More Action Planning for Your Goals

How’s your week been? Did you get a chance to try out Wunderlist? What’d you think?

Maybe you wished the app was similar to a weekly planner – if so, we’ve got just what you need!

Let’s check out App #2: Opus Domini Lite

Who tested it?

Spencer Haney

• Project Coordinator for multiple internal, high-visibility projects with dispersed stakeholders
• Fast learner who loves crossing things off a to-do list and staying ahead of colleagues and clients
• Husband, Sport Enthusiast, and avid Board Gamer

Why I like it:

• Works like an easy day- by- day planner, just like your paper one would look!
• The search function pulls up different buckets to narrow down the results
• Easy to track tasks with the selectable status icons
• Syncs with google calendar and you can create new calendar appointments on the app
• Simple goal tracking, with a fun progress bar to show how far you’ve come
• Cool “compass” to help you keep tabs on your physical, mental, social, and physical goals
• Ability to forward tasks to a selected date
• It’s free!

What could be better?

• No alarm feature for tasks
• Not able to share lists or tasks
• Only available for Apple products

Our bottom line:

Opus Domini Lite provides the chance to keep tabs on goals in all different areas of your life. It is a solid one stop shop for calendar and task productivity.

Try it out—let us know what you think!

Moving Forward on Your Goals

 

How have your 2015 goals been going? Making some progress? Hoping to make some headway soon?

Sometimes (we’re not pointing fingers here!) it’s hard to remember the goals or deadlines we’ve created for ourselves. It’s also exponentially harder to get things done if we don’t have some accountability.

Want to create that accountability for yourself? We’ve found some apps for that job!

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll review a productivity/tracking app road-tested by one of our teammembers that will help you focus on (and hold yourself accountable to) the goals you’ve created.

Let’s check out App #1: Wunderlist

Who tested it?

Ashley Clark

• Program Manager for 5, global, complex projects
• Lover of learning and thinking strategically
• Wife, frequent Instagrammer, and Mom of 2 kids (under 2 years)

 

Why I like it?

• Multiple to-do lists for today, this week, this month, this year, etc.
• Sharing capabilities for some (or all) of your lists with your friends
• Simple layout, making it very user friendly
• Easy task management that includes due dates, reminders, stars, and list groups
• It’s free!

What could be better?

• No sub tasks on created tasks
• No option for reoccurring tasks

Ashley’s bottom-line:

This app is very easy to use for both you and sharing your goals with others!  I found it easy to create to-dos and it was helpful in keeping track of all the different things I have going on in a day!

Stay Tuned: More reviews coming your way next week.

Seeing People’s Strengths

You know those weeks where it feels like professionally or personally (or both!) the people around you are just trying to push your buttons?

It becomes really easy to focus on the negatives.

So, if you are having one of those weeks- we want to encourage you to take a step back and gather a little more perspective.

• Step 1: Take a deep breath and let it out slowly, counting to 5 (we’re serious… you will begin to think more rationally!)
• Step 2: Ok – now, think back to what was pushing your buttons, but try to think of the situation with the lens of the other person’s strengths

For example:

Someone on your team seems to be impatient and wants to take action on projects quickly. You don’t feel like they are giving enough thought to the project as a whole. But maybe your employee’s strength is taking thoughts and instantly turning them into action. So, this is a teammate who you know you can rely on to help get things done!

Or:

Everything feels like it has gone wrong this week… the deadline wasn’t met, the client or executive team was not happy, and then there was the one person on your team who was upbeat and positive. You were feeling like this was not at all a time to be positive. This teammate is able to easily get others excited, rallying a team together, to have the encouragement to keep pushing onward!

See, your frustration, when seen in another light (may still be frustrating but) makes a lot more sense and puts value back on each member of your team!

Celebrate Your Wins

We’ve got some goals. And, we know what is driving these goals.

How do you feel? Nervous? Excited? Ready to jump in? Anticipating the busyness of life to pick up soon? We feel all those too.

It is exciting to set goals. Sometimes, though, I feel like it takes a lot to reach them.

This week, we have Coach Teresa Wallace back to share another tip about setting goals.

Here is her encouragement:

“Build small wins into your larger goals. 

 

Remember, a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step. 

 

Celebrate that one step, because now you only have 999 more steps to get to your ultimate goal!  Hey, that’s less than 1000 steps!

 

As you celebrate each small win, your confidence builds, your motivation soars, and you reengage with the larger goal. 

 

A great way to do this is by setting goal levels. 

 

What’s the minimum you can accomplish on the goal and still feel like you’re moving forward? What’s in the middle (a realistic stretch)?  What’s the big goal? 

 

Even if you don’t meet the big goal right away, you’re still taking steps forward!”

 

Take those goals you have written and add in “mini” goals along the way.

And, don’t forget to let us know once you’ve made some of those. We would love to celebrate your wins with you!