Health and fitness planner

The most common reason people quit working out is losing motivation. That can happen when no progress is visible or when the training is too hard. That means there was a problem at the beginning they could prevent or resolve if they planned their fitness activity more thoroughly according to their shape and abilities. How is that possible?

A fitness plan guides people on their fitness journey, considering their unique needs and current physical shape. By allowing for customization, fitness plans help people ensure growth and development in a healthy, non-traumatic way.

A fitness planner template is a pre-designed framework to help you quickly yet fully track your fitness activity and progress, plan your training sessions and meals, and learn to understand yourself and your body better.

The xTiles Health and Fitness Planner Template helps keep control over every aspect of your fitness journey in relation to your health and well-being in one place. The template can be tailored to fit your specific needs 100% by allowing for easy customization.

What is a fitness plan?

A fitness plan is a personalized schedule of exercises designed to help individuals achieve their fitness goals. The key point about fitness plans is their flexibility and, as a consequence, uniqueness. In other words, how many people, so many fitness plans.

There are many factors to consider before creating a personal fitness planner, and it’s always easier and quicker to do it with a trainer. Trial and error methods will probably lead you to your goal as well. Yet, the road might be much longer because you will need to learn much about yourself, the human body, physical activities, meal planning, macro and micronutrients our bodies need, etc.

The essential factors to take into account are weekly availability and your body type. When a person clearly understands the time they can dedicate to exercise without impacting other spheres of their lives and acknowledging their body’s capabilities, they can create a plan that fits seamlessly into their lifestyle and maximizes their chances of reaching success.

The exercises in a fitness planner will vary depending on its owner’s desired outcome. Whether your goals revolve around improving cardiovascular health, building strength and muscle, increasing flexibility, or combining these aspects, your fitness plan can be tailored accordingly.

Your fitness program’s effectiveness depends on whether you consider your current fitness level, existing health conditions, and available resources for regular exercising or not. If you’re working on your weight loss fitness planner with your trainer, be honest about everything that might impact your results, like binge-eating habits, low physical activity during the day, chronic diseases, etc. If you work on your fitness planner on your own, be honest with yourself too. Don’t overestimate your abilities, especially if you’re a newcomer.

The truthful information helps in selecting exercises that are appropriate for your starting point and can be safely executed. They ensure you feel comfortable while exercising while giving 100%. The more demanding and challenging your fitness plan is, the higher are chances of quitting.

The exercises incorporated into a fitness plan can be of any kind. Don’t like jumping? There are plenty of effective exercises where you don’t have to jump. Like doing your exercises while lying on the floor? There still are plenty of these that will help you reach the desired goal.

You may choose from simple activities like walking or jogging to more complex and challenging routines like weightlifting or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). 

A well-rounded fitness plan often includes a combination of exercise types to target different aspects of fitness, providing a balanced and comprehensive approach while keeping your training activities exciting for you. 

The moment you start turning your head around to check on different objects in the room, your training session becomes boring, and it would be better to adjust your fitness planner a bit if you still want it to be effective. The xTiles Fitness Planner is easily adjustable, so you can edit it after every workout if you think there’s a need.

It’s important to remember that a fitness plan is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It should be tailored to your unique needs, preferences, and goals. Regular evaluation and adjustment of the plan are essential as you progress and your fitness levels improve. By following a well-designed fitness plan, you can stay motivated, track your progress, and work steadily towards achieving the desired results.

Why do people need to have fitness plans?

A fitness plan is crucial for your fitness journey for several reasons, even if you’re fully intent on listening to your body and its needs only.

A good, tailored to your needs and abilities fitness plan serves as a roadmap that guides you toward your dreams and goals, providing a detailed outline of the steps you need to take. When you only start your journey, it’s quite easy to miss something, go the wrong way, and start hating fitness.

Additionally, when you don’t execute a well-structured plan, it’s easy to lose focus, motivation, and willpower, making it more likely to succumb to temptations like skipping workouts or deviating from your fitness routine, no matter whether you started a week ago or years ago.

Every plan starts with writing down your goals and creating specific objectives (or at least it should) so you gain clarity and direction. It helps you define what you really want to achieve and creates a tangible target to work toward. 

A big goal like losing weight or getting 6-pack abs may feel overwhelming. Breaking it down into smaller, actionable steps allows you to focus on the immediate tasks. This way, you can track your progress and celebrate achievements after every small step, which may become a powerful motivator.

A well-designed fitness plan outlines each step necessary to reach your desired outcome. It serves as a reminder of what you want to achieve and as a record of how far you have come. 

How to create the best fitness plan using xTiles Health and Fitness Planner Template?

Creating a fitness plan is essential for your fitness success. However, it may be quite daunting for people with no previous exercise experience due to the vast amount of information available on the internet, not always provided by certified professionals, which might misguide them.

That’s why a fitness planner template is a great tool to make the process much easier and faster. Its pre-designed sections and pages help you not overlook any aspect of your fitness journey, such as meal planner, calories, macro and micronutrients, weight tracker, etc.

We also offer a quick guide on creating a personal fitness plan to help you maintain consistency and motivation throughout your fitness journey.

1. Estimate your physical shape and health

Evaluate your current fitness level. Before formulating a fitness plan, it’s crucial to assess where you currently stand in terms of physical fitness. Reflect on your abilities and limitations in various physical activities. While there are several tests and assessments available to determine your fitness level, if you’re reading this, it’s likely you’ve already made the decision to enhance your fitness and are now seeking to create a plan.

Take into account your cardiovascular health. Can you ascend a flight of stairs without feeling breathless? Do you find it easy to walk short or long distances? If these activities present challenges, improving your heart and lung function could become a primary objective.

Consider your strength. Are you able to effortlessly lift weights of 20, 30, or even 50 pounds? Can you perform push ups with ease? If not, building strength in your upper body might be a goal worth pursuing.

Evaluate your flexibility. Can you comfortably touch your toes or even reach your knees when bending over? If not, enhancing your flexibility could be another important goal to include in your fitness plan.

2. Set measurable and realistic goals

Setting goals that can be achieved is essential for every new project, and a fitness regimen is no exception. Otherwise, you will simply be disappointed after all the hard work you’ve done.
You may focus on broad goals, such as overall health improvements. For example, you may set goals like meeting the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week by taking a 30-minute walk on five days. Or you may try to do 10K steps every day. In other words, no matter how small your goal is, it is still important to move toward it, and once you’re there, you need to be proud of yourself.

Gradually increase your mileage over time, and some training programs even allow for walking intervals. With consistent effort, you’ll steadily progress toward crossing the finish line.

3. Track your progress

Tracking your progress is important for keeping your motivation steady. However, taking your body measurements every day might be a bad idea to take your body measurements every day since progress is never linear. For example, some days, you simply might be just bloated, and it might seem that the situation is getting worse.

You may take comprehensive body measurements and keep a record of them to monitor your progress. Before and after pictures can serve as positive reinforcement as well, showcasing the changes you’ve made. The weight tracker page on your xTiles Health and Fitness Planner will help you track your changes.

4. Plan and schedule your workouts

Develop a plan that outlines specific workout days, the timeline to reach your fitness goals, and the strategies you will employ to accomplish them.

It’s important to allow yourself sufficient time to achieve your goals. Depending on the nature of your goal and various health-related factors, success may not come immediately. It is essential to manage your expectations while committing fully to the process. 

5. Plan your meals

Your diet has a huge impact on your fitness results. That’s why planning it will bring only benefits.

Are you often confronted with the frustrating “What to have for dinner?” Many people experience this predicament every day. As a result, deciding what to cook based on your available groceries may feel like a mission impossible and might lead to bad decisions.

A takeout is often an option that immediately takes the burden of concocting a whole meal of two carrots and an egg away from your shoulders. However, you can’t know all the ingredients that were used, how many calories the meal contains, and how much protein, fat, and carbs you consume. The solution lies in the practice of meal planning.

6. Stick to your plan and celebrate each success

Sticking to your plan is also about adjusting it to your needs. Change your fitness plan whenever you feel that your current activity doesn’t feel good for you.

It’s important to be in alignment with how you feel. Not all days are the same, and sometimes you simply can’t run 3 miles even though you did it yesterday. Rest is an important requirement for growth.

Habit Tracker

Habit Tracker Template

Starting something new is never easy and requires effort, focus, motivation, self-determination, and self-discipline. Losing just one element might lead to you quitting. How can one stay consistent? Using a habit tracker allows people to keep working on their new habits.

Ready-to-use habit tracker templates are an even easier way to stay focused and motivated to accomplish your goals. It helps you organize and maintain a healthy routine in an enjoyable way.

The xTiles Habit Tracker Template is an easy and customizable framework for developing any kind of habit. Allowing you to work on several habits at the same time, the template helps keep all the records organized.

We also offer you an example of a habit tracker, a step-by-step guide on how to create your own without missing important details, and ideas for habit tracking you may use for establishing a healthy lifestyle.

What is a habit tracker?

A habit tracker serves as a straightforward tool to gauge the consistency of a habit.

The fundamental approach involves utilizing a calendar and marking off each day that corresponds to your adherence to the routine. 

The most basic format of a habit tracker to illustrate the concept is a calendar where you put X or checkmark on specific days when you worked out, meditated, read, walked, etc. As days pass, the calendar evolves into a documentation of your ongoing streak in maintaining the habit.

A habit tracker is a valuable tool in your journey toward behavioral change. It effectively visualizes your progress and motivates you to continue showing up each day, fostering long-term commitment.

Habit tracker benefits

Habit tracking brings a sense of fulfillment. And the longer you go, the more satisfied you become by simply looking at your habit tracker. 

Crossing off an item on a to-do list, completing an entry in a workout log, or marking an X on the calendar provides a satisfying experience. Witnessing the growth of our results feels gratifying, and when an activity feels good, we are more likely to persist.

Additionally, habit tracking helps people build confidence, especially those who enjoy creating to-do lists and checklists. In this case, you’ll find great satisfaction in maintaining a habit tracker. In essence, a habit tracker serves as its own unique type of checklist.

Habit tracking helps maintain focus on the process rather than solely fixating on the final result. Instead of being solely concerned about smaller jeans size, for instance, the focus shifts to sustaining the streak and becoming the type of person who consistently follows through with workouts.

There’s no better motivation to go on than seeing your progress. When we get proof that we are making progress, our motivation to continue along that path intensifies. Habit tracking can have an addictive effect on motivation in this regard. Even the smallest accomplishment fuels our drive.

That becomes particularly helpful on challenging days. When we feel discouraged, it is easy to overlook the progress we have already made. 

Habit tracking provides tangible evidence of our efforts – a subtle reminder of how far we have come. Additionally, the empty square we encounter each morning can motivate us to get started, as we are reluctant to break our streak and forfeit the progress we have achieved.

A habit tracker works as a visual reminder. By seeing the path you have overcome, you are prompted to take action once again. It helps you stay focused on your goal.

Scientific studies prove that people who track their progress toward goals are likelier to reach them. Moreover, habit tracking promotes honesty. Many of us believe that our actions are better than they actually are. Measurement is a tool to overcome our bias and enables us to accurately perceive our daily behavior. We are less likely to deceive ourselves when the evidence is right in front of us.

What is a habit tracker template?

A habit tracker template is a pre-designed layout or format that provides a framework for tracking and monitoring habits. It typically consists of a table or grid with columns representing the habits you want to track and rows representing the dates or time periods.

Habit tracker templates exist in different formats. You may have seen printable habit trackers on someone’s wall or refrigerator door. Having them handy allows people to constantly align with their goals and progress.

A habit tracker in pdf is another common format, but it often is good only for printing and filling in the data by hand, which increases the chances of turning your progress records into indistinguishable gibberish after some time.

Some people prefer to use habit tracker apps. However, finding the best habit tracking app takes some time because, sharing a similar purpose, they often differ in functionality and options. 

Online habit trackers allow users to keep their records tidy and organized thanks to editing and customization options and always at hand wherever they go.

A habit tracker template can be created using various tools such as spreadsheets, bullet journaling, mobile apps, or specialized habit-tracking websites. The template allows you to record and visualize your progress over time, making it easier to stay accountable and motivated.

The structure of a habit tracker template can vary depending on personal preference and the specific habits being tracked. Common elements in a habit tracker template include:

  1. Habit name

Each habit being tracked is assigned a name or label.

  1. Dates or time period

The rows or columns represent the dates or time periods during which the habits will be tracked.

  1. Checkboxes or symbols

These are used to indicate whether the habit was completed or not on a particular date.

  1. Tracking method

The template may include additional columns or sections for recording specific data related to the habit, such as duration, quantity, or rating.

  1. Notes or comments

Some templates provide space for jotting down additional notes or comments about the habit or any observations.

Habit tracker templates can be customized to suit individual preferences and goals. They can be as simple or detailed as desired and modified or adjusted as habits evolve or new ones are introduced.

How to make a habit tracker a part of your routine?

While a habit tracker offers numerous benefits, it may not be suitable for everyone or every circumstance. Some individuals may resist the idea of tracking and measuring their habits, perceiving it as an additional challenge alongside the habit they are trying to establish. However, almost anyone can derive some form of benefit from habit tracking, even if it is only temporary.

To make using a habit tracker one of your habits, you may try the following:

  1. Prioritize your important habits

Focus on manually tracking your most significant habits. It is more effective to consistently track one habit rather than sporadically track multiple habits. Keep your habit tracker simple and limit it to your three or four most essential habits.

  1. Record immediately after the habit

Promptly record each measurement right after you complete the habit. The completion of the habit serves as a cue to record it in your tracker. As time passes, the connection between doing something and recording that you did it will become inseparable.

It’s a good tip to start by setting a low duration for your habits. You may do something for only 5 minutes a day, yet still, it will be great progress after some time. Many people find such an approach less intimidating because their goal is feasible and costs them only a little time.

What to do if you’re starting to miss out on your new habits?

At some point, later or earlier, every habit streak will come to an end. That might happen due to different reasons – you went on a vacation, you caught the flu, you lose motivation to continue because you can’t see results, etc.

The longer the pause, the less chance you will return back to your routine. That’s why it’s important to recover as soon as possible. 

Missing one day won’t ruin everything you’ve reached. Sometimes even missing a week won’t ruin anything. However, the faster you return to your workouts, for instance, the easier it will be to get back on the streak.

How long does it take to get a new habit?

“How long does it take to form a habit?” is one of the most common questions. That’s why there are many different answers. So, which one is correct? It’s harder than it may seem.

Various answers circulate, ranging from 21 to 30 days and even 100 days. However, the duration always varies widely depending on the complexity of the habit.

By asking, “How long does it normally take to establish a new habit?” people usually mean, “When will it become easy to do ten push-ups? When can I stop putting so much effort?”

All habits become easier over time. That is for sure. However, the question “How long does it take?” cancels the true purpose of building a habit. Once you cease engaging in the habit, it no longer remains a habit. So, the only possible answer is – forever, which might not be what people want to hear.

It’s important to remember that a habit is a way of life to be embraced, not a finish line to cross. The aim is to make small, sustainable changes that can be maintained for years. 

How to build an effective habit tracker using the xTiles Habit Tracker Template?

Building an effective habit tracker involves considering several key factors. When it’s your first experience, it might be hard to analyze all of them effectively. You might easily miss something. However, it won’t necessarily lead to failure, yet it might complicate building your habit.

That’s why we offer you a ready-to-use free habit tracker template, an example of a habit tracker, and a quick step-by-step guide to help you create an impactful habit tracker.

Let’s delve deeper into building a habit tracker that will bring you the desired result:

  1. Start with defining your habits 

Identify the specific habits you want to track. It may be a totally new habit, something you have never done before, or it may be something that is a part of your lifestyle, yet you want to make it more regular. 

Be clear and specific about the actions or behaviors you want to establish or improve upon. The clearer you define your habit, the easier it will be to move toward it. Don’t mislead yourself with ambiguous statements.

  1. Set your starting point

Register the date you’re starting your journey. Some people also like to add a deadline thinking it will motivate them better. However, such an approach is rather frustrating because once you’re close to the deadline and your progress is far from what you expected, you may get disappointed and stop.

  1. Promise yourself a reward

After all, your effort and hard work must be rewarded. However, don’t get too attached and concentrate on your promising reward. Even if you progress slower than you expected, you still can make yourself present.

Tracking habits it’s not a sprint race but a long-term, sometimes life-long, process. That’s why deadlines should have no power over you.

  1. Design the layout 

Create a clear and organized layout for your habit tracker. You may use the template’s layout, or you may tailor it according to your preferences. Since you will see it a lot in the forthcoming weeks, it’s better to take your time and make it look inspiring. 

Ensure there is enough space for tracking and marking progress. The xTiles offers a wide range of customization options. You can mark checkboxes, cross lines, highlight what is done in different colors, etc. You also can leave comments about some days or activities to track your progress and how you feel about it better.

  1. Set tracking parameters

Decide how frequently you want to track each habit. It could be daily, weekly, or on specific days of the week. Clarify the criteria for the successful completion of each habit.

Weekly habit trackers are the most popular because a week isn’t too much in case you’re not comfortable with your new routine, and a week is enough to get used to it.

  1. Determine tracking metrics

Consider additional metrics or data you want to record for each habit. It may include duration, frequency, intensity, or any relevant measurements that provide valuable insights.

For example, if you want to read more, you may measure your progress with pages. Some offer chapters, yet they may be very different. Today you spend only 10 minutes reading 5 pages, and tomorrow you will need to read over 40 pages. It will be hard to plan your day.

If you grow a habit of exercising, you may count repetitions or time. Choose the metrics you find comfortable for you.

  1. Include visual cues

Use symbols, colors, or icons to visually represent progress and completion. These visual cues make it easier to understand and interpret your habit tracker at a glance. You may also add pictures for motivation.

  1. Review and reflect

Take time to review your habit tracker periodically. Analyze trends, patterns, and progress over time. Reflect on your achievements and areas for improvement. It’s important to look back to stay in connection with yourself and your capacity to move forward.

  1. Stay motivated

Find ways to stay motivated and engaged with your habit tracker. Celebrate milestones, reward yourself for consistency, or seek support from accountability partners or communities.

  1. Adapt and iterate

Your tracker may require changes to be more suitable for your natural inclination or lifestyle. Be flexible in modifying it as needed. 

You may experiment with different layouts, tracking methods, or metrics to find what works best for you. Adjustments can help optimize your habit tracking experience.

Remember, the effectiveness of a habit tracker lies not just in its design but in your commitment to using it consistently and leveraging the insights gained from tracking to make positive changes in your habits and behaviors.

Habit tracker ideas

There’s no limit to perfection. In other words, there’s always something to learn or develop. The path to obtaining healthy habits usually is more intriguing and enjoyable than the results.

Here are ten basic habit-tracking ideas that may help bring positive change to your life:

  1. Daily gratitude journal

Track and write down three things you are grateful for each day. This habit promotes a positive mindset and helps you appreciate the good things in life. You may use the xTiles Journaling Template to make it easier and faster.

  1. Exercise

Start working out regularly and track your progress. You may choose different types of activities, such as jogging, yoga, strength training, etc. Just make your choice depending on your preferences and current physical condition. You may use the xTiles Fitness Calendar to keep track of your workouts together with your meal plans.

  1. Meditation practice

Develop a habit of daily meditation and track your meditation sessions. You may start with one-minute meditation sessions, gradually increasing it over time.

  1. Reading

Develop a reading routine and expand your knowledge and imagination by reading every day and tracking the number of pages or chapters you read. You may use the xTiles Reading List Template to ease and structure the process.

  1. Hydration tracker

Keep an eye on your water balance by tracking how much water you drink during the day. However, remember that you need to do it throughout the whole day evenly. Drinking the daily portion of water at a time in the evening won’t help you develop a healthy routine.

  1. Sleep schedule

Track your sleep patterns to establish a healthy sleep schedule. Record your sleep duration. If you use a fitness watch, it will be easier to track your sleep phases.

  1. Healthy eating tracker

Record your daily meals, paying attention to the macro and micronutrients, not calories, even though they are important too for maintaining a healthy weight.

  1. Screen time management

Monitor and limit your daily screen time, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and television. Set goals to reduce excessive screen usage and allocate more time for productive activities or quality interactions.

  1. Daily reflection journal

Record your thoughts, emotions, and experiences to self-reflect on your day. That habit promotes self-awareness and personal growth.

  1. Skin-care routine

Allocate time to take care of your skin in the morning and evening by applying moisturizer and SPF.

Remember, the key to successful habit tracking is consistency and gradual progress. Start with a few habits that are most relevant to your goals and lifestyle, and gradually expand your tracking as you build momentum.

Grocery list

Grocery Shopping list template

While shopping is a pleasant experience for many of us, going to buy groceries sometimes is a torment. And after spending an hour choosing what you need to cook dinner, you come home with something you didn’t even need in the first place.

Many people believe that the ability to buy what is needed in a grocery shop quickly is something that comes with experience. Alas, everything is a bit harder because every shop is built in a way to keep you as long as possible and convince you to buy the stuff you never needed. And now, you’re angry with yourself, eating your snacks, and there’s no nutritious food in the house

So, how to win your grocery fight every time? It’s simple – a grocery shopping list! It will help you stick to your initial plan once you enter a grocery store, it will help you resist the temptation to buy what you don’t need, and it will help you purchase everything you need.

Whether you’re buying groceries for yourself only, for a family of nine members, or for the office team, you need to keep in mind a lot. The xTiles Grocery List Template will do it instead of you.

Why do You need a grocery list?

Our menu sometimes costs us more than our leisure, clothes, gym memberships, etc. And since we can’t stop buying food, many people simply put up with the fact that being well-fed is expensive. Well, not necessarily. But overspending on the food we didn’t need is super expensive. Additionally, your budget isn’t the only one that gets hurt every month. The amount of food people throw away grows every year. Only imagine how much water was used to grow that broccoli you threw after it spent two weeks in your fridge untouched after your urge to start eating healthier evaporated.

So, a good grocery list used regularly and correctly by more people would have a butterfly effect on our environment. You get only the food you need, you decrease the amount of food you throw away because it’s out-of-date, and you save money and the planet. It’s truly a win-win situation.

Besides global issues, a grocery store list will help you control your diet. If you’re determined to buy only what is on your list, you won’t come home with snacks and treats instead of real food. 

How to create a grocery list

The grocery lists may be of two kinds:

  1. a big one for a week or so 
  2. a spur-of-the-moment one. 

However, whether you need to buy a lot of groceries for you won’t have time to visit a shop every other day or whether you need to buy something because you abruptly craved to make tiramisu for dinner, you need to prepare – create your grocery list.

A weekly grocery list is an optimal option for people who hate the idea of visiting a store every few days. One big shopping trip and you’re free for a whole week, and you won’t die of hunger.

So, let’s make your grocery list.

  1. Normally, our menu is pretty much the same most of the time. We add new dishes or food only from time to time. Except for the cases where you need to change your diet upside down. So, having a basic grocery shopping list may save you a lot of time. You just need to analyze what you usually eat during a week (or for how long you usually buy groceries), put that down, and turn it into a list. 
  2. Group the items you need. It will save you the time you spend in a store. If you start with milk, then you go buy your veggies, and then you have to return to the dairy section again because you also need cheese, and so on. That will be much easier for those with a meal plan because they can easily analyze their dishes. Meal planners also help you avoid buying unnecessary food.
  3. Don’t forget to leave some space for unpredictable things and treats. We need them too.

How to use the xTiles Grocery list template

We believe a grocery list is supposed to ease your life. What does you grocery list usually look like? A list made on a scrap of paper, words are almost inseparable from one another, then we put it into a pocket, where it gets crumpled. Have you seen people in stores who are ashamed of their groceries lists?

That’s why we offer you an edible ready-to-go grocery list template. We have already divided food into the most popular categories, so it will be easier to keep everything in order.

Also, it’s perfect for sharing with your partner or roommate. Both of you will have access to the list, and once something is purchased, you just put a tick, so the other one will know it’s done.

You may use the xTiles Grocery List template as your weekly grocery list or for different occasions. For example, when you need to buy food before the party or dinner for your guests.

Graphic Design Assignment

Graphic design assignment template

Many people might dislike creating assignments due to different reasons. They are time-consuming and stressful, a person might lack expressive means to explain their idea effectively, or they might not know how to structure all the data in a nice, easy-to-grasp order.

That’s where assignment templates come in handy, saving time and energy you can use for work. For example, an assignment tracker template will help you move according to your plan without missing anything, or an assignment planner template will help you plan everything in detail, opening a great overview of your project.

Graphic Design Assignment, in its turn, is the first and foremost tool for communicating an idea or message via the use of graphics, typography, color, and layout.

Being a collection of the most important details concerning future graphic design, it may be a piece of design art itself. A polished visual appearance of your graphic design assignment is a great starting point, especially if you can skip its creation and go straight to providing information.

Free assignment templates for completing tasks effectively

An assignment template will organize the most important and necessary information and details so that whenever doubts or questions arise, an executor can find a way out without involving anyone else. For example, whether a designer completes their assignment depends on many factors like experience and skills. However, if the assignment is a pile of chaotic facts and requirements or there’s no straightforward task at all, even the most skilled artist with years of experience might get stuck.

An assignment template allows a person to be more independent within a project or task at a lower price of others’ time. In fact, the people who have answers might not always be available.

Who will benefit from using a graphic designer assignment template?

Highly-specialized assignment templates are wider than they may seem at first glance. For example, graphic designer assignments may become handy for:

  1. Graphic designers themselves. You get a ready-to-use document with everything you need to start in a logical order without crazy fonts, colors, and alignments that could make your eyes twitch.
    Also, if you’re a freelancer, you may ask your clients to work with one specific assignment that is customized to your needs and style of work. This way, you always get the answers you need, not the answers others consider to be important.
  2. Project managers and all people who need to gather and provide all the information regarding tasks or projects to a designer. If you have never done anything like this before, a ready-to-go free assignment template will become your most beloved helper, relieving you from endless research and frustration.
    If you’re a project manager, you likely know what to do, but in this case, you need to use your time wisely and effectively more than anyone else.
    So, a ready-to-go free task template for designers may be your best choice, especially if it’s a repetitive task.
  3. People who look for a freelance designer or agency to implement their ideas into outstanding designs. An assignment template will help you prove yourself to be a knowledgeable and serious client who knows what they want.

How to use the xTiles Graphic Design Assignment

We created a task template for designers that combines the most necessary aspects for the successful delivery of a finished product and eliminates everything that might distract or mislead. However, xTiles offers many editing and customization options, so even the most specific or strange project can be outlined.
We offer you a 4-step graphic design assignment.

Assignment.
This part is for setting a task or tasks, outlining its parts or stages as clearly as possible. Try to find a golden mean between being short and providing as much information and details as possible. If you’re too laconic, a designer might lack the needed data. If you’re too eloquent, they might get the wrong understanding. Include technical details like picture formats and sizes, preferable colors, fonts, etc.
We added hints to help you structure your assignment.

Goals and audience.
Here, you will need to write down the main purpose of your image/project and to whom it is supposed to appeal. That part helps a designer to remember that they work for the audience, not for themselves.

Additional information.
Any important details that don’t suit the previous steps? Put them here. Maybe you already have something regarding the assignment you want to share.

References.
Finally, when words are not enough to describe the desired results, use other people’s works to show what you’re waiting for.

As you can see, free assignment templates are great tools to shorten the process, save you time and energy you can use for its implementation or other tasks, and help establish great communication between everyone involved, and free designer assignment templates are no exception.

Yearly Planner

Yearly planner template

How can one make sure their year will go smoothly and bring maximum benefits? Improvisation isn’t an answer because you can never foresee where you will end up next December. Planning is the answer because it helps you build a path and stick to it to reach your goals, learn new things, and become a better person by the next 31st of December.

Having a yearly plan guides people through 12 months of hard work ensuring it won’t be wasted. When a person knows where to go, it is easier to reach the destination instead of constantly looking and thinking of what it should be.

For many, planning a week is already a tough task, not to mention a whole year. However, a yearly planning template helps to overcome potential obstacles and inconveniences that might arise during planning while keeping every important point.

The xTiles Yearly Planner Template helps to plan your year according to different spheres of your life, leaving you space for editing and changing your mind since a year is a lot of time. Starting with hobbies and health and finishing with your job, the Template covers all basic needs. Additionally, it allows you to reflect upon your year so that you can better prepare for the next one.

Why is Annual Planning Important?

Annual planning holds significant importance for businesses due to several reasons. By setting clear goals and objectives, it ensures that everyone within the organization is aligned and working towards a common purpose. Here are several key reasons why annual planning is crucial:

  1. Proactive approach

Annual planning enables businesses to be proactive rather than reactive. Instead of simply reacting to immediate circumstances, a well-developed annual plan allows organizations to assess the situation, strategize, and anticipate potential problems. This approach minimizes firefighting and enables the implementation of contingency plans to mitigate negative impacts on the business.

  1. Progress tracking

An effective annual plan facilitates progress tracking, ensuring that businesses can gauge their advancements and make necessary adjustments to achieve their objectives. Without a plan in place, it becomes challenging to measure progress and identify areas that require modification. An annual plan provides essential information to monitor progress and ensure that the business remains on the right track.

  1. Focus on priorities

Annual plans help employees focus on essential tasks and goals. Without a plan, it can be difficult for employees to determine their priorities. An annual plan outlines key objectives and strategies, enabling employees to channel their efforts toward critical tasks effectively.

  1. Effective forecasting

Annual plans serve as valuable tools for budgeting and forecasting. By having a comprehensive plan, businesses gain a better understanding of the required resources and their timing. This enables more accurate budgeting and the ability to forecast future revenue and expenses more effectively.

  1. Informed decision-making

Annual plans provide a framework for making informed decisions. To make sound choices, a clear understanding of the business’s objectives and strategies is essential. The annual plan provides this crucial information, enabling informed decision-making that benefits the overall business.

  1. Accountability promotion

A well-documented annual plan establishes accountability for individuals and leaders within the organization. It clearly defines expectations and provides a means to measure performance. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ensures that everyone is working towards the same goals and objectives.

  1. Long-term planning

Annual plans can serve as a foundation for developing long-term strategic plans. They provide an overview of the business and highlight areas that require improvement. Regularly conducting annual plans allows for building upon specific strategies required to achieve long-term objectives.

  1. Improved communication

A good annual plan outlines key communication areas and establishes effective information sharing between departments and individuals. This ensures that everyone is well-informed and communication flows seamlessly throughout the organization.

  1. Change management

In a constantly changing market, businesses need to adapt quickly. A well-documented annual plan assists in managing these changes and making necessary adjustments to ensure the business’s success and sustainability.

Overall, annual planning offers numerous benefits to businesses, including strategic alignment, progress tracking, focused efforts, effective decision-making, accountability, and adaptability in the face of change. It serves as a roadmap for success and growth, enabling organizations to thrive in a dynamic business environment.

How to plan a successful year?

Planning your year ahead doesn’t have to be complicated if you know what to do. Here are a few tips on how to plan a year that will become the greatest success in your life.

  1. Set aside dedicated time for planning sessions to map out your year. These sessions can be done alone or involve your family, depending on your preferences. Sometimes, having everyone on board will make it easier to coordinate schedules and align priorities.

By planning ahead together with your loved ones, you can make your family time more meaningful and intentional. Consider important events, vacations, and activities that you want to prioritize for your family throughout the year. This ensures that you create cherished moments and strengthen family bonds.

  1. Despite thorough planning, unexpected events may still arise. Stay flexible and open to adjusting your plans as needed. Be prepared for school programs, extracurricular activities, new job positions, new meetings, and other surprises by leaving room in your schedule for such events. This way, you can accommodate them without feeling overwhelmed.
  2. While annual planning is crucial, it’s important to have regular check-ins to ensure your upcoming week is well-organized. Dedicate time to review your yearly goal planner and make any necessary adjustments. You may do it every week or one time a month. Just choose how many reviews are good for you. This helps you stay on top of your commitments and make necessary changes before the week begins.
  3. Recognize that not everything can be predicted during the initial planning sessions. Embrace flexibility and be prepared to adapt your schedule as new information or events arise. Stay open-minded and willing to make adjustments to accommodate unexpected circumstances.

By having the majority of your year planned out, you can experience numerous benefits. You’ll have a clear overview of your commitments, reduced stress from last-minute planning, and the ability to allocate time and resources effectively. This enables you to make the most of your year and enjoy a greater sense of control and balance.

How to plan a year using the xTiles Yearly Planner Template?

Annual planning is crucial for setting goals and objectives, both professionally and personally. While this year has been unpredictable, it’s still essential to plan for the year ahead, even with some uncertainty. 

Using the xTiles Yearly Planner Template eases the process of planning, yet there’s still some important information to take into consideration if you want your year to be great. Let’s start!

  1. Separate professional and personal planning

Keep your professional and personal plans separate since they have different goals. Ensure they work together but remain distinct to achieve maximum productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

  1. Review the past year:

Assess the previous year, acknowledging victories, mistakes, and experiences that helped or hindered progress. Note three major wins and areas that need improvement, analyze how time was spent, and identify important dates, meetings, and deadlines for the upcoming year.

It would be much easier to review your previous years if you had a yearly calendar planner because when time passes by we might not be able to clearly see our wins or losses. And that’s one more reason to start planning your year so that the next year, you will have all the data about the past yourself recorded.

  1. Create a plan for the year ahead

Determine where you want to be by the end of the year and plan the necessary steps to get there. Consider potential obstacles, develop SMART goals, and be realistic about achieving them within the given timeframe.

You may use the xTiles SMART Goals Template if you struggle with deciding whether or not your goals are realistic and achievable.

  1. Establish a not-to-do list

Identify tasks that hinder productivity and delegate them when possible. By freeing up time, you can focus on essential responsibilities and create development opportunities for your team.

This category usually consists of habits we would like to get but keep forgetting to repeat the action, like drinking enough water. Also, it helps to better understand your real goals. When you don’t know or aren’t sure about what you want to achieve this year, start with deciding what you definitely don’t want to.

  1. Establish a routine

Incorporate recurring tasks and quarterly events into your calendar for the entire year. This helps with planning and delegation, allowing you to monitor progress regularly and adjust goals if necessary.

Let your yearly plan exist together with your monthly or weekly planners. Don’t separate them as they are tightly connected. Otherwise, you might lose the vision of what is going on in the moment and get the feeling that you’re doing nothing.

  1. Prioritize time for yourself: 

After all, this planner is for you and about you. And even if your main goal for the year is to get that promotion, you still need to rest and treat yourself to something nice, especially after such a great job. 

Plan and book vacations in advance, prioritizing your well-being. It’s highly important to avoid accumulating unused vacation days and understand that breaks are essential for personal and professional productivity. The more you work, the less productive you are. That is a sad truth, yet we can’t change that fact.

  1. Engage in side projects

Explore your passions through side projects, which foster creativity, self-development, and new skills. Dedicate time and energy to these projects, enjoying the learning process and the fulfillment they bring.

Also, they will help you to rest from your everyday activities and routine while still being busy if doing nothing from time to time scares you.

  1. Celebrate achievements

Yes, even the smaller step toward your goals deserves recognition. Acknowledge and celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how small. Each step forward contributes to reaching your goals, boosting motivation and morale.

  1. Allow for flexibility

Leave gaps in your schedule for unexpected events and situations because accidents, unfortunately, happen when we least expect them. Also, it’s crucial to prioritize self-care, take breaks, and adjust your attitude to maintain a positive outlook in the face of challenges.

  1. Adjust your attitude

Your attitude shapes your approach to tasks and interactions. Choose to remain positive, hopeful, and open-minded, understanding that you can control your reactions despite unforeseen circumstances.

  1. Embrace flexibility

Recognize that external factors can impact your plans. Stay patient, consistent, and open to change, involving your team in decision-making when necessary.

By embracing annual planning, you can navigate uncertainty, set achievable goals, maintain balance, and adapt effectively to create a successful year ahead.

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Fitness calendar

Fitness calendar template

Consistency is key for many important and useful things in our lives, and every tool that helps us stick to it is worth attention and trying. The fitness calendar will help you keep track of your workouts and meals – two things that are tightly bound and determine your physical shape.

A workout template allows you to easily create a well-thought-out and balanced training program depending on your preferable sports activities and favorite meals. An excellent view of your workouts throughout the week may motivate and inspire you to move forward.

The xTiles Fitness Calendar Template will become a useful tool for all kinds of workouts and athletes, whether you’re a novice or a gym frequenter.

What is a Workout Calendar

The first thing every fitness enthusiast learns is that consistency and repetition are the guarantees of success, in our case – the body of their dreams. How can one ensure they do the same exercise for the same amount of time, etc? Using a workout calendar or workout plan.

After some time of doing the same stuff over and over again, our brain gets tired. You probably spotted that when standing in a plank position. After 20 seconds, your eyes try to find something interesting in a room. That’s why you might think that you do your usual routine, while in reality, it changes every time you work out.

A fitness calendar stops people from going astray from your path. It outlines the days, times, and types of exercises a person intends to perform over a given period to help them stay committed to their goals.

A workout calendar helps you plan your fitness sessions according to your other activities. Using it with your Weekly Planner lets you clearly see your week. A tough day in the office with many meetings? It might be better to schedule a stretching session to release tension and relax after a hard day.

Workout calendar apps and pre-made workout templates ease the planning process, providing you with many organizing and customizing options, so you can make your own fitness calendar that will be perfectly tailored to your needs and inclinations and look highly appealing and inspiring.

Who will benefit from using a workout calendar template?

A workout calendar may come in handy for many people involved in sports activities. Here are some of the most popular cases when people seriously benefit from creating a fitness plan according to their needs and preferences.

People who regularly work out in the gym on their own

When you have a trainer, your exercises and technique are not entirely your hassle. You know that someone will take care of everything to help you reach your goals, so you can give yourself fully to working out.

However, when there’s no one to keep an eye on you, you need to do it yourself, and a ready-to-use fitness calendar template is a great way to plan your training sessions together with your meals, as none of them works without the other.

People who regularly exercise at home

Home fitness has become super popular during the Pandemic. Today, many people keep exercising at home regularly. And many people keep choosing their living room and mat over gyms.

Well-balanced training sessions can’t be created on the run. Improvising may be great, but not for your muscles. A pre-made workout calendar template will help you plan everything quickly and easily to reach desired results.

Personal trainers

Being a trainer also means teaching people to think about their fitness routines. Many people quit using trainers when they become more confident. That’s why you can provide your clients with a comprehensive fitness schedule to help them become more independent without harm to their health.

Fitness beginners

When you only start, and there’s no one to guide you, you might get lost easily in a current of new information. A calendar will provide a fitness novice with structure and guidance on which exercises to perform and which menu to create to build a solid foundation and make them love fitness.

People who are constantly busy

If your schedule is super busy, and you struggle to find time for any additional activity yet still would like to exercise at least a bit, a fitness calendar template may help you. Use it to plan your training in advance to prioritize your exercise and ensure there’s time for them.

To establish a healthy relationship with food and sport

When used too much and incorrectly without control, fitness might become destructive and harm our bodies and minds. If you exercise relying only on your feelings and sweat stains, you may not clearly understand how much you are working out.

A ready-to-use fitness calendar will help you determine whether your working-out routine and menu are healthy. If not, it will help you build a new one, this time with the idea of taking care of yourself as the base of the whole concept.

How to create a well-balanced fitness program using the xTiles Fitness Calendar template?

When creating your personal fitness calendar, you will need to consider various factors such as your fitness goals, current fitness level, and personal preferences. Each of these factors is important to outline training sessions that will be enjoyable for you.

Let’s start from the very beginning and plan a workout calendar for a fitness beginner using the xTiles Fitness Calendar template.

Set your fitness goals

The most popular fitness goal is losing weight. However, fitness shouldn’t become a part of your life only occasionally if you want to keep a healthy body mass.

Being patient with others is what we learn in early childhood. However, we aren’t always patient with ourselves, demanding fast results where they are unrealistic and unnecessary. Goals like “to lose 10 lbs in 5 days” usually lead to unhealthy relationships with sports and food.

That’s why general goals like upgrading your overall fitness level are much better than goals with strict numbers. Also, it’s advisable not to set goals according to clothes you can’t fit in anymore. It’s clothes that are supposed to fit, not you.

Determine your workout frequency

Decide how many days per week you want to exercise or how many days are available. Working 9 to 5 may not leave enough time for regular sports activity in the gym, especially if you need to commute there. In this case, home fitness is preferable.

Before you decide upon days, please remember that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for adults aged 18-64 spread throughout the week.

If you’re new to fitness, it may be better not to exceed these WHO guidelines.

Choose your workout types

Today, anyone can find a workout they will like. Standing workouts for your abs, running or cycling for cardiovascular health, weight lifting or bodyweight exercises for building muscle and increasing overall strength, yoga or pilates for relaxation and increasing flexibility, etc.

You may mix aerobic and strength training exercises to ensure a well-rounded session.

Also, it may take time until you find something you will like, so be patient and try different workouts to learn yourself and your body.

Plan your workouts

Determine each exercise you will perform on each day of your week. You may devote some days to aerobic exercises and some solely to strength training. Or you may mix these two during one training day.

It’s important to remember that you can stop whenever you don’t feel like finishing your planned workout. For these cases, you may plan a separate relaxing workout to reestablish the connection between your body and mind.

The xTiles Fitness Calendar offers you the structure of a traditional planner with two sections for every day – one for your sports activities and one for your menu. Write down your exercise plans and menus, and take a look at the whole picture. Do you like it? Do you think you can handle it? Or will it be a challenge?

Consider recovery

Rest days play the same role in your progress as training days play. Ensure you have at least one (better if more than one) rest day during the week. Your body needs these days to recover after all the hard exercises you were doing previously.

Walking is a great way to spend time and burn calories if you still feel like doing something.

Also, you may take more than one rest day in a row if you don’t feel well, or again, you may return to your relaxing workout just to keep yourself motivated.

Be flexible

We plan, but life makes corrections. That rule applies to all spheres of life, especially those we’re willing to sacrifice more easily. You put your leggings on and take your mat, and someone suddenly rings your door. Now, you spend your evening with friends who decide to pop in.

Also, your fitness calendar may need adjustment for many reasons. You learned your body, and now you can tell that some exercises don’t work for you, you’re ready to try something new/more complicated, etc.

It’s super important to listen to your body and make changes to your plan as necessary if you’re intended to make fitness a part of your life for years to come.

Take care of your menu

All the previous steps are rather useless without a healthy and nutritious diet. Starving doesn’t lead to weight loss. Your menu should be built according to your activity level, the food you like, and your dietary restrictions, if there are some.

If it’s created wisely and covers your energy needs, it will help you continue to perform exercises, and if not, you’re likely to quit quickly. Please consult your doctor or a professional nutritionist before starting sports activities regularly.

Feature Canvas

Feature Canvas Template

A feature canvas template is a helpful tool to consider, reconsider, understand, and accept (or, sometimes, refuse) new features and why they are requested in the first place. Your and your team’s time is valuable, and you can’t waste it on something that might turn out to be useless. 

Filling in a feature canvas will help you understand whether it is worth it or not. Maybe there’s something more important you may work on to meet your customers’ and business needs without sacrificing your team’s resources.

A feature canvas is a next step of a product canvas. It helps you to see every detail of one big picture. It allows you to dive as deep as possible to determine all of your product’s main points. And it might be successfully used at any stage of your current project.

What is a feature canvas template?

New ideas or proposals might be a powerful motivation to start immediately. You might be bored with your current tasks, so jumping to something new will be tempting. However, sometimes they are only the tip of the iceberg. You see what is on the surface while the most dangerous part is hidden. 

When you start working on your new idea, you might abruptly see that it had no point from the beginning, but you or the whole team has already wasted your time. A feature canvas helps you avoid such a mistake.

A feature canvas template will save you time and prevent you from going in the wrong direction. Sometimes, teams skip this step because they think it’s too much of a bother. Some, in the best case, talk it through with their teammates. However, this feature canvas in the form of conversation might not always be useful.

When do I need a feature canvas?

Many teams devote more time to building a solution than defining the problem. At the end of the day, they have a solution that doesn’t work for a current issue. Or even worse, they have a solution that is useless, but the time was invested, a valuable resource was wasted. How to avoid such a destiny? Use a feature canvas template because…

  1. Usually, defining the problem is 95% of the solution. And a feature canvas is a tool that allows you to research and consider your issue from all angles.
  2. Feature canvas is useful because it can be a separate tool for learning your current resources and tasks and can become a part of your brainstorming sessions. 
  3. It helps your team consider new features while being concentrated on your customers’ needs.
  4. It will assist you with finding (if there are some) blind spots and unresolved issues concerning your customers.
  5. Give up on useless ideas straight away.
  6. Keep all your teammates on the same page regarding what you’re working on.

How to use a feature canvas with your team?

Making your own feature canvas is easier with the xTiles feature canvas template. You may use a big screen to fill it in with your team during your brainstorming sessions. You also may send it to your teammates before the session so everyone comes with the answers you discuss together. However, we suggest you all fill it in together. That’s how you learn to think and create together.

We offer you a ready-to-go feature canvas template where half of the task is already done. You just need to fill in the necessary information. To make it even easier, we have a little guide on how to fill your feature canvas.

  1. Define and describe your idea. We don’t need pages of explanations. A few sentences will be enough.
  2. Why do I/we need to implement this feature? Again, explain in a couple of sentences how this new feature will help your customers, your product, or your company.
  3. Context is king. When do people need this exact feature? What factors affect their interaction with the feature?
  4. What problems will this feature resolve? Answering this question, think not only about your customers but also about your business.
  5. What is the value of your new feature? What will your customers get after you present them with your new feature?
  6. Can your team manage this task right now? Revisit your capabilities wisely.
  7. What obstacles might arise? Analyze what restrictions there might be.

Now that you know what exactly needs to be in your feature canvas, let’s see how a team can work together to fill it. 

  1. Provide your team with context. Tell them the whole story about how the idea was developed, by whom, and what thoughts already were announced. Maybe there were some requests from customers. Or maybe someone from your team got this idea. Share all you have.
  2. Fill in all of your thoughts answering questions. It’s okay if some of your teammates have controversial or contradictional thoughts. You still need to add them to your canvas. Sometimes truth is born in controversy. 
  3. Talk through all that you’ve got. This step may take place the next day, so everyone can “digest” everything that was said. Please, be tolerant of others’ thoughts while you’re discussing the subject. In case you’re still far from understanding whether a feature is worth trying or not, you may go another round with the data you just filtered.

Feature canvas template is only one of many tools teams use to build their work process. However, it saves you time and energy when used correctly and regularly. A feature canvas template is also a great training tool. After some time, it becomes easier to see whether some proposed feature has potential and is worth your energy. 

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Executive Summary

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