Most annual planning starts in the wrong place. We open a fresh calendar and immediately begin filling it with obligations, deadlines, and the logistics of being a functioning adult. Only after the year is already crowded do we try to “fit in” the things that make life meaningful.

At Good Tuesday, we believe in flipping that script.

Joy isn’t an afterthought. It’s a foundation. And when you build your year around the things that light you up — the rituals, the rest, the relationships, the adventures — productivity doesn’t disappear. In fact, it becomes easier, more sustainable, and far more aligned with the life you’re actually trying to live.

And importantly:

This isn’t about working less. It’s about working with clarity.  

Most of us will still work hard, juggle responsibilities, and show up fully for the people and projects that matter. Planning for joy simply ensures that the effort has balance, direction, and purpose — no matter your circumstances.

This is planning as an act of care. Planning as design. Planning as a way of shaping a year that feels like you.

Here is a guide to approaching your annual planning with joy at the centre, supported by thinking models from leaders in behavioural science and goal‑setting research.

Start With What Makes Life Feel Good

Before you think about goals, think about goodness.

Researchers like Dr. Laurie Santos (The Happiness Lab) and Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky have shown that joy isn’t random — it’s patterned. It comes from repeatable behaviours: connection, movement, novelty, rest, creativity, purpose.

And none of these require luxury. They require attention.

So instead of asking “What do I want to achieve this year?”, begin with:

• What makes my life feel good?

• What do I want more of?

• What do I want to protect?

This is where you build your Joy List — a simple inventory of the things that make you feel most alive. Big things, small things, seasonal things, everyday things. Things that cost money, and things that cost nothing.

Then — and this is the magic — you schedule them first.

• Time off (whatever that looks like for you)

• School holidays

• Long weekends

• Seasonal rituals

• Birthdays and anniversaries

• Creative days

• Rest weeks

• Adventures

• Family traditions

• Personal milestones

• Quiet pockets of nothing

These become the anchors of your year. Everything else layers around them.

This isn’t about creating a life of endless leisure. It’s about making sure the things that matter don’t get swallowed by the things that are merely urgent.

Use Annual Planning Models That Prioritise Meaning

Several well‑established frameworks support this joy‑first approach — without requiring a life of unlimited time or resources.

1. The “Big Rocks First” Method (Covey)

If you don’t put the big things in the jar first, the small things will fill it.

Your joy anchors are your big rocks.

Your goals are the medium rocks.

Your tasks are the sand.

This method works whether you have a flexible schedule or a tightly packed one — because it’s about order, not quantity.

"The Big Rocks First" Method

2. Design Thinking (IDEO / Stanford d.school)

Designers don’t start with constraints. They start with desirability — what would make the experience great?

Apply that to your year:

• Empathise with your future self

• Define what a joyful year looks like

• Ideate possibilities

• Prototype (yes, you can prototype a year — try things for a month)

• Iterate

This keeps your planning flexible, human, and creative — even when life is busy.

3. Essentialism (Greg McKeown)

“Less, but better.”

Once your joy anchors are in place, you can see more clearly what doesn’t belong.

This is where you edit.

This is where you protect your energy.

This is where you stop doing things out of habit or obligation.

Build Systems, Not Just Goals

James Clear’s work on habits is clear:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

So ask:

• What weekly or monthly rituals support this goal?

• What environment makes it easier?

• What friction can I remove?

This is where joy meets practicality.

Systems are what make a joyful life possible in the middle of real life — school runs, deadlines, busy seasons, and all.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits is one of my most influential reads, and I highly recommend it.

The Good Tuesday Approach to Annual Planning

Most people don’t need more theory. They need something that works in the middle of real life — school runs, deadlines, busy seasons, and the constant feeling that there’s always one more thing to do.

So here’s the simplest way to start.

I take an annual wall planner — the whole year visible at once — and I begin by putting in the things that are fixed and meaningful:

• school holidays

• half terms

• birthdays

• anniversaries

• festivals

• family commitments

• any non‑negotiable time off

Seeing these on the wall does two things immediately:

it shows you the shape of your year, and it stops the important things from getting swallowed by the urgent things.


From there, you can layer in your goals, projects, and work rhythms. Not to make life lighter — but to make it clearer. When you know what matters and when it’s happening, the rest of your planning becomes more grounded and less overwhelming.

This isn’t about creating a perfect year. It’s about creating a year you can actually navigate — one that has room for the things that matter, even when life is full and demanding.

A joy‑first approach doesn’t remove the hard work. It simply gives it a structure that supports you rather than drains you.

It’s not planning for perfection.

It’s planning for sanity, clarity, and small pockets of joy that make the rest of it feel more doable.

Happy 2026 and happy planning