Intentional Planning: Setting Your Planner Up for Success
Is meal planning a struggle? I'm so excited to announce... The CHK Seasonal Meal Planner is now available!!! Plan your meals with purpose and intention as you think through special days, holidays, and what each season uniquely offers. It will guide you, step-by-step, through planning each month allowing you to save time and money. Ah! It’s almost here, one of my most favorite times of year… time to set up my brand new planner! I’m a self-proclaimed planner junkie. I love filling out my paper planner, no high-tech phone calendar for me!
I’m not alone either because last year when I wrote this post, it has since gone on to be shared hundreds of thousands of times. I’m not even kidding. Who knew a simple post about what to include in your planner would captivate so many people? And to be fair I have received my fair share of critics… “Washi tape? What the what?” 😉
Sure, not everyone shares my love for planners but a vast majority of you do. This year as we are entering into a new planning cycle, I thought I would revamp that old post sharing the most up to date, detailed information about how I sit down, make a plan and use my time to be intentional as possible.
To be clear, I’m a busy stay at home/work at home mom of three little ones ages 5 and under. My days are spent caring for my family, tending to my home, writing, growing a blog and nurturing a small business dream. I wear a lot of hats so in order to be truly intentional, I have to plan ahead. Some might think of my planning system as tedious or overdone. For me though, it’s an absolute necessity.
Intentional Planning
Beginning of the Year
While there is nothing magical about January 1st (or even August 1st for that matter), virtually all planner calendars start either in January or August. You can customize certain planners to start on the date you choose, but universally you are either going to have a January through December or August through July calendar.
So whether you are starting in January, August, or any other month of the year, there are some simple things you will want to include when setting up your brand new planner.
At the very beginning of my planner year, I gather up all my supplies including my new planner, favorite pens, stickers and washi tape, my old planner and any miscellaneous notes and dates I need to include. Once I have my supplies gathered, I add the following information:
- Important dates that never change, including birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and/or special days.
- Scheduled appointments already made including doctor, dentist or other professional appointments. This also includes vacations and trips already planned and scheduled, along with dates off the school calendar or other community events.
- Notes of any appointments or home services that need to be scheduled such as annual AC/VAC tune-ups, pest control, lawn maintenance or other tasks you might outsource. I also like to make notes of any doctor’s appointments that need to be scheduled so I can schedule them a few months out to get the best time.
- Next, I add in notes or dates for special seasonal activities like Easter egg hunts, trips to the pumpkin patch, tree lightings, or other fun festive family activities. Sometimes we have the best intentions but unless it’s actually written down on the calendar, we might not get around to doing them. Most of these extra events I write in the margins of my Month-at-a-view page to schedule them that month.
- Finally, add in your yearly goals. It’s easy to set goals but unless we actually make a plan and hold ourselves accountable they probably won’t be accomplished. For more information about intentional goal setting, check out Goals with Grace, a complete grace-filled goal planning system that works.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Sometimes we have the best intentions but unless we make a plan, we might not get around it. ” quote=”Sometimes we have the best intentions but unless we make a plan, we might not get around it. “]
Beginning of the Month
Each month we get a fresh new start, a new beginning to review our plans, set new goals and to track important events. Just like at the beginning of the year when I initially set up my planner, I also spend time at the start of each month (or even at the end of the month before a new month has begun) to preview the month ahead, review goals and track progress.
With my planner in hand and my favorite accessories, I sit down and look over the entire month and add the following information:
- Any new dates, appointments, events or activities that aren’t already written down. My husband and I also sit down together to make sure we are on the same page about events and expectations.
- If there is a holiday or birthday/special event in that month, I begin making a plan for what activities I am responsible for planning and carrying out.
- In my calendar’s margin, I include my monthly Goals with Grace, a small list of goals and projects I hope to accomplish through the month. I try to keep it limited to no more than five things so it’s manageable. My goals are always aligned with my priorities so I am spending time on only the things that matter.
- Schedule any appointments I made note of during my beginning of the year planning.
- Finally, add some fun into your family’s schedule. Schedule in a date night with your husband. Schedule in some family fun nights where you either stay in or go out together. Don’t let months go by (better yet, don’t let weeks go by) where you aren’t connecting together as a family building the most important relationships.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Don’t let months go by where you aren’t connecting together, plan for family fun now! ” quote=”Don’t let months go by where you aren’t connecting together, plan for family fun now! “]
Beginning of the Week
Monday mornings… you either love them or you hate them. I kind of feel sorry for the bad rap poor Monday gets. While it is the start of the work week making it back to the daily grind, Mondays also have the unique privilege of representing a fresh new start in a brand new week.
In truth, my weekly planning actually happens on Sunday before the week even begins. Every Sunday afternoon I sit down with my trusty planner and loosely map out the week ahead recording important events on my daily planning page in my planner. Some information I add is:
- Any dates or appointments from the monthly view page gets added to the corresponding daily planning page. This includes school events, work projects, doctor’s appointments, play dates or get-togethers, and any event that is already scheduled.
- The weekly meal plan gets finalized and added as well. While I use my own meal planner (Psst… you can download it here!) I always add what’s for dinner and any notes for dinner prep, including pulling food out of the freezer, doubling a meal to freeze, soaking the beans or any other food prep task that needs to be completed ahead of time.
- Events or work activities from my husband’s calendar. Every weekend my husband and I sit down together to review our week, making sure we know what’s on plan for one another. This helps eliminate conflict. We also review the budget, make future plans and talk through any unresolved conflicts we may have.
- Lastly, I add in my weekly Goals with Grace, assigning each goal with a time to be completed by. Sometimes it’s just as simple as writing the goal on my to-do list other times I have to make plans to tackle a little bit each day.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Tackle your #GoalswithGrace a little bit each day for #goalsetting success!” quote=”Tackle your Goals with Grace a little bit each day for goal setting success!”]
Beginning of the Day (or End of the Day)
I prefer to sit down and review my day the night before as part of my evening routine but many like to go over their calendar’s first thing in the morning.
Looking at my calendar helps me to plan my day ahead. While I am fully aware there will always be unexpected events causing my to-do list not to get done, when I have a basic plan already in place before the day begins, I know I will be much more intentional with my time.
Every night when I review my calendar, I add the following:
- A to-do list that is manageable, meaning I’m not writing out a list of 20 things. Instead, I try to write a short list of no more than 3 to 5 home and family related tasks and 3 to 5 work and blog related tasks.
- Next, I mark my Most Important Tasks (MITs) with a small star. These are the 2 to 4 things from both lists that have to get done that day. My MITs are my priority and I try to get them done as soon as possible.
- Once I have my to-do list written out, I like to tell my time where to go by time blocking, which is basically assigning my tasks to certain times.
- I review the meal plan and make notes of any advanced food prep that needs to get done. There is nothing more frustrating than standing in front of your refrigerator at 5pm realizing that chicken you were planning on cooking is still frozen solid in the freezer… trust me on this! 😉
- Lastly, I plan some time to refill my tank. At the start of the year, I read the book The Fringe Hours and was reminded of just how important it is to carve out little chunks of time each day for yourself. For me, reading is the leisurely activity that fuels me, for you, it might be any number of activities. Schedule time for yourself in, it’s not only good for you, but it’s also good for your entire family!
[clickToTweet tweet=”Schedule time for yourself, it’s not only good for you, but it’s also good for your entire family! ” quote=”Schedule time for yourself, it’s not only good for you, but it’s also good for your entire family! “]
I spend a few minutes every day looking over my planner. Those few minutes are precious because ultimately they save me countless hours.
I don’t feel like I am wasting time or focusing on things that aren’t important, rather I have created a system that lets me be as intentional as possible with my time. This not only helps me get more done but it also helps me enjoy the time I have with my family too, which is so important.
My Planner of Choice
I’ve used and reviewed a lot of planners over the years. Currently, my favorite planner and the one I have been using is the Simplified Planner from Emily Ley. I have used both the daily (see below) and the weekly versions.
It’s beautiful, well designed and laid out, but best of all it’s what it’s title says it is… simple.
There aren’t extra “fluffy” pages or spaces on the daily pages that you may or not use. Each month there is a pretty and simple Month-at-a-view spread with the calendar and space in the margins for notes. Depending on which version you are using (there is both a daily and weekly edition), there are also individual planning pages for each day that contain four simple quadrants: a Time Schedule, a To Do List, a Dinner box to write your meal plan and a Notes box.
Using your own pens, markers, stickers, washi tape or highlighters, you can customize it to your heart’s desire.
Here’s a peek of how I use my Daily Edition (I printed a free daily planning page from Emily’s website to show you since the new 2016 pages are slightly different than the 2015 pages. I didn’t want to waste a new page from my planner to demonstrate how I set it up.)
First I write out my To Do List. As you can see I used two different colors to represent my personal/homekeeping tasks and my work/blog related tasks.
I keep each list short. Once I have my lists written out, I go through and place a small star next to my MITs. By the way, MM√L stands for my Motivate Moms Cleaning Checklist which is my favorite way to keep track of the daily cleaning.
Next, I create a Time Schedule of the day. This is where I record my plan but keep it flexible for life’s unexpected events. As you can see at the top of my day I include 4 checkboxes. I actually got this genius idea from Kayse Pratt’s post on how she sets up her Simplified Planner.
My checkboxes include an E for exercise, SD for Simply Dressed, B for Bible and L for Laundry.
In the Dinner box, I write out what’s for dinner and my notes. Today I need to soak the beans and pick up foil pans from the grocery store so I can double the meal for the freezer.
Finally, the Notes section is where I record anything extra that needs to be remembered. Today it’s my errands list, some days it’s the information I jot down while I’m taking to the doctor and other days it’s where I write down my Bible memory verse. I’ve also used it as a brain dump at the end of the day to record all those little thoughts that need to get out of my head.
You can use it for whatever your own personal needs are.
A quick note on color coding: I don’t personally use different color pens to represent different areas of my life (example kids one color, home one color, work one color, etc.) I’m always afraid that if I don’t have the specific pen on hand, then it won’t be written down. Instead, I just use a variety of different colors from my favorite pens. Somedays it’s all the same color, other days it’s a multi-color party.
My point is, color code if it works for you, or use whatever color pen you have on hand. It has to work for you to be a successful planner!
[clickToTweet tweet=”It has to work for you to be a successful planner!” quote=”It has to work for you to be a successful planner!”]
Another thing I love is the front pocket on the inner cover. I have used this to collect random notes, coupons, appointments cards and other miscellaneous pieces of paper until I had a minute to deal with them. This year I purchased the Mini Notes notebook from Emily’s shop. It fits perfectly inside the slot without making my planner feel bulky.
This small notebook is where I will house my monthly master list of projects, goals and to do items that need to get done. I will also write down any future appointments that I make for 2017 here in the notebook to keep them handy for when I set up my planner next year.
My other new favorite planner accessory of Emily’s is the small magnetic page marker. I love how the monthly calendar is always easy to find and turn to because of the beautiful laminated monthly tabs, but sometimes it can be hard to find the day I need for today’s planning. Slipping the magnetic bookmark in and moving it forward day to day solves that problem. It’s small and lightweight easily marking one page without causing bulk.
Even though I’m using the Simplified Planner, many of these tips can easily be modified to any planner out there, whether you are using just a standard monthly view or a planner with weekly and daily planning pages. The most important thing to remember though is that you have to set up the planner the way you would use it.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Intentional planning works when you set your planner the way that works for you! ” quote=”Intentional planning works when you set your planner the way that works for you! “]
How do you set your planner up to be more intentional with your planning?
To purchase your own planner or to check out all the wonderful products by Emily Ley please sure to visit her shop.
I would be lost without a planner, I have used one since WAYYYY before they were cool 😉
This planner will be a great tool for focusing my year long project on home organizing!
I make a lot of lists (and frequently lose them :/ ), so I am still figuring out how to be most intentional with planning. One thing I’ve learned is to start my day with my “MIT’s” so that, if nothing else gets done, at least we’ll have food to eat and clean clothes to wear. Thank you for hosting this giveaway! I would so love to win an Emily Ley planner. I love her shop!
I would love to use this planner to better organize my blog schedule.
I’m a planner addict!! I need this,
I’m a planner addict, I need tjis
I would love to win this. My planner ends this month and I need to really get a good view of my family’s 2016. I want to be more intentional with my planning so I don’t feel so frazzled. I have to work to be organized, it isn’t something that comes naturally to me. I really like the tips of sitting down monthly, weekly, and quickly daily.
I am a planner junkie. I don’t know what I would do without one – it definitely keeps my brain straight and keeps me on track each day. Thanks for the great give away. Cathy
I’ve used a planner for ages, but I’ve never been very intentional about setting it up. I’ll be implementing some of the things you’ve shared in your post. Thank you!
I write in all my birthdays and standard appointments at the beginning of the year. I also meal plan monthly.
I’ve never really used a planner but I’d like to start!
I’m so excited that I found your blog! It is such an inspiration to me!
I am brand new to paper planners. Making the switch from digital to paper.
I am new to the planner world and am still getting a handle on what will work for me. I look forward to implementing these tips and a chance to win an Emily Ley planner. I’m currently using a simple planner from Target to write down events a few to-dos and dinner plan.
As with many of the other comments, I am very new to the Planner lifestyle. I am embarking on a lot of new adventures in my life and have decided to start using a planner but am a bit overwhelmed on where to start. I’m very excited about this blog post because everything seems to fit with the way that my brain works. So hopefully by the beginning of the new year I can be a “real” adult and start organizing my life and implement an intentional use of my time!
I set mine up in an hourly format so that I can manage my time properly. I also have several inserts that help me keep track of bills, groceries, fitness, etc. 🙂
I used to keep my work and my home life planners separate but I’ve been working on putting them in the same place and it has helped me feel more organized!
My planner is my happy place! I would love to win this one!! Thanks for all the helpful hints!!
I love planners, the use of planners some times eludes me 🙂 I’d love to try this!
Thank you for posting these great, practical tips! I hope to incorporate them into my planning.
I tend to put too much information in my planner at first, and I become overwhelmed. I need to keep it simple.
I NEED a planner, I don’t have one yet – it’s always on the ‘maybe’ list and never gets bought LOL..scattered notes is all I have now and they usually get left behind or stay in the van while I go shopping!
Would LOVE this, I so enjoy having an entire page per day to plan but haven’t found the perfect on yet, this looks great!
My kids are just getting to an age where a planner will be necessary (practices, appointments, etc.), so I really need to figure all this out because my memory is not what it used to be! This one looks great and so colorful 🙂
I am hoping to learn and get more organized with my schedule this year. Thanks for the tips!
I always learn so much from you about being intentional. What great insight here! Sharing with my readers as well.
I’m currently using the Uncalendar Lifestyle and I love it. It gives me plenty of room to right down my appointments, tasks, and to do lists. Lately I’ve been trying to be more intentional about creating and updating my to-do lists.
Hi! I’ve not used one in year’s, but loved them so much when I did, color coded and all! Was planning to get one for this new year so very excited I came across your post. I make lots of lists + dinner menu + shopping list weekly so this will get me organized and help set goals for my new blog, Frugally Blessed!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m still working on getting my planner organized. I’m learning a lot by seeing what others do. I love the idea of planning – when I keep up with my planner, I feel so much more accomplished!
I like your tip about reminders to schedule yearly appointments. I seem to forget those until the last minue. This is a good way to stay on top of things.
I use a weekly list to keep track of all general things and on Saturday get ready for the upcoming week.
I have always loved planners, notebooks, and any kind of paper and pens. I have tried all kinds of planners but still on the lookout for one that fits my personality type. I would love to try this one! Blessings:)
I currently use google calendar and a notebook for my to-do lists to keep me organized, but I think I would benefit from having a regular calendar review/planning time!
I love my Emily Ley planner but I would love to win this for a friend! I use mine daily! I utilize it pretty much the same way you do! This year with four kids though I am going to *try* to color code their activities and appointments and things.
I set my planner up to be more intentional by using color-coding and some simple, but functional stickers. I write everything down in my planner, even just thoughts or ideas.
What a beautiful planner! I pencil in my week on Sunday’s so I know what I have coming up.
I do a version of what you do, and need to step up my planning game. I’m learning my planner is too small forcing lists here and there. I need everything in one place.
Love the idea of planning. Always use a planner. BUT, I’m not consistent. I want to be more consistent. I think it’s cool to see all these SAHMs using planning.
I need a paper & pen planner; if it’s not written down, it doesn’t get done. This includes appointments, home management, even meals.
Love to try this out!
I start the year filling in all the known dates that are taken – birthdays, vacations, apts, etc. Then I pencil in tentative items.
I also take my goals for the year and assign them to different months
This will be the first year for me using a planner at home. I use a small planner at work but it never seemed to have the space for my plans for different classes or instructors so along with searching for a better planner for work I have decided to start one at home for 2016. With 3 now teens and very busy schedules something has to settle the families routine down and I am praying that this will help.
Im still trying to find something that works for me. I am a list junkie and have lists and notebooks all over the place. One of my goals for 2016 is to get everything into one planner and then maybe I will actually get things done!
oh boy I love this planner. I too have a planner obsession but have never found the right one. I’ve tried electronic calendar/planners but always go back to paper
I saw your post last year on planners and by using your suggestions, I made my own planner! I would be lost without a planner and love your idea on MITs! And you are so right about not using different colored pens for different areas. I did that and yes, more than once, I didn’t have a certain color pen with me so I couldn’t write it in the planner and guess what? By the time I got to the specific colored pen, I had totally forgot what I was suppose to write down! LOL!
I love the idea of taking the yearly goals and breaking them down by month and by week. This is an area I am working on and improving on.
I always have to have a planner. Between my school and church schedule and my daughters high school activities it is an essential part of my life and I never leave the house without my planner.
I recently worked my way through Mystie Winckler’s Work the Plan program, and now I’m setting Interval goals, rather than yearly or monthly goals. I set my intervals for six week periods, with two weeks off in between. I only give myself three big projects to work towards, at most, each interval (the first interval of the year will have me planning birthday parties for my husband and son, as one project). I also work towards a handful (about three or four) smaller projects, and I set two or three habits to work on. The two weeks off are critical. I use them to “catch up” on things that might have fallen behind in the home, to plan the next interval, and to relax and treat myself to sleeping in, small rewards for a job well done (a pedicure, for example) and to pour into my family with relish and no stress from other things weighing me down! If you haven’t heard of Work the Plan, go check it out. I highly recommend it!
Thanks for the recommendation Amanda, I’ll have to check it out!
The intentions are there but putting them into practice is not. I’m still looking for the best paper planner to go with digital reminders (that we definitely need). I know having the paper will get things written down immediately (that may seem counter intuitive with the supposed ease of digital but I’ve found it to be the case for me). I also know the weeks I schedule time to sync with myself go the smoothest.
Love your Planner ideas!!! I have been a planner girl for 22 years…. I’m just discovering the “Planner Love” OMG I am so excited!!! I actually take a day off from work to set my planner up and get organized for the next year!!!
Thank you for sharing your ideas. 🙂
I usually do weekly planning and monthly planning it need to get back into daily planning the night before. I also do monthly meal planning.
Lots of changes in our house, need this to keep myself sane!
I make sure that I have everything that is recurring set up so that I don’t have to worry about remembering it. It is just one less thing to try to remember. Simple descriptions seem to work best for me too.
I make to do lists, although having a planner in which to keep them would be super helpful.
I haven’t used a planner since I stopped teaching. As time goes by I seem to accomplish less and less. It is time to reconsider using a paper planner or a digital.
Without my planner I would be lost! Junior year is proving to be a busy year and I need my planner to keep me on top of homework, work, and extracurricular activities. xoxo
I love the peek inside this planner. I am a color coder kind of planner, so I like the simplicity of this design. Plus this would make the PERFECT birthday gift to myself (so I may just have to buy one if I don’t win one! lol)
For 2016 I set aside a day just to plan for the year. I will also set aside an afternoon at the end of each month to plan for the next month. A big change is to write all my notes, lists, etc. in one book rather than on hundreds of scraps of poo paper.
Emily Ley’s planners are so beautiful! I’d love to win!
I use sticky notes to be able to move to-do lists from week to week if they don’t get finished.
I use my planner daily to keep me focused on what has to be done.
My planner is typically the first thing I pull out of my bag each day and the last thing to go in at night- I don’t know where I’d be without it!
I’d like to go back to a paper planner, from my phone. Looking at paper is much more rewarding than a computer screen. And this looks like just the planner to get me started again.
I am saving this blog to refer to when I set up my 2016 Inkwell Press planner. It’s full of great helpful tips.
I love love love the daily sheet idea! I tend to do that with random post it notes everywhere and then it gets all confusing. I also like the checkboxes at the top with 4 things you do everyday. Great organization tips!!
I love my planner! I tend to have 3 going (1 online so my husband can easily check it, 1 @ work for appts, and 1 master planner for me). I’ve started using washi tape to block out events and vacations and love to plan things for the upcoming year in December.
I would love to have this organizer. I have been scattered this year. Perhaps this will help in the coming year.
Thank you for all the info you shared in this post. I entered the contest but even if I don’t win I gleaned useful helps for planning and goal setting.
I try to use my planner for daily to-do’s as well as notes from books I’m reading. Love writing things down to help me remember. Thx for a great giveaway!
I divide up my day into categories and only try to only have 3-5 things in each category to accomplish.
this is such a great idea. i love making lists and seeing that i’m getting the little things done.
I have been using planners since I was in high school many, many, many, years ago, lol. I start with a year long calendar, monthly & weekly. I put in tabs for each section & dividers. I put everything in one binder I decorate myself. I have all my printable pages on my cpmputer.. I spend an hour each night before bed updating tomorrow’s calendar. I write my to-do list, cleaning tasks, chore charts, meals for the week, (I update on Sunday nights for weekly planning), etc. On Monday morning I start with my budget section paying bills for that week, planning all my weekly tasks etc. Without my planner I would be lost & nothing would get done. I love paper planners, I just can’t seem to get the hang of digital.
The idea of living intentionally tugs at my spirit! I have struggled all my life with ASD sniff finding a planner that organizes the basics of my life has, so far, been impossible to find. I am truly excited to start a fresh new year with your program. Thanks for sharing!
I’m still learning how to be more intentional
Thanks for the tips, this planner looks great! I live by my paper planner and will never switch to a digital planner! Hope I win this one. 🙂
Every evening I write down my first few tasks of the next morning. It helps me to be more focused with my morning time.
Love how you set up your year! Going to go over this again this weekend when I set up mine.
I have never been very good at keeping a planner but this year I am determined to do it because I keep forgetting important events. The problem is my ADD butt can’t decide on a planner to get before it sells out.
I copy things over from my pad and place in planner or over my google calender I try to update calender once a day.
While I am a huge list maker, I have never actually used a planner. I would love to give it a try though and appreciate all of your information in this post! Thanks for the opportunity to enter the drawing! 🙂
Oh I would love to win this planner! Thank you for the chance.
I don’t currently use a planner but am thinking it might need to be my goal for the new year.
To be honest, I’ve tried a million ways to get organized. Maybe this would be the missing piece for me. I sure would be thrilled to win!
Would love to try this planner. It looks great!
On Sundays, I write down everything for the week ahead. I look to see what plans I have, what needs to be done, dinners to make, etc. I also make lists and notes each day.
Would love to start using a planner! I’ve been wanting to for a couple of years, but my life got busy with moving away from family and starting our own family. I think I’m finally ready to get organized and motivated!
I am trying to figure out how to keep track of appointments on paper, so that I don’t double book appointments for the children! A calendar on the wall is necessary, but it doesn’t fit in my purse!
I have heard these are great planners, would love to win one and start putting down my goals for the year.
I keep everything in one place to stay organized and so I don’t miss anything! This planner looks great! 🙂
I have a planner each year and like to use it to keep up with daily tasks, appointments and special events.
I like to put all routine appts. , birthdays, etc. in the beginning of the year, along with any reminders for the upcoming year. without a planner, I find that I just drift along.
Such creativity! Love how thorough you are, but I find that writing that much down doesn’t work for me. Simple reminders generally work better, but when needed I will add more info. Also love how colorful your pages turn out!
I make sure to set different plans for both short-term and long-term goals. Thanks!
I need the planner, I have so many unfinished projects, and a very messy desk
Every afternoon I write a to-do list for the next day with several tasks that I would like to accomplish. I have a master list tucked away in my brain (I sometimes write it down!) I’ve also implemented an autopilot schedule which really helps me to get those daily tasks out of the way. I don’t even write those down. For everything else, I use the Google Calendar app on my phone. It works, though I prefer the old handwritten planning that I did in college where I would capture my weekly to-do list at the top of a notebook page, and then on the bottom third of the page, write down all the assignments due this week on the left, and then on the right, write down everything else (special campus events, oil changes, movie nights, etc.) I have yet to develop a post college system that I’m happy with! It’ll come eventually!
I am always looking out for a new planner but am always afraid to buy them because I have yet to find one that I like.
I’m a planner addict too! I love my planners and don’t know what I would do without one! I make sure I sit down every Sunday and plan out the week so I know what’s going on. Thanks for hosting an awesome giveaway!
I set my planner up with a daily, weekly and monthly view that I can see at once. Makes it easier to see the whole picture. I’d love to win this beautiful planner though!
I love this! Just the motivation I need to kick-start my own organisation efforts! I just finished The Fringe Hours too and it’s transformed the way I look at my time.
What type of pens/markers are in the pictures? The link for you favourite pens don’t look the same!
Here you go: http://amzn.to/21Szg3k
I forgot I used some old pens in the photo! 😉
I’m not organized at all. I usually use a small calendar to record my work schedule and appointments but I’ve kept it pretty simple. I always wondered how some women can keep on top of everything little thing while I struggle to get things done but I really got a lot of great ideas from this article. I’ve already bought a planner for next year and I definitely want to be more intentional about my planning. Thanks for writing this and helping me get my family and life organized.
You are so welcome Melissa! I hope some of these tips will help you plan for your year but I also think it’s great you like to keep things simple in your planner! 🙂 Finding out what works best for you and your planning style is what is going to allow you to become successful with achieving your plans and goals!