People who know that I use the PowerSheets planning tool have been reaching out to ask all kinds of questions since the new 2021 collection launched last week. I thought I might answer some of those questions here and offer my official review of PowerSheets so that you can decide if you might want to try them out in 2021.
Spoiler alert: I really like this tool.
What are PowerSheets?
PowerSheets are a planning tool that focuses mostly on monthly and quarterly planning, with the opportunity to break down goals into smaller milestones and to track monthly, weekly, and daily habits that you are prioritizing. This product is a bound planner that has full-color inserts and stickers that can be used to accentuate your written entries.
Did I continue to use PowerSheets in 2020 despite all the disruptions?
I did. Even with all the changes in this past year, I found that I still needed to do quarterly and monthly planning. I also use this tool as a framework for the monthly goals and intentions setting events that I host in Prolific, so those events offered a helpful way for me to stay accountable to my own planning. Using PowerSheets is one of the ways that I stay intentionally connected to my values through goal setting, so it was really helpful for me to keep up this practice even during a tumultuous year.
How did I continue to use PowerSheets in 2020?
I primarily used PowerSheets to check in on my quarterly goals (and adjust them as needed) and to write monthly task lists for areas that I wanted to work on or prioritize. The monthly tasks lists have been especially helpful since I don’t really have a place to do that in the Notion set-up that I’ve created, and I like to look at one month at a time to see what I want to be focusing on. There are blank pages throughout the PowerSheets that you can use as you wish, so that’s where I wrote my monthly task lists.
Do I combine personal and work in my PowerSheets planning?
For now, I combine personal and side-business-related goals and tasks in my PowerSheets, but I have separate processes for how I track goals and tasks for my day job. I don’t see any issues with this combination, but I’ve also heard of people getting PowerSheets and using them just for personal, side-business, or work-related tasks. I think this is a personal choice depending on how you like to compartmentalize planning in your life.
How do I use PowerSheets in combination with my Notion planning system?
Right now, I use Notion for weekly planning and overall task management, as well as for longer-term 3-5 year planning. That means that the PowerSheets hit kind of a sweet spot since they focus on monthly and quarterly planning. In other words, I would consider Notion to be my short-term and long-term planning system and PowerSheets to be my medium-term system. I also like that PowerSheets offer me an opportunity debrief each month and quarter through journaling, which I still prefer to do by hand instead of digitally.
Will I use PowerSheets as a tool in 2021?
Yes! I find this tool to be motivating and inspiring. I like the bright colors and I always appreciate an opportunity to reflect on and revise my goals throughout the year. I appreciate how PowerSheets as a tool normalizes the process of revisiting and revising goals along the way, getting messy with your planning, and making tracking goals fun.
Which PowerSheets color option did I choose for 2021? Did I purchase any additional supplemental products?
I was looking for something pretty calming for the coming year, so I chose the Sea Glass option. Last year I had the “confetti” option, which I also really enjoyed, and I purchased extra stickers, a fabric pouch, and washi tape. Since I have a lot of supplies left over from last year’s purchase, I just picked up the PowerSheets this year.
Are you a PowerSheets user? Are you thinking of becoming one? Let me know if I can answer any additional questions about this tool to help you decide.
