Happy new year! I have a special present to thank you for reading my blog - free printable calendar pages. Aren't they pretty? You can save these to fill in online or download them to print.
Free printable calendar page 1 of 16 - see below for an entire year's worth of free templates, plus 4 bonus months
But wait, there's more! (I hope you read that in your best infomercial voice.)
There are a lot of people with a negative attitude toward New Year's resolutions. "Stop trying to make 'New Year, New You' happen," they say. "No one ever sticks to their resolutions anyway."
I am the rare person who enjoys setting these goals. You clicked a link for blank calendar templates, so I'm guessing you and I are not so different. Even better, I have tips that work wonderfully for actually sticking to your New Year's resolutions (and these free calendar pages are part of the plan):
- Set tiny goals. Do you buy multivitamins but often forget to take them? Print a blank calendar template and write MV every day that you remember to take a multivitamin.
- A year is a long time. Think of each new month as a reset for your goals. Wanted to jump rope daily but missed days at a time? You'll do better in February. Discovered you love jumping rope and would never miss a day? Congratulations on meeting your goal - now set a new goal for the new month.
- If you're the kind of person who thrives under pressure, announce your goal(s) at the beginning of the month on the social media site of your choice. At the end of the month, post your calendar for everyone to see. I'd be more likely to floss my teeth daily if I knew my friends (and my dentist!) were going to see all the days I skip.
Here's an example of a calendar I created for myself:
Self improvement made easy - list of goals to add to your monthly calendar
The abbreviations are added at the end of each day. If I used my Water Pik that day, I get to write WP on my calendar. Some days I don't meet any of my goals at all and that's okay. At the beginning of each new week, I can look back and see where improvement can be made.
There are little things I wish I did better, such as keeping the house tidy and writing on my blog more often. Rather than having a large and vague goal to track, such as cleaning the entire house, I focus on a specific area I would like to improve. If the kitchen is clean when I go to bed, I get to mark the day with CK. It's surprisingly satisfying, like checking off an item on a To Do list.
I also think (okay, I know) that I eat too much sugar. Like, waaay too much sugar. I'm a candy junkie - my sweet tooth is out of control. On days when I don't eat anything with added sugar, such as cereal or toffee peanuts, I'm rewarded with a little SF on my calendar. I've found that if I make it halfway though the day without breaking my sugar goal, I am encouraged to keep up the good work. Making spaghetti for dinner? Store-bought tomato sauce will break my resolution (one jar of Prego has 20 grams of added sugar), but tossing our pasta with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and caramelized onions is allowed (and delicious).
The trick to self improvement is creating attainable goals and sticking to them. Need help thinking of resolutions for your blank calendar pages? Here are a few ideas:
- R = Reading that book you've wanted to get to
- RO = Reach out and say 'hi' to a friend or family member you don't often connect with (Facebook counts!)
- SS = Wear sunscreen
- GT = Drink a cup of green tea
- LS = Wear lotion with socks to bed
- A = Do something artistic, such as drawing, painting, or scrapbooking
- LN = Learn something new (example: ask yourself a question, such as 'Is the musical Evita based on a real person,' and Google it)
- HH = hula hoop
- BT = Beauty time, such as applying a face mask, using your prescription retinoid even though it makes your skin flakey (you'll never acclimate your face to it if you keep skipping it), and plucking pesky stray facial hairs before anyone else has a chance to see them
- FV = Eat at least one piece of fresh fruit and at least one fresh vegetable
- SB = Sleep better by waking at the same time each morning and going to bed at the same time each night
- WD = Walk the dog
- VM = Make a healthy smoothie (great for folks like myself who invested in a Vitamix and feel guilty as it collects dust in the cupboard)
Free Printable Calendar Pages
Photo from my Visit New Mexico article
Photo taken by Olive during her funny (and adorable!) autumn road trip
Photo taken at the can't-miss Taos Summer Wine Festival in New Mexico
Photo taken in Hobart during our Tasmania road trip. We can't wait to go back!
Surprise - this calendar template comes with a recipe: Cake Mix Pudding for 4th of July
This beachy keen photo was taken during one of our many cruises.
Photo taken during a self-guided walking tour of Washington DC
I still can't believe I got SN to join me at a nice restaurant in our Fantastic Mr. Fox (The Brains) and Mrs. Fox (The Brains Behind the Brains) Halloween costumes.
Olive is totally peeking at the accomplishments on your calendar.
