to where life’s prizes wait. Like other art forms, however, achieving a goal takes effort, practice, technique, and …
Continue reading “5 Planner Locations for Tracking Goals from Start to Finish”
We live in an era of Big Data. With the rapid advances in mobile technology and the convenience of the Internet, we have more facts available to us than ever before. With a quick search, we can discover the history of cheese, or the name of the actor who voices the robot in the Iron …
Continue reading “Take This Down: Benefits of Handwriting in a Digital World”
The holiday season is here, loaded with important dates, deadlines, and dilemmas. How are you going to get to all of it and still make time for the things that matter most? Here are three things to keep in mind as your schedule ramps up. Write Down Each Item as You Discover It Whenever you …
Continue reading “3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time During the Holiday Rush”
