Virginia's Toolbox

A goal properly set is halfway reached.  – John Doerr Why do a monthly reset? Doing a monthly reset has been instrumental in achieving many of my long-term goals. Sitting down to plan and reflect each month helps me to keep track of everything that I set out to do in the beginning of the year. Making yearly goals is great, but we often find ourselves at the end of the year completely forgetting about those new year's resolutions! Coming back to our goals monthly is a great way to break down our goals into more manageable chunks, and to track our progress. It is also a good way of figuring out if we are truly heading in the right direction, or if we need to make a change before we go too far down a dead end path.  Being once a month, we are able to check in often enough that we remember what we set out to do, but it isn't an overwhelming task to take care of often. I can also see improvements from month to month on things like finances and fitness, and it can be so motivational...

  When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven't. - Thomas Edison Sometimes, I feel like I have too many big ideas floating around in my head, with no way of sorting them all out. Large goals like "Get a better job", "Lose weight", or "Buy a house" seem just too big to overcome. Possibilities seem endless, and it can be hard to get everything down in a way that makes sense. Enter the mind map - whether you are stuck and looking to brainstorm, or want to clear out the mental noise in an organized way, this printable can help you.  I was having a hard time finding a mind map that was basic enough to use for any facet of my life, and that also had enough branches to get all the ideas that I wanted down. So, I made my own! I hope this handy file can help you when planning all of your great ideas! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE E-FILLABLE PDF!

Wellness (n.):  A conscious, deliberate process that requires a person to become aware of and make choices for a more satisfying lifestyle. - Dr. Peggy Swarbrick In 1997, Dr. Peggy Swarbrick, a long time occupational therapist, finalized her concept of "The 8 Dimensions of Wellness". Almost 30 years later, these ideas still hold true as ever to the different ways we can achieve health and wellness. A balance is required in all different aspects of our lives. Even if you are running marathons and eating clean, if you are buried in debt or isolated from friends and family, you won't be able to achieve an overarching feeling of wellbeing.  This wellness audit will bring you through the 8 dimensions of wellness and consider each one individually. There are sections to reflect, as well as set goals for each one. Focus on dimensions that are more regularly neglected in your life, but continue good habits that are already in place. I personally find that I do best in Financial, ...

Having worked several administrative jobs over the years, I know how many recurring bits and pieces we all need to remember to get done. Whether it is a daily task or a yearly one, keeping on top of everything is the best way to avoid overwhelm at work and perform at your best. This isn't meant to be a to-do list, but more of a reminder list. I don't put one off items in this calendar, just things that I know will happen over and over again. While it's very unlikely that I will forget to do something like check the mail, it gives structure to my day. Keeping quarterly and annual tasks still top of mind will help avoid any oversights. Although keeping a digital calendar with recurring tasks is great, I've always enjoyed having a physical copy of my task list since it is easier for me to visualize it. I also like to post it up, since oftentimes I'm supporting multiple other people. They are able to check the schedule at their own convenience if they want to double che...

"Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life" – Steve Jobs If you ever need a reset of your values and priorities for the day, creating a 24-hour "ideal day" pie chart is a great way to visualize your day and how much time you really have to accomplish everything you hope to do. It is also a great way to prioritize the things that are truly important to you, and carve out time for it all. Firstly, get set up with your sleep schedule, as well as other non-negotiables like your commute, class times, or work hours. Then, add in realistic time frames to get other life tasks in, such as cooking, cleaning, and hygiene. After adding in all of this, there's a good chance you'd be surprised at how little time is left for the things we really want to do.  From here, narrow down all of your want-to-do's into the most important things. For some of us, this may be hitting the gym, for others, it might be painting. If you only have a handful of hou...

"The world belongs to the energetic." - Ralph Waldo Emerson If you have ever struggled to find the energy to complete certain tasks during the day, only to be later squirming out of your seat while trying to focus on more mundane work, energy tracking may be something to incorporate into your work planning.  We all will naturally have peaks and valleys in our energy levels, but the times and durations of those energy levels will vary from person to person. The night owls might find their energy ramping up in the afternoon and the evening, while the early birds might experience the dreaded "3PM crash". Feeling lower energy at certain points in the day is totally normal and nothing to feel guilty about. Even the highest energy people will feel tired at some points in their day! However, being aware of when these times come about for you and planning your tasks around them will help you be the most productive throughout those sleepy times. This energy tracker that I...

A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.  -Mark Twain Why I Define Habits, Not Goals As a lifelong daydreamer, I've always devised lofty aspirations for myself in my head. Whether it was grand career goals, athletic ambitions, or even learning a silly little skill like juggling, there was always a desire to do more and more. Of course, we all have 24 hours in a day - and far fewer than that if you count the task lists that seem to get longer with each passing year - so following all of the desire paths in my head was never going to be possible. I slowly entered the Real World and saw how much of my time and energy was sucked up doing menial tasks like scrubbing the bathtub or listening to crackling hold music, I realized that I would never be able to do all the things that my shiny young counterpart saw in her future. However, giving up on all of my many, many dreams seemed too disappointing to bear.  Spiraling into a quarter...