A Life Binder: How to Stay Locked in for 2025

New Year, New Me… But Serious This Time

It’s officially 2025, the first day of the year as of this posting. And you know what that means–it’s time to set goals for the year and make them happen! Everyone’s favorite tradition is to set New Year’s resolutions and ultimately… never finish them. It had to be said.

I’m guilty of this myself, so no judgment here. But it’s 2025, and it’s time to break that cycle. We’re going to set goals and see them through!

Today, I will share my favorite technique for setting and completing goals. As I mentioned, I’ve found sticking to New Year’s resolutions to be a damning task in the past. Sometimes you can’t stay consistent, or you may lose sight of your goals. Whatever obstacles you come by, it’s completely fine.

I’ve said this in every blog post, but kaylasblogspot.com is a safe space. I made this blog to reach those like me–in need of a safe space where they feel seen. This is also a space for self-improvement. I consider myself my own personal project, and I do so from a place of self-love and wanting to be the best version of myself. And if you see yourself in the same light—someone on their self-improvement journey—then you’re in the right place!

Let’s make 2025 the year we set goals and finish out strong!

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

Let’s be real–New Year’s resolutions fail because you either didn’t want them enough or you were a bit unrealistic when setting them. It’s funny how we can overestimate ourselves but it’s disappointing when we can’t do what we set our minds to. If you’re like me and tend to set high standards for yourself, falling short can feel like a major blow. Some might call this a flaw; I like to call it a quirk.

Now, let’s talk about the tough pill to swallow: not wanting it bad enough. I truly believe you can do anything or have anything if you want it bad enough. This belief comes from my love of Neville Goddard and Joseph Murphy’s teachings–I’m a huge law-of-assumption geek. But seriously, I think most things are possible, and it truly depends on how badly you want it.

Everything you want can be within reach, that is, if you’re willing to do what’s required to have it. But, if you don’t want it bad enough, what will push you to put the work in? I hope this all makes sense. Rest assured, if you want it bad enough, you can and will get it.

What is a Life Binder?

To prevent another tangent, I present, your new favorite goal-setting tool: a life binder!

I was first introduced to the concept in 2023. I came across a few TikToks about life binders, and I was floored in the best way possible. A life binder is a personal portfolio for organizing your year and resolutions/goals. It’s a simple–yet genius–way of keeping track of your year. You can use your life binder as a printable and put it in a physical binder (which is what I did), or keep it digital and stored on your favorite editing platform.

Why You Should Use a Life Binder

If you’re still on the fence about taking up this practice, here are a few reasons a life binder is worth it.

It’s Organized

A selling point of a life binder is how organized it is. It makes setting your New Year’s resolutions and planning out your year a lot easier than cluttering your notes app or your journals.

Complete Personalization

Life binders are completely customizable, even if you use templates (more info further down the post). That’s part of what makes them so special—they can be personal as well. You have the opportunity to organize your goals in whatever way you find feasible, and you can even make it pleasing to the eye!

A Great Way of Holding Yourself Accountable

If you don’t have something or someone outside of yourself for accountability, a life binder is a great way of providing that. A life binder serves as a reminder of all you want to complete for the year. In my own experience, it’s a good nudge for keeping you on track.

Tracks Progress

Your life binder can also be used as an artifact. You can look back and see how you’ve grown over the years, what you’ve accomplished, and what you haven’t. It helps with keeping track of even the smaller accomplishments and setbacks of the year. And if you like looking back on your progress, it’s a great way of doing so.

It’s Untraditional in the best way possible.

The unconventionality of it all drew me to making a life binder. I’d never seen anything quite like it until I came across the TikToks, and I was on board immediately. Simply writing your goals and/or new years resolutions on a piece of paper you’re bound to misplace is boring, and there’s no real fun in it. If you like to think outside the box and try out new things, I’m sure taking up a life binder will be great for you.

My Experience with Life Binders

In my personal life binder for 2024, I focused on some pretty big goals I wanted to accomplish, and that became the main focus of my life binder. I’ll admit, I lost track around Quarter 3 of last year–mainly due to personal mental and emotional health issues–but I’m coming back stronger for 2025. Honestly? If it weren’t for my life binder, 2024 could’ve been a complete disaster for me.

For my life binder, I used Canva to design everything from start to finish. I ended up creating 22 pages, including:

• A cover page
• Goal-setting sheets
• Extra notes pages
• Spaces for vision boards
• Motivational quote pages
• Quarterly goals
• Summaries and reflection sheets

I’m big on aesthetics, and I have been for over a decade now. I just love things that are pleasing to the eye, and I’m a stickler for organized spaces that look pretty. That’s the main reason I used Canva. Canva is the perfect place to create and design just about anything digital, and it’s done me well since grade school.

If you’re like me and love aesthetics, you already know why I leaned so heavily on Canva. I’ve been a stickler for aesthetics from a young age. I simply can’t resist the satisfaction of having organized spaces that also look pretty. Canva is the perfect place to create and design anything digital, and it’s done me well since grade school.

Making Your Own Life Binder

Now, let’s get to the nitty gritty: creating your life binder. Throughout this tutorial, I’m going to assume you’re using Canva. If not, great alternatives are PicsArt, Adobe Express, and Prezi.

1. Create Your Flyer Template

Open Canva and select the “flyer” design template. This size is perfect for printables and fits neatly into binders or notebooks.

2. Setting Up the Pages

My life binder typically has 22 pages, but you can simplify it to just the essentials:

Title/Cover Page

Just a simple page titled: [YEAR] Life Binder.

General Goals Page

A list of all the goals you want to accomplish this year, big or small.

Quarter-Specific Goal Pages

Four pages, one for each quarter of the year. Use these to break your main goals into smaller, actionable steps. For instance, in my 2024 life binder, one of my first-quarter goals was to earn two digital marketing certifications. This helped me complete a general goal of having multiple certifications in my preferred field. Spoiler Alert: I did it!

3. Designing the Pages

This is by far my favorite part of creating life binders—making them look pretty! You can either create your own templates using the free elements and fonts Canva provides or, if you have Canva Pro, you may use the Pro premade templates made by others (only for personal use). 

4. Setting & Plan Out Your Goals

Sit down with a pen and paper, and brainstorm your goals for the new year. These are your main goals for the year. Everything else directly piggybacks off of the page, so it’s a very vital step!

Break down your general goals into manageable steps and write them in the appropriate quarter page(s). This is a great way to pace yourself! If you’re stuck, I suggest checking out Lavendaire’s 2025 Goals: New Year Planning & Goal Setting video and/or Roxy James’s 30 Goal Ideas for 2025: Intentions, Make 2025 Your BEST Year Yet video!

5. Use It!

Finally, commit to using your life binder regularly. Consistency is key, and you will thank yourself for sticking it with. Let’s leave the habit of abandoning our goals in 2024 where it belongs!

Tips for Staying Consistent with Your Life Binder

Using a life binder can be a game-changer, but consistency is key. Here are some practical tips to help you stick with it all year long:

Do Weekly Check-ins

At the end of every week, set aside time to reflect on your progress. Take notes, evaluate everything, and use this as an opportunity to plan for the week ahead.

Incorporate It into Your Daily Routine

Keep your life binder fresh in your mind by checking it daily. A quick daily check can serve as a gentle reminder that keeps you on track. 

Set Realistic Goals

Dream big, but it’s best to start small. Only set goals you know for a fact you can achieve. Keep that faith in yourself, but remember to pace yourself.

Reward Yourself for Accomplishing Your Goals

An incentive helps with everything. Treat yourself to something nice for accomplishing a goal or two. You deserve it, and it’ll make completing everything all the more enjoyable.

Be Gentle with Yourself

You’re only human, so be nice and gentle with yourself. Don’t give yourself a hard time for not completing certain things. Instead, give yourself the space and opportunity to mess up because sometimes you will–which is fine.

Make It Fun

This shouldn’t feel like a chore, so make completing your goals fun! Make sure to incorporate some goals and activities you enjoy. Maybe even set a general goal to have more fun this year!

Free Life Binder Templates

If you’re interested in using a life binder for the year and you don’t have the time to make your template, check out the three templates I’ve created–completely for free! They’re all made through Canva, using only the free features, so it truly is 100% free to use. You can easily access each template by signing up for my email list. Once you do, you’ll receive a welcome message to Kayla’s Blogspot newsletter, along with a link to each template.

FYI: Each template includes an instruction sheet on personalization and proper use, as well as printing guidelines.

Here’s a quick preview of each template:

Strawberry-Themed Life Binder

Pink Hibiscus Flower-Themed Life Binder

Lemon-Themed Life Binder

I hope you love the templates as much as I do! This is my first official release of digital products, and I had a blast creating them. If they’re to your liking, stay tuned for future Life Binder templates and other digital products I plan on releasing throughout the year!

Making a Commitment to Your 2025 Goals

Before I wrap up this post, let’s have a quick pep talk for the new year. It’s officially 2025—one decade since 2015–everyone’s favorite year, alongside 2016. And it’s been half a decade since 2020, the year everything went to shit. But here we are, still moving forward, or at least trying to.

Let this serve as your reminder to keep going. You’ve made it this far, so why stop now? If life hasn’t gone as planned, trust me, you’re not alone. But like me, you’re still here. And so are so many others who’ve felt hopeless in the past. It’s cliché, but it’s true—things do get better. And they will, especially once you commit to living your desired life.

Once you’ve made that decision, you’re so golden.

Make a commitment: You will finish strong this year. Even if you’re not starting strong, you’ll end up on top. Maybe with the help of a life binder, not—but either way, you’ve got this. I’m rooting for you and everything you wish to accomplish this year!

My Commitment to 2025 Goals

In a separate post, I’ll probably dive deeper into my goals/resolutions for the new year, but here’s a consensus. My main goals are financial independence from a traditional job (bye-bye retail), continuing to grow my blog, moving out of my parents’ house, finally getting a man, and being 100% confident in myself in all aspects of my life.

What are your goals for the year? Please let me know in the comments or contact me via hello@kaylasblogspot.com. Again, this is a safe space; you can comment on anomalies, so use the comment section.

That’ll be all from me for this post. Please check out my free life binder templates, and I hope you continue to read the blog. As always, your reads are cherished, and I look forward to the next post. Happy New Year, and thank you!