Tools for Keeping My New Year Resolutions

If I had to sum up the first week of 2016 in one word, it would be productive. I dedicated my entire week (outside of my day job and my shift at the bookstore) to getting organized and ensuring I had the tools to achieve all the goals I set out to make for the new year. I thought my new year haul could be helpful to others…

Planner. Goals/resolutions that aren’t written down are just hopes. But when your goals are put down on paper, you clearly define what it is that you want (which is challenging in itself) and you’re are forced to literally face them. Even better than writting them down is breaking your large goals down into smaller, less overwhelming ones, and attaching timelines to them. This way something like “open a bookstore” goes from just a retirement day-dream to an obtainable one that you’re accountable for making happen in a realistic time-frame.

I chose to organize my resolution paths with a physical planner and I was worried it was going to be 2017 by the time I finally decided on one to suit my needs, which included: managing my fitness goals, meal planning, blog & social media posts, and breaking down my daily to-do lists by day-job, Lit. BookBar, and household/personal tasks. This research process taught me that the first book I write will be a planner for entrepreneurs. After hours of comparing planners I chose this monogrammed-beauty by Plum Paper.

Stock photo. I’m obviously not Emma.

I went with option #3. Daily Columns/ Just Lines.

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Camera/Selfie Lighting. Yes, I said selfie lighting, lol. One of my sub-goals for opening Lit. BookBar, traveling, and branding myself is to offer better quality photos on social media and this blog. I’m ashamed to admit how long it took me to compare cameras, but whatever, I need to make informed decisions. The winners…