I think it's fairly well established by now that the PowerSheets® Goal Planner is a worthy investment. Their price is not an insignificant amount of money, but it's also about the cost of two coffees per month for one year.
24 cups of coffee, or a year of living out what lasts: uncovering and following through on your priorities, simplifying your schedule, getting clarity on what matters to you, clearing away distractions, using your time with intention, freedom mastery, and making real progress on goals that lead to a life of joy, contentment, and purpose. YES!
Also, just read the reviews! 700+ ladies (and a few men!) will eagerly tell you how the PowerSheets Goal Planner has changed their life.
BUT. Though I have no problem boldly and confidently naming PowerSheets as a great way to use your money, there is one caveat: PowerSheets are only a great investment if you use them. If they sit in the box and you never once crack them open? Clearly, that's not the best use of your money.
And we want you to use your money well. So! Let's make sure you USE the tool you've invested in. The good news is, it's simple! Here are our top five tips to make sure you get the very most out of your PowerSheets.
1. Get to know your PowerSheets right away. When they arrive to your house, take them out of the box that day. Take off the bubble wrap and flip open that beautiful cover. If you're new to PowerSheets, know that they are unique -- they're part planner and part workbook, and equally about big dreams and brass tacks.
Get to know the different parts - the Prep Work, the goal-setting pages, the monthly calendar and planning pages, the quarterly refreshes, and (of course!) the Tending Lists! Here's a little cheat sheet for you. It might also be helpful to read this post - are PowerSheets a planner?
When we understand something, it's no longer intimidating. The more familiar you are with your new planner, the more likely you'll be to jump in with enthusiasm when it's time.
2. Complete your Prep Work. This is a very unscientific statistic, but I'd wager that 80+% of people who complete their Prep Work and fill out their first Tending List go on to complete the rest of the year (imperfectly, of course, but with joy!).
The Prep Work is insightful and wonderful and powerful, but it also asks for your time and attention. Be ready for that! Make a plan to complete it, whether it's during PowerSheets Prep Week, at Cultivate Your Year LIVE, over a few evenings in December, or in a marathon coffee shop session on a Saturday.
We'll be with you each step of the way! For encouragement and tips, bookmark our Prep Work video series, coming in December to Goal School, and join the PowerSheets Facebook group. More practical tips here, too!
3. Anchor each month's monthly prep to something external. Your monthly prep includes a few planning worksheets and your Tending List. The prep is simple (designed to be completed in 20 minutes or less!) but is foundational for setting you up for a month of focus and progress.
A great way to make sure you do your prep each month is to tie it to something else, something you KNOW you'll do. You might pair it with your monthly budgeting session, or your morning coffee on the first of the month (set a reminder on your phone!), or waiting in the carpool line. Linking or pairing habits is a proven way to reinforce the things you want to get done!
4. Keep your PowerSheets open. KEEP THEM OPEN. I joke that this is the answer to 99% of the follow-through problems users have with their PowerSheets, but it's kind of true. If you keep your PowerSheets open to your Tending List somewhere you'll see them every day (your desk, your kitchen counter, your bedside table), with a pen resting beside, you will be shocked by how easy it becomes to do a quick daily check-in, and how motivated you will be to take the next step forward. And then the next one!
More than half the battle is simply remembering our focus, our priorities, and our big picture, and your Tending List makes that easy. Just put it somewhere you can see it!
5. Get a PowerSheets buddy. For long-term success, an accountability partner is incredibly helpful. This relationship could be as simple as sending each other a text to make sure you've done your new Tending List each month, trading little wins each Tending List Tuesday, or sitting down to do your Prep Work side-by-side in December. If you don't know another PowerSheets user in real life, the Facebook group will help you find one easily.
And, even if you never find another individual, there are still powerful ways to hold yourself accountable. Posting and following up on my goals each on my personal blog is strong accountability for me, and I've seen the same for others who post pictures of their Tending Lists in the Facebook group.
More about the joys and benefits of setting goals in community here!
Do you need to use your PowerSheets perfectly for them to be worth it? Absolutely not! Progress, not perfection, friends! You know we believe in little-by-little progress, and everyone has months where their goals get put on the back burner.
But with these five simple tips, you'll be well on your way to getting the very most out of your PowerSheets - and to a year of purpose, clarity, and joy!
Emily Thomas
