HGD Crossroads

Tag: Time Finder

  • Planning for April 2025

    Planning for the month ahead helps you stay on track with your quarterly focus. It allows you to break it up into smaller, manageable chunks. It also allows you to evaluate what is important to you. By pre-planning, you will be more prepared for the action steps you need to take, and you won’t be surprised by events.

    (c) 2025 Goal Detective Cindy and Holistic Goal Detectives LTD

    What you will need?

    • Your Create Your Dream Plan Action Life notebook or planner (Printed or digital copy)
    • Monthly Task Tracker
    • Your planner or the full Quarterly Planner with the weekly planner included
    • Up to an hour for the planning session
    • Using a notebook or printed-out planner, you will need your writing instruments.

    What is the focus for the month?

    Is the monthly focus the same as the overall quarterly focus, or are you focusing on one part of the overall focus? 

    Monthly Action Steps

    It is helpful to have a task tracker for the month. This may seem like double handling of the tasks from planning the quarter, but if you get overwhelmed, this step will help. 

    • From your Quarterly Task Tracker, transfer the items you will be taking action on this coming month.
    • What other action steps do you need to video this month?
    • In your weekly planner, note any appointments and events that have been pre-booked. Do any tasks need to be completed before the appointment? If so, add the task to the monthly tracker.
    • Can you think of anything else you need to do this month?

    Recording your achievements

    We as humans tend not to celebrate our achievements or brush them off as no big deal. I challenge you to record your achievements and go a step further, reward yourself. That is why the Quarterly Planner has space for you to record your monthly achievements. Did you write that blog post? Awesome, record it AND reward yourself. This could simply be doing a little happy jiggle in your seat, making yourself that cup of coffee or tea you have been dying for but didn’t allow yourself until you finished writing the post. Or go for that walk? Or make that hard phone call? 

    The point is to record what you did and reward yourself.

    Another reason to record what you have completed is so that:

    • You have a list to prove to yourself that you do actually finish things. 
    • For those days you are being mean to yourself, you can see what you have achieved
    • For the end-of-quarter review
    • For the end-of-year review
    • To help you track the progress of more significant projects while achieving smaller milestones
  • Use a Time Finder to make room for your goals

    Use a Time Finder to make room for your goals

    As you will know by now from the name of my business, Holistic Goal Detectives LTD, I am all about helping you achieve your goals. One of the things I have learnt over the years is that your goals will only be achieved if you schedule them. But how are you going to schedule time for your goals if you are just so busy? That is why, when my life gets busy, I return to the Time Finder worksheet.

    Time Finder WorksheetDownload

    Disclaimer: The Time Finder is not my concept, I learnt how to use this tool when I was doing party plan many many years ago. This article just shares with you how I use the worksheet.

    The Time Finder, a landscape A4 piece of paper, is a versatile tool. It features a table with the days of the week, and three cells are allocated under each day, which I use to separate mornings, afternoons, and evenings. However, you may have your own unique way of structuring your days, so I intentionally left the rows unlabeled. You might prefer categorising your days by work, appointments, daily habits, or any other method that suits your lifestyle. Please share your approach in the comments, as it could inspire others.

    Once you have chosen how you will separate your days, it is time to get into the fun stuff: filling out the Time Finder. 

    • First, add any personal appointments you have for the coming week. 
    • Do you have any work appointments you need to add in now?
    • Add in your morning routine.
    • What time do you have lunch?
    • Do you regularly exercise?
    • Do you meal prep?
    • Do you regularly have a date night with your partner?
    • What time do you like to go to bed?
    • Do you do weekly planning? If so, when do you do it?
    • When do you do your self-development?
    • Do you or your kids/partner play sports? If this affects your time, add it.
    • Quiz Night? Add that in, too.
    • Coffee with friends?
    • You get the point. If it is something you will do this week, then add it in.

    Now, it is time to analyse your activities. Have you forgotten anything? Add that in. Are there any tasks that can be eliminated? Can you rearrange some tasks to increase efficiency and free up some time?

    Now, let’s focus on your goal. How much time a week do you need to dedicate to it? Or is there a specific day and time you would like or need to work on a task for your goal? It’s crucial to make room for one to five hours to start with for your goal. Remember, your goals are important, and you need to commit time to them to see results. 

    Now, update your planner/diary with the new schedule, including a time slot for you to work on your goal.

    Need support turning your goal into a realistic plan?

    1. Want a one-on-one Goal Investigation Session?