Planner 101: #1- It all starts with the planner

Goal of getting organized

Is one of your goals to be more organized this year?  If so, I’m glad you’ve joined me because I am passionate about planning!  I’ve had so many people ask me recently to share how I stay so organized and get it all done each day.  So I’ll let you in on a little secret…it all starts and ends with a PAPER planner.  Not a digital one on your phone or computer, but an actual honest to goodness paper planner. They come in all shapes and sizes, layouts and colors. Let me prove to you why a paper planner is best.  I’ll show you how a planner can organize your life and get you started on a path to a more organized life.  If you have a paper planner you are currently using, (or trying to use) grab it and follow along.  If you don’t yet have a paper planner, you have time to find one you like.  You could even grab a cheap one at Target to get you started.  My mission through this blog series is to help women get organized so that they can spend more time loving on their families the way God intended.  Each week I’ll be sharing some more ways you can use your planner to help you keep on top of everything going on in your life.  Don’t worry if your planner is kind of blank for right now, I’ll walk you through filling it in step by step.

Some of the topics I’ll be writing about in this planner 101 series are:

• What to keep track of in your planner
• How to schedule things that happen monthly, quarterly, yearly and bi-yearly
• Why you need a planner that has a monthly AND daily spread
• Why you should have some kind of color code in your planner
• What kind of supplies you need to use your planner effectively
• How to make a planner dashboard, and what it’s used for
• Why keeping you planner with you at all times is so important
• How to use your planner to make meal time easier
• How to get on a cleaning schedule and keep up with the housework
• How to work in working out and fitness goals
• How to break down the big tasks and make them more manageable
• Why you need to plan a time to plan
• How spending 10 minutes in your planner tonight, can make tomorrow run so much smoother
• Why everyone should have a planner docking area
• How keeping a list of errands and projects in your planner will help you be more productive
• What to say when someone asks you to commit to just one more thing
• What to do when your schedule suddenly changes
• How to document the fun stuff
• What printables are, and where to find the best ones

Make sure to follow along for more planner goodness! And remember…just because you planned it, doesn’t mean it will go as planned:)  Happy planning!

Stephanie