When I give, I get!  A balanced life is about give and take and knowing when to rest and when to push forward harder.  But outcomes don't just happen.  They take purpose driven planning.  The kind of outcomes we dream of actually take time to set intentions around, identify goals and take action. Planning is key.  Whatever method you use, if it works then stick to it, if it doesn't then here are my tips for Living With Purpose.

Identify:

What brings you and your loved ones joy?  What memories do you want to create?  What traditions do you want to carry on or start?

Get a pretty pen and a planner that works for you (see the link to my favorite planner below) and open that sucker up and start planning.

1. Plan yearly, in quarters, and monthly.  I really like planning with the season.  Different activities and traditions occur in summer, fall, winter, and spring.  Use that to your advantage!

2. Work backwards - See the end goal.  The vision, the dream.  Then decide how that can become a reality. Depending on the size of the goal, or if it is in honor of a specific date, anniversary, birthday, holiday, etc. set a timeline or a deadline.

3. Break the planning up into easy to accomplish tasks & ask the participants for feedback on what would make the event, vacation, party, etc. enjoyable for them.  The more meaningful it is to those who participate, the more likely they will associate positive memories with it!

4. Track your progress and use that to inform if any of the tasks need to be adjusted or modified in order to reach the goal. Ask for help if you need it!

5. Be relaxed about your expectations and go into the event with intentions for it to be stress free and full of fun!