Karen and I are always on the lookout for tools that will help us stay focused and working as efficiently as possible. As we get closer to 2015 we're getting ready early and want to make sure that we're on track for 2015 to be our best year yet. With all kinds of new programs, products and directions we have a lot of planning to do this year!

Leonie Dawson

I discovered Leonie Dawson a couple of years ago. She’s a self proclaimed hippie and I will admit that at first I didn’t really think her content would be for me, but I was wrong. Last year we bought her business planning document and liked it so much that this year we went on to buy both her business planner and her life planner (affiliate link).

I really like that she helps you close off the previous year and figure out what you learned, what you achieved and sometimes what you need to let go of. Then she helps you figure out what your goals are for the coming year and how to break them down into achievable pieces.

Her planners, in her words:

The 2015 Create Your Shining Year workbook & calendar is an incredibly popular & useful tool to help you plan out & make happen your most incredible year in life or business (or both!). Over the last six years, thousands of women have used this workbook with the most amazing results. It’s the best planning tool available to help you make your year your most exceptional yet!

Used by entrepreneurs, artists, mamas, creatives, coaches, teachers and women of all ages, the Create Your Shining Year in Life and Biz workbooks are filled with dozens of pages of powerful worksheets & a printable calendar to help you create your amazing new year.

Planner Pads

I’m not very organized; I readily admit it. We were told about Planner Pads by Amanda from Little Lotus Yoga and right away I saw how my brain and this planner could work together. :)

The concept is of a funnel. You list everything you have to do at the top and then funnel it down to the right date and time. If you don’t do it when you funnelled it down, it’s still at the top of the list to funnel down elsewhere.

Since I’m also a big fan of writing things out by hand, this planner has worked really well for me - and everyone else we’ve recommended it to has loved it as well. I keep trying other planners to see if anything works better and nothing ever does. A small note, I tried the executive size this year because there would be more room to write and I found it a bit too bulky to carry around. If you bring your planner with you and you're out and about a lot, I'd suggest sticking to a regular size.