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Using the Powersheets Goal Planner from Cultivate What Matters has completely changed how I approach my goals. And today I’m reviewing the 2021 Powersheets Goal Planner in hopes that it will help transform next year for you too.
2020 Powersheets In Review
Last year I reviewed the 2020 Powersheets after purchasing it for the first time. I had never used it before so I could only tell you what I thought about it from a first impression point of view.
To be honest, I was worried that I wouldn’t stick with it. I don’t have the greatest track record for using the same planner, any planner, for an entire year.
But I did it. It may only be October now, but I have checked in, reviewed each month, and then set new goals for every month of 2020.
It helped me stay sane. This year has been crazy! It’s kind of felt like this:
But I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I made far more progress on my goals this year than I have in a long time. Or maybe even ever.
It wasn’t even close to perfect. But I kept going back to them. I kept reminding myself what my goals are and why they are important to me. Each month was a chance to start over and accomplish something new.
You may also like: What I Wish I’d Know About Powersheets (and what I’m doing differently next year)
And even though the year isn’t even over, I feel like I’ve done well with my word of the year: Progress.
So are Powersheets worth it? Absolutely yes. As long as you just keep going back to them at least each month. Don’t worry about what you did or didn’t do. Just keep going back each month.
Also check out the video flip through of the new 2021 Powersheets Goal Planner
2021 Powersheets Goal Planner
What are Powersheets?
Powersheets are a goal planning system and workbook. It starts with a very in depth section of prep work to help you determine what is most important to you. After determining what goals you want to set, you are able to break them down into quarterly mini goals that you can work on each month.
There is also a section for each month where you can braindump what’s on your mind, and determine what you should work on that month.
And then every 3 months you are able to refresh your goals and readjust for where you need to go for the next quarter.
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Accessories
When I purchased my Powersheets last year, I wanted to make sure that I would use it before buying a lot of accessories. So I bought none. I can honestly say that you can absolutely get just as much out of Powersheets without any of the accessories.
However, this year. I bought a bunch of accessories. I’m going to go over them in a different post (that you can see here), because I want this post to just be about the 2021 Powersheets Goal Planner.
Outside of the 2021 Powersheets
This year I choose the Sea Glass Linen Cover. It is beautiful! The aqua is a color I have been loving lately, and it caught my eye as soon as I saw it.
Although to be fair, I did consider each of the covers for at least a minute while trying to decide. They are all really beautiful.
Like last year, they are still a hard cover book. There are three linen cover colors, and one bold citrus and floral pattern.
The linen covers are coated to protect them and they are fairly water resistant. I saw multiple members of the Cultivate Team pour some liquid on on them (water and coffee), and it wipes right off.
My favorite change this year is the rounded metal corners. Last year the corners were pointed, and kind of… harsh. I’m not sure how else to say it. But the new rounded corners are so sleek and clean.
My least favorite thing about Powersheets though, is that they use the double-O wire binding. I really don’t like this binding. They decreased the size of it this year, which does seem to help the pages turn better. But generally speaking, this binding style makes it hard to turn pages and especially to close the planner. But it is the most common binding style for hard cover planners so it is what I would expect. I still think I’d be willing to trade the hard cover for a soft cover if it meant getting a coil.
Inside Basics
Paper & Dividers
The paper is 120 GSM/80 lb. bright white and smooth. It’s really nice paper and perfect for using just about any pen or even marker (I wouldn’t attempt a Sharpie on it though). I used gel pens, PaperMate Flairs, and Mildliners in mine last year and nothing even shadowed through.
This year they even came out with their own set of color coding markers (more about them here) and I tested them on the Powersheets paper and they don’t bleed or shadow. I’m highly impressed.
The dividers are also the same thick, coated cardstock as last year with foiled and laminated tabs. They are durable and I had no problems with them last year. In fact, my whole Powersheets planner is still looking almost new except for all the writing on the pages.
There are less dividers in the 2021 Powersheets than there are in the 2020 version. They took out the dividers for the goals section, and each of the Quarterly Refreshes. The Refreshes are still there, they are just included in the next month instead of their own section.
Design
This year they added a lot more color within the pages of the 2021 Powersheets. It looks clean and bright and I love how cheerful it is.
I also love how they made each divider a solid color with a quote, instead of the stripes in the 2020 Powersheets.
Inside Pocket
This is a huge improvement over last year! The pocket in the 2020 Powersheets was so tight that barely anything could fit. Even getting a single piece of paper inside was difficult.
They have made it much looser this year, and I’m so excited that more will be able to fit inside.
It is also wider than last year, allowing even more room for Wildcard pages or any notes that you want to keep with your Powersheets. I plan on keeping a few of these Goal Break Down pages in the pocket.
Stickers
Like last year, there is still a page of stickers included in the Powersheets. I’m so excited that this year they added a few of the color coding dots to go along with the flags.
I love the color coding system in Powersheets. And it’s easier than ever with additional stickers and the new Color Coding Markers. I would also recommend getting the Goal Setting Sticker Book for more colored flags and dots if you are interested in really utilizing the color coding method.
What’s really important?
I said this last year, and I will say it again. The quality of this planner isn’t about the quality of the materials it is made of. Cultivate What Matters products are always very well made. I’m sure they spend a lot of time making sure that their products are the best quality.
But the benefits of this planner are more about what it can do for you life, than what it’s made of. This would always be a glowing review as long as Powersheets has the same process, the same emphasis on finding the things that matter to you, and the same support system within the company.
Because what you get out of it is so much more important than the paper, the cover, and the design.
Prep Work
The Prep Work is what makes Powersheets, Powersheets. They have streamlined the process to make it easier and, well, less fluff. I haven’t actually done the prep work for 2021 yet. But my initial reaction is that they make the instructions shorter and more direct. Some of the prompts have less room than last year. I’m still not sure how I feel about that. Part of me loves having lots of room to write. But looking at the pages, it still seems like plenty of room for what each question is asking. That will be something to be determined when I actually go through it.
Want to be updated as I go through my Prep Work?
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I’m also really happy that they redesigned the goal breakdown pages. Last year as I tried to fill them out, I had no idea what to do, and it was confusing and just didn’t seem to work. They have restructured it and it seems so much more “user friendly” now! And it makes me so excited to plan out my goals for next year!
Monthly Pages
The monthly pages have also been streamlined. All of the same pages exist. Some of the layouts are a little different (and improved in my opinion). And in January there are two pages of instruction and tips for filling out your goals and tending list for the months.
Each month includes a monthly calendar, just like last year. I was never sure how to use the calendar this year, but I’ve decided to use it to keep track of milestones and bigger memories that I want to remember.
There are two pages to start planning out your goals for the month. The first is a braindump type page where you can start to think about what’s coming up in the future month. The other page is where you can start to brainstorm and list off goal ideas for the month.
And the page that Powersheets are most known for is the tending list page. This is where you actually decide on the action steps that you want to accomplish for your goals through the month. You choose monthly, weekly, and daily action items that will help you make progress on your yearly and quarterly goals.
I’m a little disappointed that as part of their streamlining, they removed the extra spaces Wildcard pages that were previously in each month. I was looking forward to those pages for adding in pictures, quotes, and memories– but now they are no more. To replace it, they added a little note on the bottom of the back of the divider saying to use that as your space for Wildcard pages. I was also going to use that space for pictures, but I’m sad that I lost the other two pages where I could add those in.
Quarterly Reviews
I love the new Quarterly Review sections so much! They took out the random pages like “Things to Savor” and made it all about actually refreshing your goals. Not only is there a review of where you stand in different areas of your life, but you get a page for setting new goals, and space to break down each of those goals into action steps. That is so important to to turn your goal into things that you can actually do! And it will be so helpful to be able to refer back to those pages for each month’s tending list.
Why I think YOU need Powersheets
I’ve always been a lover of goals. I have a lot of things I want to accomplish, and having a direction to go in has always been important to me.
But I was never very good at it. My goals were vague, and I never knew how to plan action steps to actually make any progress towards them. I felt like I was drowning. And there is a despair that comes when you know you want to do great things, and create this amazing life for yourself, and nothing. seems. to. work.
Powersheets changed that for me. Despite all the crazy that has happened this year, this has still absolutely been my most productive and intentional year ever. And I know next year is going to be even better. Because Powersheets works.
Powersheets will help you narrow in on what you want to do. Then it shows you how to break it down into action steps that will actually move you toward your goal!
Can you do it without Powersheets? Maybe. But having the accountability of my monthly tending list gave me continual reminders of where I wanted to be, and I knew how to get there. Plus, my goals weren’t lost on random pieces of paper floating around my house. I knew exactly where to find them.
I wasn’t perfect at checking everything off. No one is (I think). But it’s not about perfection. Its about progress. Every little check mark, every bit of that progress bar filled in, that’s a sign that you are moving in the right direction. I don’t know of any other goal setting process that works in the same way.
You may also like: 2021 Powersheets Accessories & Launch Day Bundles
Cultivate Your Year Live
This year Cultivate Your Year Live is online, making it more affordable and more accessible than ever before! No travel necessary!
This is a 6 hour workshop where Lara Casey and the Cultivate Team will walk you through all your Powersheets prep work so you can complete it all in one day. Plus they will be available to answer any questions! And you get the added company of the Powersheets Community while you fill out your prep work.
Plus, not only do you get to attend the event online, but you have access to the recording in case you can’t make it live or just want to watch it again as part of your goal refresh during the year.
On Launch Day only (October 14, 2020) it will also be on sale for half off! Only $49 instead of $99. If this is something you’ve wanted to experience, there is no better time than this year! We could all use a fresh start for 2021!
Overall…
They did a really good job with the changes they made this year and I’m even more excited than ever to jump into the prep work.
Let me know if you have any questions about the new 2021 Powersheets. They have changed the way I look at setting goals. It’s important to figure out what you want, what’s most important to you, so you can make progress on your priorities.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
