I didn't anticipate getting Covid—who does?—but especially not "long Covid.”
I’m grateful that fatigue and brain fog were the only two issues that lingered since my late May 2022 infection. But recently the fatigue has subsided, and the brain fog is seemingly lifting a bit too.
Now I’m actively trying to read and write daily again.
It’s been tough, but I’m doing my best, and that’s what matters.
For my former business I taught planning and organizing "for success," but the pandemic's surprises left me with years of unmet goals and needs. And after 2022's surprises, I decided a solid, flexible plan (now that I've rebuilt other important habits) is absolutely necessary to continue growing and producing.
And now I'll share my method with you.
First off, in preparation of each new year, I brainstorm what “my most important goals are for the next five years.”
Since I do it annually, I simplify the goals and confine them to one page.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5e0b1d25-2e6f-4303-9330-e6416baec90c_1456x1092.png)
After, I brainstorm all the projects I want to accomplish in the new year.
These don't have to reflect the goals, however, before moving onto the next steps, note that your "top priority" projects should support your goals.
I say “should” because I’ve found that the only projects I and others I’ve coached ever actually complete are ones that align with our goals and values.
Dream big, but be realistic. I’ve found that keeping these lists to a single page in the pictured cloud-like format infuses realism, even when my goals have been grandiose in the past.
Based on the 5-year goals and listed projects for the upcoming year, brainstorm recurring tasks that support achieving your goals and completing your projects.
For example, I have: