Every year around this time, the goal-setting conversations start popping up everywhere, and it’s a season I really love. But somewhere along the way, most of us were taught that writing down our goals and breaking them into milestones is the same as having a plan for the year. It isn’t, and the difference between the two matters more than most people realize.
Goal setting tells you what you want. Planning is how those goals fit into the life you’re already living, and most of us only ever learned the first part. Here’s how to do both.
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Dream big first, without limits. Start with your goals, and give yourself full permission to set aside any thoughts about what isn’t possible. Write down what you’d love to make happen next year, then break the bigger goals into smaller milestones. This is goal setting, and it’s an important first step. It’s just not a plan yet, because nothing on that page knows what the rest of your year looks like. |
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Map out the year you already have. Now grab your calendar and write down everything you already know is coming. Your kids’ school calendar and long breaks, the busy cycles at your job like tax season or end-of-quarter crunch weeks, the trip you’re hoping to take, the project around the house you’d love to finally finish. This is where planning starts, with an honest look at the time you actually have to work with. |
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Give each goal a season. Lay your goals next to that calendar and decide when each one realistically fits. Think about it like saving $10,000 for a trip. You wouldn’t just pick the number and hope. You’d look at what’s coming in and what’s already spoken for, like the mortgage and the electric bill, and figure out what you can set aside each month. Your time works the same way. Some goals will fit beautifully in the spring, some will need to wait until fall, and some might need to wait until next year, and that’s exactly the kind of decision goal setting alone never asks you to make. |
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Leave room for detours. Something unexpected is going to come up this year, so build in some breathing room instead of packing every month full. When life does throw you off course, your plan works like the maps app on your phone during a road trip. There’s an accident ahead; it reroutes you, and you still get where you’re going because the destination was set from the start. |
Start with one goal this week
Pick one goal you’re thinking about for next year and walk it through these steps. Look at your calendar, find the season where it actually fits, and write it down there. You’ll feel the difference between a goal and a plan right away.
Your goals tell you where you want to go. Your plan is how you actually get there.
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Recommended Resources
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Plan-a-Palooza Is Now Available On Demand! Plan-a-Palooza is now available on demand, so you can start whenever you’re ready and work through it at your own pace. I walk you through my complete annual planning process, and we build your plan around your real life instead of squeezing life in around it. You’ll finish with a roadmap for 2027 that includes time for you, progress on your goals, and room for life’s curveballs. It comes with a 100+ page digital workbook and three guest expert trainings, and you can watch on your phone or computer through January 15, 2027. |
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Your 2027 Digital and Printable Planners Are Here The digital and printable TOP Planner pages for the full 2027 year are ready in the shop. If you already plan with one of them, now’s the time to grab your new one so you’re ready to start the year. If The TOP Planner is new to you, the printable is the one to pick if you’re outside the US or you already have a binder or disc system you love, since you print the pages and they go right into your setup. The digital version lives on your tablet, which is perfect if you like to plan with a stylus and keep everything in one place you can carry anywhere. |
Friend, don’t forget, just 15 minutes of planning today can set the tone for your entire week. You’ve got the tools, you’ve got the tips, and now it’s time to take action. Let’s crush this week together!
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