Welcome to the the last post in the Whimsical Holiday Planning Blog Series here at Createyou86.  I wanted the last post to be a conclusion to the series, and a welcome to a new year here at Createyou86.  This week I successfully completed making my goals for 2022, and have set up my planners for the coming year.  Can you believe that we are only a few days away from the New Year?
Some goals that I am looking forward to completing this year include:

•  Going back to school.  Finish up my degree program, and apply for Bachelors.
• Finding a great job in my field.
• Work on self-care.
• Doing more product reviews for this blog, and possibly creating a second blog .
• Eat better, and to use my homemade recipe planner (from this blog series).
• Doing more art, and staying inspired.

My #onelittleword for 2022 is INSPIRED.  I really enjoy sketching, and painting, and want to continue to be inspired by new types of art that I can try, and to improve my skills in sketching, and drawing.  Staying inspired will be the best way for me to work through the year, and do self-care at the same time.

​I thought id let you all in on some of the art that I have done for the holiday season.

I hope you have all had a very Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate, and a happy healthy New Year.  I hope you look forward to coming back for new blog series' at Createyou86 in 2022.

Welcome to the ninth post in the Whimsical Holiday Planning Blog Series here at Createyou86.  I can't believe that this series is almost over.  This has been so fun for me.  Today's post is all about my Filofax Finsbury Pocket, and how I use it.  
The first Filofax I ever bought was Purple Patent Pocket Filofax.  The patent pocket got me through some very important times in my life, and it was accompanied by my Red Filofax Domino which was the second planner I ever purchased.  In this season of life we are working on building credit to buy a house, and paying down debts, and I wanted something small, but still functional, and I was lucky enough to get the last Finsbury in the green color on Amazon. Below is a gallery of what is inside the planner to help reduce debt, and keep track of purchases made in order to build credit.

On the flyleaf in the front I have home made post-it notes (purple) where I can write random notes about things that have been purchased, or companies I need to contact.  The first section is a debt repayment plan, the middle sections are the note papers that come with the Filofax which I use to put tracking numbers, and account information in, and the last section is comprised of contacts pages.  These contact pages are strictly for companies we were using to build credit. All of these pages are from @SewMuchCrafting on Etsy.  While this planner isn't used all of the time it is useful to have this type of information separated from my EDC (everyday carry), and  readily available when I need it.  I don't have to go searching through planners because it has its own place on my shelf.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for the last post in the Whimsical Holiday Planner Series!  I can't believe it is almost over.

If you enjoyed this post, and got something useful out of it be sure to share it with someone who you think could benefit from it as well. 

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: What size planner is your favorite?

Welcome to the eighth post in the Whimsical Holiday Planning Blog Series here at Createyou86.  This is a post that I have been chewing at the bit to get out to all of you .  Let me say ahead of time that I planned my wedding in three weeks, and this is not at all the norm.  Most weddings take close to a year to plan.  However, my husband and I had been engaged for nine years, and it was time to tie the knot.  Let's start from where my marriage idea came from.
In July I was on vacation with my sister in St. Michaels Maryland, and we were laying in bed on July 8th, and I said "Its time that James, and I got married."  I immediately texted my fiancée at the time James, and asked him what he thought.  At this point we know that he agreed!
I decide that the best type of planner for a wedding planner would be a homemade disk system notebook where I could easily add, and take out pages based on my needs.  below is a photo of the planner that I made for myself. 

When I thought about getting married I always dreamt of a fall wedding.  I wasn't allowed to pick what I truly wanted in my first marriage, and I wanted to make sure that we both got everything that we wanted from this wedding.  This planner became a look book, and a planner.  The sectioned tabs of this planner included:

• Table
• Flowers
• Food
• Favors
• Clothing

The table section included overall images of what I wanted the wedding to look like, and what ambiance I wanted.  
The flowers section included ideas for flowers not only for the table, but for bouquet ideas.  
The food section included a menu for the reception venue, and the discussion that I had with the owner of the establishment about the date of the reception, and possible dessert ideas.  
The favors section was used to decide what decor would be placed at the reception. and what would be given as gifts that guests were sent home with.  
The clothing section was used as a look book for his tux, and my dress.
Our wedding was November 6, 2021.  Therefore I had almost exactly four months to plan the wedding.  We knew that due to the Pandemic we definitely wanted to have an outdoor wedding with about 25 people, and we knew where we wanted to get married due to the price of the documents needed when you get married.  We looked at, and toured a bunch of different outdoor venues in the county that we wanted to get married in and decided within about a week.  It was also helpful that we knew exactly where we wanted to have our reception, and the space was free on the date we wanted, and that discussion with the owner was about a half hour long. That was in the second week, and took a single day.  The last week was when I found my dress, found his tux, had our guest list completed, created invitations, and planned our hair and makeup. 
The process went vey quickly, and I was so relieved that everything was so effortless.  This made for a relatively stress free time leading up to the wedding.  The week of the wedding was a whole other story. It really helps to have an idea of what you already want from your event.  That is why this planner was so useful.  I already had some ideas written down, and had created some of the lookbook pages ahead of time.  I did have nine years to figure it out after all.  Below is a photo from our wedding day.

I truly hope that you enjoyed hearing a little bit about how I planned our wedding.  I have a YouTube video that goes more in depth about this planner than this post does if you'd like a more visual walkthrough.  Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the ninth post in the blog series.  We are getting down to the end of the series, and it has honestly rejuvenated my desire to blog more.

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW:  Do you have any specific planners for specific things?  If so....what is your planner for?

Welcome to the seventh post in the Whimsical Holiday Planning Blog Series here at Createyou86.  As a planner we have so many different items that we can use on the daily.  Have you ever thought about your daily essentials, or have you ever tried to separate your favorites from the rest of what you use everyday? The photo from this blog post image (above) is from well before Covid.  I was studying at the Library in a state I don't even live in anymore.  Honestly, this is one of my favorite places to be.  In this image there are Mildliners, post-it-notes (from Five Below).  I love the Five Below post-its.  They are larger than a normal post-it-note, and stick forever!  There are also Muji Pens, and Pilot Precise V5 RT Pens in that red case.  At the point in my life when I took that picture these were mostly my essentials.  Over the years my essentials have changed, and it seems to be happening year to year now.  Situations change, seasons change, circumstances change, people change, and as you do what you find essential to your life changes.  This seems pretty simple, but it can catch you off guard easier than you think.

My 2020-2021 most used planner and stationary items or essentials included:

•  My VDS Personal Planner.
• @SaraElizabethPlans Planner Stickers.
• Sharpie S Gel 0.7 pens (Now that it is the end of 2021 I have discovered that these pens are actually horrible.  They leak, and pool, and I am only using them to use them up now because I don't want to just throw them out, and create trash.)
• Muji .05 Gel Pens. (These pens are actually amazing, and I have a ton of them, and will probably use them forever on and off.)
• I have started to make a ton of my own post-it-notes even though I have a ton of post it notes from all the way back in 2014 when the target post-its were popular.  I have created my own using the Peanuts Planner Co. Facebook Group free printable.
• Post-It Brand thin page flags (plain, dots, and stripes type.)
• My @delfonics_official striped pen pouch.  This holds most of my art essentials, but I consider it useful for my planner items as well.

I'm sure by the end of 2022 these items will change again.  I'll find new planner items that I love, and the community will come out with new products that I feel like I need to get my hands on.  Do you ever feel this way?  
I hope that you enjoyed this post.  If you did be sure to share this post with someone who you think would gain something from it as well.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for the 8th post in the Whimsical Holiday Planning Blog Series!

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW:  ​What is your current planner essential?

Welcome to the sixth post of the Whimsical Holiday Planning Series here at Createyou86.  Today I want to talk about goals.  Most of us make them around the first of the year, and fade out, or get bored, or start to feel overwhelmed with them around the middle to the end of February.  This year I want my goals to be year long so I have created a list of  goals, but they don't have to be done daily because I hate tracking, and I spoke about that in my 2020/2022 planners post .  If you are looking for a post about how to set goals, or methods for goal setting this is not that post.  I did however create a blog post originally posted in April of 2020 which was 48 Laws of Power: A Case Study on Goal Setting.  It took me a few years to research, and write that post, and I truly hope that you can get something from that post to help you in how to plan your yearly or even monthly goals. 

My goals for 2022 include:

• Having a job working from home.
• Going back to school to finish up my Associates (only 3 classes left.)
• Work on my life coaching business (I am a Certified Life Coach.)
• Do more YouTube videos.
• Keep blogging consistently.
• Read more books.
• Language practice on Duolingo.
• My Self-Care Year notebook using my The Great Work book.
• Paint regularly.
• Draw regularly.
• Work on my personal craft.

The only thing on this list that I would like to do daily is working on my self-care planner because the book itself is set up as monthly cycles.  The first cycle goes from December 21-January 31, and there are daily prompts for the reading of each chapter within the cycle.  I can't wait to start digging in.

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW:  
How do you plan your yearly goals?  

Welcome to the fifth post in the Whimsical Holiday Blog Series here at Createyou86.  This post is going to be all about self-care.  We all know that 2020 was extremely hard on most people because of Covid.  2021 hasn't been much better.  Self-Care is so important to keep ourselves afloat. 
A few months ago I decided to add a daily routine, and daily to-do list to my planner.      I am going to be honest.  I don't do these things every single day, but these lists sit in my planner as a reminder of things that I can do for myself, or things that I enjoy doing that don't cause me any stress or worry.  Here are some of the items:

• Do something spiritual.
• Read my personal/business goals.
• Check/decorate/work on, and update my planner.
• Work on my BOS.
• Read a Chapter in a book.
• Do something for social media.
• Watch a YouTube video.
• Read a blog.

This list probably isn't what you would think of when you think of self-care, but they are different, and they are things that make me happy, and maybe you can get some quick ideas of things that you can do to calm yourself, or take some time to do things for yourself that you enjoy.  I hope that you enjoyed this short, and sweet post, and that you come back tomorrow for the sixth post in this Whimsical Holiday Planner  series.  

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS:
​What is your favorite thing to do for self-care?

Welcome to the fourth post in the Whimsical Holiday Blog Series here at Createyou86.  Do you ever feel like you have nothing in your cupboard to make for dinner?  During the pandemic I started feeling like that all too frequently.  The conversation was always "Hey babe what do you want for diner?" "I don't know what do you want?" "I don't know."  This is literally one of the most frustrating conversations one can have with a partner or even with yourself.
A couple of months ago I made a conscious decision that this conversation wasn't ever going to happen again.  At least not anytime soon.  

• I bought an 18 month Big Happy Planner, and created my own meal planner.  You can use any size planner to do this.  
• I took about 10 different meal plans from Pinterest that had appealing meals for my husband, and I and used each weekly section to build my own meal plan around the options on those lists.  This way it works off of an actual weekly calendar.  

This process took quite a while, but I believe that in the long run this project will completely pay off.  18 months is a lot of weeks to have to write meals for,  and I even have more room to add more to my weeks.  I left a few pages so that I could add any new recipes I might find going forward.  This also leaves room to be creative or to change things up a bit.
I posted a YouTube video all about how I created this planner.  It is posted below.  

Meal planning doesn't have to be difficult or frustrating.  Imagine being able to flip the page, and having it already done for you!!

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW:
Do you meal-plan?  If you do what method do you use?  If you don't would you consider using this method?

Welcome to the third post in the Whimsical Holiday Blog Series here at Createyou86. If you have been apart of the Planning or Journaling community for any amount of time you will have heard of the "Believe Notebooks".  These became popular several years ago during One Book July because the creator of the challenge was using one herself.  They were also made famous because BELIEVE was spelled wrong on the front of the notebooks for the longest time.  They finally fixed the spelling.  This past year I purchased the B6 size (Black), and A5 size (Red).  However, I had issues with the black notebook from the word go.  The B6 version is about $13 on Amazon, and 600 pages, and the black ones come gilded.  Here are some things I do not enjoy about these smaller black notebooks:

• I have to keep a rubber band around the book to keep it closed.
• The back page is so tight that it needs to be cut in order for the book to be able to open fully.
• The glue binding which is normally really good came undone immediately upon fully opening the book. (This is why the front doesn't stay closed.)

On the other hand the red believe notebooks behave as a normal notebook should.  When I first took it out of the packaging the size, and design immediately reminded me of a church hymnal.  The color is beautiful.  Both notebooks come with two bookmarks.  I removed mine.  I love that the red book is NOT gilded.  I have actually been cut by the gilding on the black notebook.  The A5 notebook is about $23 on Amazon, and is definitely worth the extra few dollars to have a book that actually behaves how it is supposed to. I will never repurchase the black notebook, but the red one would be a definite repurchase. Below is a photo of my notebooks.

I also did a YouTube video about these notebooks so you can see exactly what I have described in this post.  Please watch it below, and leave a comment about what you think about these notebooks.

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW:
What is your favorite notebook that you have purchased this year?  Mine would have to be my Midori MD A5 Notebook that I do sketches, and painting in.  

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for another holiday blog post!

Welcome to the second post in the Whimsical Holiday Blog Series here at Createyou86.  This post is going to be all about planners.  Specifically I want to let you know about my planner stack from 2021, and my planner stack going forward into 2022.  In 2021 my planner stack looked like this.

Let me explain a little bit about how I used these planners during 2021.  

• I have been using my Personal VDS Touch me since March 2020 receiving it about a week after the US was shut down for Covid.  I am going on 2 years with it, and aside from the Filofax Ochre Malden I don't think I'll be using any other personal planner anytime soon because I love everything about my Touch Me.
• I used the undated six month Powersheets for about three or four months.  It was very arduous to fill out, and constantly updating goals monthly, weekly, and daily etc. just isn't for me as a planner.  I actually hate tracking, and don't see a use for it unless its medical, or child rearing related, and completely necessary.  We were using the Powersheets for a relationship planner, and looking back through that planner we have definitely improved on everything, and have moved past that phase.
  
• I have had my Pumpkin Spice Foxy Fix Standard TN for quite a few years.  I use it sparsely  for blogging, and podcasting.  You can find a whole page about my podcast at the top of this page or you can click HERE to go directly to the podcast on Anchor.  I'll continue using it.  I love everything about it.
• Lastly I have an A5 light pink Carpe Diem which I use for a home planner.  I only use it a few times a year, and it never leaves the house. (There will be a post, and video about this!)

Next, let's take a look at my 2022 planner stack.  It is a little different.

Let's talk about the new planner in my stack.  My Self-Care Year Bullet Journal.  I'll be starting this on January 1st although I could have started it anytime throughout the year.  I'll be following along with a year long book called The Great Work.  It is all about self-knowledge and healing through the wheel of the year.  I might share my setup, but this will be a highly private planner/bullet journal with how deep the information is that i'll be writing about.  Some of the topics included in the book are: Roots & Foundations, Gifts from the Inner Child, Nurturing Empowerment, Union & Partnerships, Shining truth & Creativity, Visioning Self, Effects of Gratitude, and Healing from Loss.  I plan on learning a lot about myself in 2022, and this Planner/Bullet Journal will be how I do that.  You can click the image below to purchase the book from amazon if you'd like to follow along with me.

Now that you have seen what my planner stack was this year, and what it will be in 2022, what do you plan on using next year?

TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS: What planners are you using in 2022?

Welcome to the first post in the Whimsical Holiday Blog Series here at Createyou86.  There are few exciting things that have happened this year, and I can't wait to let you in on all of it.

• I went on vacation for the first time since 2017 for a few days.
• We found a kitten, and as of November 28, 2021 we have had her for a year.
• We got Married in November!!!
• I took a year long art class, and made a new friend.
• We are starting our fourth year in Delaware.

For my vacation this year I went to St. Michael's Maryland with my sister.  It is only about an hours drive from where I live in Delaware, and a good day trip.  We stayed 2 days, and we spent our time bike riding, sight seeing, hanging out with ducks at lunch, and having some nice dinners.  The change of pace was much needed.  This is also when I decided it was time to get married!

I found Lavender our Kitten who is now a Cat on November 28, 2020 when I was out walking my dog by our apartment dumpsters.  All of a sudden this orange kitten ran out at me, and stopped right in front of me.  We had been talking about getting another cat, but couldn't decide on the right one after visiting multiple adoption days.  This was my sign to scoop up that little kitten, and give her a home.  She is the spiciest cat we have ever known.  Two nights ago she knocked over our Christmas tree (thank goodness there were no ornaments on it yet.) No matter how spicy she is we really love her, and she loves us.  Here are some photos from the past year.  We have had her for a little over a year now.

Thirdly, I was able to take a year long art class.  I have learned that I don't actually need a teacher to "teach" me how to draw.  If I practice, I'll be able to keep improving myself, and my skills instead of relying on other people for validation.  I figured out I could draw in October of 2020 during my first ever art class as an adult.  I enjoy sketching, and watercolor painting.  In the year long class I made a new best friend who happens to live across the pond (in England), and we have had a blast getting to know each other.
Next, we are starting our fourth year in Delaware.  We enjoy living in Delaware, but we don't enjoy living where we are in Delaware.  We have aspirations of buying a home, or even moving apartment complexes.  We haven't quite figured this part out yet, but we will soon.
Lastly, on November 6, 2021 we got married! Mr. Createyou86/Cy86design and I tied the knot.  Remember when I said I decided on my vacation that it was time to get married?  Well I decided on July 8th, and 4 months later we got married.  I'll be doing a post all about the wedding, but here are some photos to give you a sneak peek.   

I feel like I have been waiting forever to talk about everything that has been happening, but I'm glad that I left everything for this blog series because it is all super exciting!

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS:
What is the best thing that happened to you in 2021?

Welcome back to another Createyou86 book review.  I am particularly excited about God With Us: A Journey Home because on top of being a blogger I also sketch, draw, and watercolor paint.  As you can see from the above photo of the cover of the book it is a very large watercolor painting.  This book is hardcover, and has 259 pages with full-color illustrations.  These illustrations are beautiful watercolor paintings.    

Welcome to another blog post at Createyou86.  It has been a little bit, and I am so excited to be back with this review of Roar Like a Lion.  This is a Ninety Day Devotional with amazing art, fascinating stories, facts, Bible verses, prayers, and simple action steps.  This devotional can help your child approach both fun moments, and tough times with their hearts set on God's faithfulness.
Not only is the art beautiful in this book, but Roar Like a Lion covers highly relevant topics such as:

1. Facing fears about school and friendships.
2. Dealing with peer pressure and bullying.
3. Handling new challenges, disappointments, and grief.
4. Having courage to try something new.
5. Understanding how we each fit into God's great story.

I love the "Did You Know?", and "Get Ready To Roar!" sections of this book.  They give small stories or tidbits of information that you may not already know from the Bible or just life in general.  Check out pg. 63 for a fact about Play-Doh that you probably didn't know!  I honestly think that this book has so many great things to offer school age children, and young teens.  Check out the images below for a sneak peek.  I would highly recommend Roar Like A Lion.  This book will be such a great addition to your child's library.

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS: What is your favorite devotional lately?

DISCLOSURE: Many thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

Happy Belated New Year! Welcome back to Createyou86.  This is my first time doing a movie review, and it is something I am very excited about.  This topic can be heavy, but it is an important conversation none the less.  January was Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and this movie was released on January 26, 2021.  This movie helps to spread awareness of the heinous reality of human trafficking, and the hope for rescue, recovery, and healing.  This movie features Dean Cain who was in Lois and Clark, and GOD'S NOT DEAD, and Kristy Swanson who played in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  It was nice to see familiar faces.  Some scenes were hard to watch as there is drug use, and suggestive scenes so I definitely do not recommend watching this with children.  However, I did really enjoy the movie, and acting overall.  It was easy to follow, and the plot was good.  The movie was around an hour and forty minutes which was a little long, but worth it in my opinion.  
​Since it is after the movies release it can be purchased right now by clicking HERE.  
We don't really think about trafficking on a daily basis, at least I don't, but there are some staggering statistics that go along with this movie.

• ​At any given moment, and estimated 40.3 million people are being victimized in situations of trafficking and exploitation worldwide.  25% of these are children.
• Phone calls and texting remain the dominant methods of communicating with buyers.

Please check out this movie.  I really enjoyed it, and I think you will as well.
Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

​Let me know in the comments below: What was the last movie or show that you binge watched?  I am currently binge watching The Magicians on Netflix.

Welcome to another book review here at Createyou86.  The holiday's can be a tough time.  I can highly relate to this in that I had to let some toxic relationships go a few years ago that were very important people in my life.  This book would have been helpful to me back then.  At the end of each chapter there are discussion questions where you can think about, and get your own feelings on paper easily, and out of your head where they can tend to stew.  This book also gives simple ways to put what you read into practice in your own life.  
Jack Eason has been the executive director of Crossover Cups Mission for thirty years.  He also consults with a variety of nonprofit ministries, helping them  develop successful approaches to fundraising and development.  

Check out a few comments about The Loneliness Solution below.  To PREORDER the book CLICK HERE.

When I lived in California I didn't have many friends.  I found friendship in our weekly Bible Study group.  Even though these were older people, senior citizens even there was a bond there that I believe that we as young people brought to the table.  I have always looked for new ways to build bonds through loneliness.  I used to go sing at senior citizens homes at Christmas time because some of those people no longer have family, or their family has abandoned them.  It is the simple things that you never expect will build a bond, and end your loneliness.  For anyone who is feeling lonely this book is a great way to start to end that feeling in your life.  

 “Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):
Many thanks to Revel Publishers for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Let me know in the comments below:  When was the las time you felt lonely, and how did you come out of that loneliness?

Welcome to my One Book July 2020 week three update.  My fiancé, and I have finally had the opportunity to catch up, and both put our goals into our #Powersheets together.  I did end up getting my original box from Cultivate What Matters so I now have a years worth of power sheets (Two 6 month planners.). You might be wondering why we are both using the same powersheets planner.  The Powersheets that I purchased are being used as a relationship, and family goal setting planner.  A place where we can figure out what needs to happen in our relationship in order for it to flourish, and grow, and be healthy.  How are we doing this?  We both picked a different color marker, and have picked our goals, and are sharing space in order to get it all in the same book, and have it not be confusing.  I might do a future blog post about this if I can figure out how to do it without having to blur out all of the photos because of how personal it is.  I have kind of stalled in reading The One Thing because I started doing something I wouldn't have thought in a million years that I would be doing.  What is it you ask?  Bible Study.  I am by no means religious, but I enjoy the stories, and I like hearing different peoples perspectives, and how they dissect what is written.  I find it all really fascinating.  However, it has taken away from what I started out to do so I will definitely be back to The One Thing over the weekend (today is Friday), and using my commonplace book to keep the quotes that I find really interesting or prophetic.  I don't feel bad that I got off track because I enjoy trying new things.  You can also check out my YouTube Intro video to see what my original plan was.

I'll be back next week with another update.  I hope that you are enjoying this series.  I have watched so many YouTube videos of everyones One Book July videos I couldn't count them if I tried, and I am loving them.  

Let me know in the comments below: How has your July been?  Are you partaking in #onebookjuly2020 ? 

Welcome to my Week 2 update for #onebookjuly2020.  I am very excited to officially be in my #Powersheets, and believe it or not my first order that I made with Cultivate What Matters actually arrived today after 14 days sitting at the post office, and 7 previous days with UPS.  I have been working through my mid-year refresh prep-work pages.  It is 34 pages of prep, and it truly gets you started on making your best goals.  click the photo to see my unboxing video. 

I am also still reading The One Thing, and following along with Carie Harling.  I really enjoy the book, and it is reaffirming a lot of information that I already believed to be true about several different subjects (you should read it so I don't have to give it away!)  I am really enjoying collecting quotes from the book in my commonplace book. You can find tons of photos of these types of things on my Instagram Feed .  I am still in my EDC which is my Van Der Spek Touch Me, and I love it so much.  I got some new markers which I am really loving currently.  I hope that you are enjoying these little updates, and new YouTube videos each week as I work my way through One Book July.  This is truly my favorite time of the year in the planner community because I learn so much from all of the other planners in the community, and how other people function in their planners. 

Let me know in the comments below: What have you learned about someone else so far during #onebookjuly2020 ?

Welcome to a new month, a new blog series, and my favorite time of the year in the planner community which happens to be #Onebookjuly2020.  This year I had grand plans to start on July first, but there have been a few bumps in the road.  While I normally only have one book as a planner (my EDC Van Der Spek Touch Me in personal size), I purchased the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets for the second half of the year during their summer refresh to start setting some major personal, and relationship goals for both my fiancé, and myself.  However, the delivery is taking longer than expected.  Cultivate What Matters has been very helpful in this matter, has expedited a new shipment for me, and it should be here ASAP.  As soon as the items come in I'll be doing an unboxing on Youtube, and posting photos on Instagram.  The other part of onebookjuly2020 that I am taking part in is the read-a-long that Carie Harling is doing with the book The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.  Along with the read-a-long I am writing down my favorite quotes, and tidbits in my brand new Leuchtturm Commonplace Book that I also started for this challenge.  If you are taking part in the #onebookjuly2020 challenge I hope your first week is going well, and if you aren't....WHY NOT?  

Let me know in the comments below:  What did you do for the July 4th holiday if you  celebrate?

INTRO
I did not know much about this topic, and though that as planners it was natural to go above, and beyond in our actions such as projects, goals, and life goals.  I want to learn when enough is enough, and how this law can help us as planners to accomplish greater things.
By doing further research into the topic I can better assess myself as a planner, and give insight to other planners like myself about goals, and goal planning.  This topic is important to study because most planning people are goal oriented, and once they meet one goal they try to aim higher, and higher.  It is important to find out whew as planners do this, and if it really helps to aim higher or if we should make completely new goals based on reaching a singular goal.  This study will advance new knowledge and new ways of understanding because making goals, how we set goals, how we plan, and how to move forward are important to the planning community.  I hope that this case study will shed light on how these things can be updated, and how planning in general can be changed to be better, and lead to better, more powerful planning sessions and life goals.

QUOTES ON LAW 47

"There is nothing more intoxicating than victory, and nothing more dangerous."

"Understand: In the realm of power, you must be guided by reason.  To let a momentary thrill or an emotional victory influence or guide your moves will prove fatal."

"When you attain success, step back cautious.  When you gain victory understand the part played by the particular circumstances of a situation, and never simply repeat the same actions again and again."

​"History is littered with the ruins of victorious empires and the corpses of leaders who could not learn to stop and consolidate their gains."

"Success plays strange tricks on the mind.  It makes you feel invulnerable while also making you more hostile and emotional when people challenge your power."

"Power makes you less able to adapt to circumstances.  You come to believe your character is more responsible for your success than your strategies and planning."

"The powerful vary their rhythms and patterns, change course, adapt to circumstances, and learn to  improvise."

"People who go past the mark are often motivated by desire to please a master by proving their dedication."

LAW 47
The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril.  In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far you make more enemies than you defeat.  Do not allow success to go to your head.  There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning.  Set a goal, and when you reach it stop. 
​As a planner this law is completely contradictory to everything I stand for as a planner.  Why do we plan higher after reaching our goals?  I started planning in my late 20's and had so many goals for myself.  As I keep setting goals for myself I kept feeling like I needed to acquire more stuff for my planner.  At this point I am around seven years into planning journey, and the amount of stuff that I have accumulated is pretty crazy.  I currently set goals for several areas of life including home, school, and relationships.  

LITERATURE REVIEW  
The 48 Laws of Power contributes the three laws that this case study is based on.  This book explains the meaning of the laws, historical significance, and how the laws can be applied in life.  
Illimitablemen.com has done extensive research into the 48 laws, and how they can be applied.  The book does not include any information on how to succeed through use of the laws, but gives historical references to look back on, and dissect.  There is not much research done on the topic unless you delve deeper into machiavellianism.  While reading excerpts of "Management" by Richard L. Daft I found ways of setting goals that companies would use, but can definitely be used as personal goal setting.  The Harvard Business Review also has many articles about goal setting, planning, and how to be most effective.  However, throughout the HBR Podcasts it was never brought up to exceed expectations, but to focus on issues at hand, and not feeling guilty if you fail.  The HBR classic article by Jim Collins talks about how companies should use, and keep up to date on catalytic mechanisms.  This specific article can be related to personal use as well.  

CATALYTIC MECHANISMS
Catalytic mechanisms are to visions what the central elements of the U.S. Constitution are to the Declaration of Independence-devices that translate lofty aspirations into concrete reality."

"Catalytic mechanisms share 5 distinct characteristics:

1. A catalytic mechanism produces desired results in unpredictable ways.
2. Distributes power for the benefit of the overall system, often to the great discomfort of those who traditionally hold power.
3. Has teeth.
4. Ejects viruses.

     5.   Produces an ongoing effect."​

CREATE A CATALYTIC MECHANISM
Don't just add, remove.
Create don't copy.
Use money, but not only money.
Allow your mechanism to evolve.
Build an integrated set.

CATALYTIC MECHANISM QUOTES
"Take 3M for decades, its executives have dreamed of having a constant flow of terrific new products.  To achieve that end, in 1956, the company instituted a catalytic mechanism that is by now well known: Scientists are urged to spend 15% of their time experimenting and inventing in an area of their own choice."

 "A catalytic mechanism should be a idiosyncratic adaptation, if not a wholesale creation, for a unique situation."

"New catalytic mechanisms sometimes produce unintended negative consequences and need correction."

"One catalytic mechanism is good; several that reinforce one another as a set is even better."

"Catalytic mechanisms alone will not create greatness; they need a dream to guide them but if you can blend huge intangible aspirations with simple tangible catalytic mechanisms then you'll have the magic combination from which sustained excellence grows."

"Personal catalytic mechanisms have all the benefits of organizational mechanism: They put bite into good intentions, dramatically increasing the odds of actually being true to your personal vision instead of letting your dreams remain unrealized."

METHOD
I selected Law 47 to study because as someone in the planning community this law seems to go against common thoughts and beliefs that are held among planners.  The strategies that I have used to research this topic includes the internet, reading the book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, and from reading several other books related to Law 47 as well as online articles or studies pertaining to this book or specific law.

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW PODCASTS

If/Then Planning

563: Escape Your Comfort Zone

504: Achieve Your Goals Finally

IMPORTANT QUOTES FROM THESE PODCASTS

"What's much easier for your brain to do is to do replacement behaviors."

"What happens is we set goals for ourselves and then we choose actions all day long, everyday that support those goals, and often, those choices we're making are not fully conscious choices.  Our brains are guiding us because your brain knows what your goals are."

"We're constantly making choices to try to get closer to all of our goals, and a lot of them run on autopilot, but in order for your brain to make good choices about what to do at every point during the day-again, largely unconsciously we're making these choices - it [your brain] really needs to know very specifically what it is you want to achieve."

"It uses a lot less willpower to follow through on a plan you already have than it does to try to spontaneously make the right choice in that moment when you are vulnerable."

"Goal setting and planning how you're going to reach a goal should always be a process that is an evolving process."

SPECIFIC GOAL SETTING STEPS

• Pick a couple things to prioritize.
• Be really specific.
• Really focus on replacement behaviors, and making new habits out of those behaviors.
• Have a plan for temptation.
• Be flexible.

The following is from Management by Richard L. Daft
- Planning is the most fundamental of the four management functions.
- A goal is a desired future state that the organization wants to realize.
​- Planning is the act of determining goals and defining the means of achieving them.
- A plan is a blueprint specifying the resource allocations, schedules, and other actions necessary for attaining goals.

DISCUSSION
The research problem I have been investigating is the 47th law of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene which states: "Do not go past the mark you aimed for.  In victory learn when to stop."  I have done extensive research about goal setting, and my own experiences not only as a planner, but as a goal setter.  
While reading parts of Management by Richard L. Daft I found that personal and organizational goal setting criteria aren't all that different.  Even listening to multiple episodes of the HBR Podcast and interviews nowhere does the information say to reset goals.  On the contrary, why should we stop goal setting, and how do we set higher goals if we have to stop?  Are we going to plateau, and "be all we can be?"  These findings were pretty unexpected because  it is burnt, and trained into our brains at a very young age that we should always aim higher with our goals after we have achieved them.  We do this with weight loss, saving money, and many other goals that we might have in our lives.  Lets see how this translates to goal planning in general.

GOAL PLANNING

1. 1.  Develop the plan.
   -define mission / vision.
   -set goal.
   2.  Translate The Plan.
   -define tactical plans and objectives.
   -develop a strategy map (mind map).
   -define contingency plans and scenarios.
   -identify intelligence teams (your tribe).
   3.  Plan operations.
   -define operational goals and plans.
   -select measures and targets (task tracker).
   -set stretch goals.
   -crisis planning.
   4.Execute the plan.
   -management by objective.
   -performance dashboards (how the plan is going).
   -single use plans.
   -decentralized responsibility (delegate).
   5.  Monitor and learn.
   -hold planning reviews.
   -hold operational reviews.

-Nowhere in these goal planning steps did it mention to reset your goals.
-Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton "Mastering The Management System", Harvard Business Review (January 2008) pg. 63, 77.

CONCLUSION
My conclusion to this case study is that law 47 of the 47 Laws of Power is justified in saying to stop once you have reached your victory whatever that may be.  All of the research that I have done for this post over a few years time have shown me that nowhere in planning content that I have seen about goal setting does anyone talk about resetting goals for higher achievement.

Let me know in the comments:  Do you normally keep reaching for new achievements after reaching a goal or do you start a whole different goal?