Here are my top 10 must-have tools when it comes to goal setting plus a printable template you can use to get started today!

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Tools for Goal-Setting

I’m an organizer at heart, so my home is filled with labels, baskets, and schedules. So when it comes to goals, I have a few favorite tools for goal setting that I always go to in helping me organize my thoughts and execute a plan.

1. A Simple To-Do List Pad

These are by far my favorite. Simple, to the point, and ready to rock and roll. Plus I love the old-school design.

2. A Good Set of Highlighters

I always come back to these Sharpies. They are the brightest, last a long time, and I probably own more highlighters than pens. Every time I finish a task, I get a nerdy rush highlighting it off my list.

3. A Smooth Pen to Get the Job Done

I jump back and forth on which pens are my favorite, but currently, these are the front-runners.

4. Post-Its for Your Top 3 Goals

I know this is so basic, but seriously, I can’t live without my Post-its. Each morning, I take 2 Post-its, and write:

  • WORK 1. 2. 3.
  • PERSONAL 1. 2. 3.

Then I fill out the 3 main tasks in each category I want to accomplish that day.

5. Dry-Erase Markers for Your Bathroom Mirror

I write on my mirror all the time for reminders, motivational quotes, and habit tracking. Write 1-21 on your mirror and cross off each day you meet your goal. They say it takes 21 days in a row to develop a good habit but feel free to set your own number or goal parameters. (Who are “they” anyway?)

6. A Pretty Wall Calendar

A basic wall calendar is good when you’re looking to set milestones and just need to star a date or highlight a week.

7. Airtable App for a Brain Dump

Speaking of digital, I fight the urge to use a digital calendar, because I am always drawn back to good old pencil and paper. However, my office is littered with bits of paper, scraps of ideas, and jumbled lists. I recently discovered Airtable and spent two days straight organizing these amazing little boards. I use them for meal planning, cleaning checklists, editorial calendars, medical information—you name it. Consider it your brain organized in an app.

8. Spiral-Bound Monthly Planner

I love this planner from Simplified by Emily Ley. It allows me to write down each day’s schedule on one side and my to-do list on the other. I use my to-do list pad to refer to things I need to do each day and transfer them into my planner.

9. Goal-Inspired Books

Every once in a while I need a little help in organizing my thoughts when it comes to goal setting and about twice a year, I re-evaluate where I’m at and where I want to go. These are great motivational tools for getting the job done.

10. White Board for Inspiration

I use my whiteboard in my office to write out my goals and the progress I’m making on them. Some days I feel like I’m doing great, others I don’t feel like I’ve gone backward. Having a board or even a piece of paper that tracks your progress on a long-term goal can be the perfect motivator to help you see small milestones you’ve reached along the way to help you power through.

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I’ve got Goal-Setting templates and other printable resources in my Goal Setting workbook below:

Check out these other posts on goal setting:

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