When it’s time to get granular, I look at the next quarter and use the Evernote Calendar templates to start laying out my goals in digital form.

I also log key dates throughout the year - documenting what I actually achieved against my plan to assist me in reflection the next year. I look at it often, and as big markers or plans change, I update it on the wall. I keep the wall calendar where I can easily see it every day. I move the sticky notes around the wall calendar until I feel like it represents my priorities and is realistic, and finally, capture them in different dry erase colors. Keep these to five or less otherwise, it can get overwhelming. I use a combination of sticky notes to represent my life buckets: health goals, travel, work projects, etc. I like the large format, minimalist presentation, and flexibility that the dry-erase offers. My favorite tool for this is the NeuYear dry erase wall calendar. I’m highly visual, so I need to see everything laid out in front of me for the year. I start with the big picture and then narrow my focus to create some order.

To chunk it down, I think of it in terms of quarters - asking myself, what can I reasonably accomplish in three months? I bring in the calendaring process with my prioritized list. Two ways Evernote supports me in brainstorming: This way, my brainstorm grows organically over time, and I got crystal clear on what I needed to do to reach my goals for next year. I’ve committed to logging every idea in Evernote. Naturally, new ideas happen when out for a walk or at the store - rarely when I’m sitting at my desk. The funny thing about the brainstorming process is that once you plant those seeds during reflection, you open the floodgates for new ideas and see inspiration everywhere. Read about my reflection process here.īefore taking any other action, I put my reflection notes aside to marinate. Capturing my reflections in Evernote unlocked a deeper layer of introspection. Since taking time out to reflect, the inspiration keeps popping up. The reflection exercises helped me clarify my goals and what I want my business to look like a year from now. I started my reflection in the fall at an in-person event in Tampa. We need to look back before looking forward. Still, over the 10+ years I've run my business, I’ve also developed several planning habits that keep me focused on growth and moving forward. Naturally, I use Evernote to support this process. There’s a growing community of self-employed business owners inside the Academy - like me! Inside the Academy, I invest a lot of time and resources into training members on how to use Evernote to support running a business right alongside a personal life.Īnd, given it's the end of the year, planning my business for 2022 is on my mind. Small business owners, this article is for you to plan your year, quarter, and even the next month.

Evernote review 2022