Blending Tradition and Tech for Effective Yearly Planning

Goal-Setting with PowerSheets

FYI — I am an affiliate of Cultivate What Matters after years of using their products. Affiliate links are used in this post.

I’ve used PowerSheets from Cultivate What Matters for the last six years to plan my year. Since we’re coming up on the new year, I wanted to share what these are for anyone who might not have heard of them before and break down how I use them along with my digital goal planning setup and an AI coach.

Setting goals isn’t just about writing down what you want to achieve. It’s about creating a roadmap to get there. PowerSheets have been instrumental in helping me break down my big ideas into manageable chunks and keep up with them throughout the year. This year, I’m focusing on goals that focus on building my business and some personal growth ideas. PowerSheets make it all seem less daunting and more doable.

Their yearly book includes 40+ “Prep Work” pages that help you reflect on what’s important and set actionable plans to work toward your goal. Reflecting on the past 12 months is crucial for setting meaningful goals for the new year. Even if you don’t want to invest in the PowerSheets immediately, you can watch their 2024 prep week videos to follow the general structure.

One of the things I love about Powersheets is their structured design. While Notion and online project management tools can be great for building a goal planner, they can often be too flexible. I wanted something to help me plan my year but keep the focus on the action steps, not managing an entire software. I use the PowerSheets to keep my work, personal life, and studies in check, ensuring I’m not overcommitting in one area. It’s about finding that sweet spot where everything balances out, and these are perfect for that.

PowerSheets help me narrow my goals to key areas, like health and wellness, finances, and work and learning. This allows me to prioritize and achieving yearly goals in the areas of my life I want to see the most growth in.

One step of goal setting that so many people miss is tracking. Tracking progress keeps me motivated and on track. With PowerSheets, I can see how far I’ve come and what adjustments I need to make. I can’t just delete or archive uncompleted tasks or goals; they’re always there, prompting reflection and adjustment. Life throws curveballs, and my goals often need to adapt, but these sheets make it easy to pivot without losing sight of the bigger picture.

I’m all about blending the old with the new. While I adore the tangibility of PowerSheets, I also lean heavily on digital tools for efficiency. I sync my PowerSheets with Notion, getting the best of both worlds. Each approach has pros and cons, but this combo works like a charm for me. The tools you use to set and hit goals are completely up to you, as long as it’s a system that helps you set realistic and detailed goals while tracking your progress.

PowerSheets have been a significant part of my planning stack for many years. They help bring clarity and focus to my year in habitual and physical ways. If you’re on the fence about trying PowerSheets, I say make the dive! Find what works for you, whether paper, digital, or a mix of both; I hope you hit your goals.


Ready to make your year as productive as it can be? Check out Cultivate What Matters and grab your PowerSheets. Let’s make this year count.

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