The Holiday Helps series was so popular that I think I will continue to share my favorite printable freebies with you throughout the year! So, as you take a step back, look at the big picture with a critical eye, and plan out your goals for the new year, these tools should come in handy… Enjoy!

	Goal List from Buttoned Up
	Goals Cheat Sheet from The Home CEO
	Resolutions Planner from Martha Stewart
	Goal-Setting from { simple mom }
	My Personal Goals from momAgenda
	My Specific Goals from momAgenda
	Goal Chart from The Project Girl

From Nina Restieri, founder of momAgenda :

Happy New Year to all of our friends! Whether you totally have your act together or whether you, like me, are organizationally challenged, we appreciate you and thank you for being a momAgenda fan/friend/reader/whatever. For this giveaway, we will be giving a Desktop Planner (your color choice) AND a Kitchen Folio to 1 lucky winner selected at random on Thursday, January 7th.

To enter this giveaway, post a comment on the momAgenda blog, Facebook profile, or Twitter account (using hashtag #momagenda) letting Nina know WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION FOR 2010?

Plan all you want… but if you don’t write it down, it likely won’t get done. Take 10 minutes today to schedule your family’s activities and to do’s for the week. For me, it looks like this:

Monday

@ 8:30am : BNI 1-to-1 Meeting
AM : [ real neat ] brainstorm session
PM : tidy, dust, & vacuum apartment

Tuesday

@ 7:00pm : Toastmasters Speaker Seminar
AM : [ real neat ] phone calls, client follow-up
PM : play date for Amanda + wash, fold, & put away laundry

Wednesday

@ 7:30am : BNI Chapter Meeting
AM : [ real neat ] blog & website updates
PM : OPEN

Thursday

AM : [ real neat ] phone calls, marketing letters
PM : play date for Amanda + [ real neat ] workshops

Friday

ALL DAY : no school for Amanda = play, play, play !!

Now, as you plan out your family’s week, don’t forget to include plenty of quality family time, plus a bit of pampering for yourself!

So, what does your family’s week look like? Do tell (in the comments below)!

This week’s mission is to make a concerted effort to plan ahead!

As you very well may have noticed, there was no Monday Mission last week. I thought that I had planned ahead pretty well for my time away in Michigan and Ontario, but apparently, I didn’t!

My List :

• Set up e-mail autoresponder. Check.
• Add future blog posts to be published while away. Check.
• Pay all bills that will be due while away. Check.
• Pack suitcases. Check.
• Print out driving directions. Check.
• Arrange for overnight accomodations. Check.

So, what did I miss…??

Ha! Well, I neglected to make a plan for our post-vacation week! You know… the one where you’ve arrived home, exhausted from your travels, loathing to unpack and get back into your hum-drum daily routine…

Hence, no Monday Mission for last week, suitcases and tote bag are only mostly unpacked, still no food in the house (Amanda and I will be grocery shopping today), incomplete July newsletter taunting me from the Drafts folder, and the list goes on…

So, needless to say, my goal for this week is to PLAN AHEAD just a bit better. And, by putting my plan in writing and sharing it with you, I’ll be sure to stick to the plan (since I know you’ll hold me accountable). So, here it is…

• Today : laundry and groceries
• Tomorrow : playdates (daytime for Amanda and evening for me!)
• Wednesday : July & August newsletters (or one summer issue?)
• Thursday : dust and vaccuum
• Friday : shopping
• Saturday : update contact management database

So, what about you? Are you a natural when it comes to making plans? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your favorite tips or toughest challenges when planning ahead.

Courtesy of Nina Restieri, creator of momAgenda and mom of four:

What if, in the last week before Christmas, you decided to cast off all the stuffy responsibilities, and commit to trading tedious obligation for carefree celebration? Intrigued? For a truly joyful holiday finale…

• First, go through your day planner and cross out anything that looks more like a chore than a chance to celebrate. Spend the time with your family instead. Holding your children close and feeling the sloppy kisses bestowed reminds you that the best holiday spirits are found at home.
• Second, instead of worrying about how you’ll look in this year’s trendy holiday dress, skip the style-slaving and opt for something soft or sparkly instead: a snuggly cashmere scarf or a shimmery pair of heels will have you feeling festive in no time.
• Next, forget about turbo-cleaning before the out-of-town guests arrive, and focus instead on adding a few welcoming touches to make them feel right at home: orange-scented incense on the mantle, extra-luxurious towels, a cozy fleece blanket. For such elf-like touches, your guests will surely forgive the fairy layer of dust on the window sill, or the broken toy from last year’s booty adorning the floor.
• Remember, sometimes the best Christmas present you can give your family doesn’t come in the intricate Martha-Stewart packaging your husband and kids could care less about anyway. The gift they’ll truly cherish is a mother who is well-rested, beaming, and has enough energy to get down on the floor and play with their new toys. On that note, why not give yourself an extra hour of beauty rest to compensate for all the busyness of the last few months? You can thank us when the holiday pictures arrive.