In this episode:

• We explain, with poorly formed excuses, why we've been absent for 6 months
• We talk about consistency, notebooks, etsy and Helen's addiction to stickers
• We talk about notebook usage, whiteboards for bi-annual planning, bulletjournaling and A5 mind mapping
• Rob talks about his countryside productivity retreat
• Helen talks about colours, pens, mood
• Helen's cat makes an appearance
• And Rob talks about the endless nature on digital todo lists like ToDoist (and how it's not always a good thing)

We mention:
Zen Art Supplies
Moleskine
Etsy
Mark and Fold
Todoist

https://www.stationeryfreaks.com/episodes/whats-been-keeping-us-busy-for-6-months

In today's episode we cover:

* How to pre-empt failure
* How Helen thinks through what could go wrong
* Why Rob looks at everything as an experiment - and therefore failures are data for moving forward
* Why resilience is essential
* The old stoic approach of setting a target but not being wedded to the outcome

The challenge -> Subscribe to the podcast as next year we have some cracking content coming your way

In today's episode we cover:

* Habit stacking and what it is
* Chaining habits together
* Forcing your environment to support your habits
* Picking one existing habit and building on it
* Avoiding leaving gaps between habits
* Doing just 15 minutes of habits
* How Helen did a PHD is procrastination
* Talking to your inner 8 year old
* How Helen uses her Bullet Journal to track habits

The challenge -> Choose a habit you wish to develop and decide when would be best to do that habit. Then find an existing habit in or close to that time. Then try to add your new habit together with the existing one!

In today's episode we cover:

* How we track goals once they are in progress
* Rob shares how he tracks his videos using a Mark and Fold notebook
* Helen shares how she relies on the enthusiasm at the beginning of starting a goal to drive habits
* Rob talks about his Fridge of Accountability
* Helen shares how she uses her Bullet Journal for tracking goals

The challenge -> We forgot to set one today!

In today's episode we cover:

* How we got interested in minimalism
* Courtney Carver's project 333
* The Minimalists - Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
* Stationery Freak -> Someone who tells themselves they can walk past a stationery shop without going in, but they cannot
* How lockdowns have stopped impulse buying from stationery stores
* Helen's Etsy habit
* Maria Kondo
* Sort your life out with Stacey Solomon (and why visualising everything in a warehouse is so clever)
* Why emptying a cupboard and throwing stuff away is so cathartic
* Two recommendations
- Courtney Carver's project 333
- Fumio Sasaki's "Goodbye Things" book (affiliate link)

The challenge -> Pick one cupboard or drawer, empty it and discard that which doesn't spark joy

In today's episode we cover:

* How to turn goals into action
* Triggers that trip your brain into breaking it's subconscious routines
* Habits are awesome as you don't have to think about them
* Can you replace a bad habit with a good one?
* Can a certain place trigger habits?
* Is the theory of 21 days habit building correct? 
* Traumatic moments help with building habits (anyone ever forget their gym kit at school?)

The challenge -> Pick one goal and think about what routines and habits you'll need to develop to bring it to life

In today's episode we cover:

* How to break a goal out into smaller parts, such as milestones or mini sub-goals
* Start small - what's the first step or next step
* Copy and learn from someone else
* Rob shares how he writes a book!
* Is there a period of preparation before starting a goal?
* And is this preparation a form of procrastination
* Make the most of the initial enthusiasm to make progress - before it gets challenging

The challenge -> Pick one of your goals and break it down into tiny next steps.

In today's episode we cover:

* Why Helen is learning how to make Japanese food - and how this is a personal learning goal
* Why Rob did a two year HR learning goal for his career - and how painful this was
* How Rob uses Meso-cycles of learning and implementing
* The difference between Task Acquisition and Information Acquisition
* How Rob uses Domestika for personal learning
* The "Two Whys" of learning - career and personal

The challenge -> Identify a simple learning goal you could commit to in either your personal and business life

In today's episode we cover:

How to use your journal to reflect on goals, life and behaviours
Rob butchers Seneca's journal questions (accidentally)
We talk about Benjamin Franklin's two questions to book-end the day
And whether Helen really will continue this habit into 2022

The challenge -> Continue journaling - and maybe use the "what good did I do today" prompt

Benjamin Franklin's Daily Schedule For Success (addicted2success.com)

How to start journaling — Stationery Freaks

In today's episode we cover:

• How Helen uses one notebook and typically has 3 - 6 goals
• Why too many can be overwhelming
• Why Helen works to a 9 month goal setting period
• Why breaking the rules of goal setting can be good
• Why scratching off goals that don’t resonate anymore is good
• But also why sometimes persevering is the right thing to do
• How Rob sets goals by breaking the 10 year painted picture down to 5 years - and then yearly goal within
• Why Rob has around 15 - 20 goals each year, but some are big and some are small

The challenge -> Whatever your method for goal setting, try setting a single goal and writing it in your notebook. And don’t forget to keep trying the gratitude journal

We have a cast on goal setting --> How to set goals (using stationery of course) — Stationery Freaks