I know that it may sound like I am in a bit of a rut by telling you all that I write every little thing down (after sharing the meal and fitness trackers, but it’s totally true. I do. Mainly because I can’t trust my three kid addled brain to remember anything on its own and I hate my phone. Long story…just trust me on it.
So today I am back to share with you my tips for organizing a weekly planner. I seriously cannot live without mine, it has every little bit of info that I deem worthy of notation in it, from cute little quotes that my kids said that I want to remember to what my workout for the day is to hashtags that I need to use to promote blog posts.
Yep, like I said, everything.
I took on a bunch of new tasks last year (PTO president of my kid’s school, key spouse for my husband’s unit, coaching my daughter’s lacrosse team…the list goes on) while my hubby was out of the country and I thought that I might lose my mind. I was constantly forgetting to do things or was late to meetings, which is a huge deal to me. So I chatted with some friends and realized that an old school pencil and paper planner might be just what I needed. That way I could write each task down, see it on at least a daily basis, cross off finished items and carry it with me. I know that some people use the calendars on their phones, but that just didn’t give me the kick in the butt to remember my tasks that I needed.
I bought an amazing Erin Condren LifePlanner (this is my referral link which will get you a $10 off coupon and earn store credit for me to feed my planner addiction) and loved it so much last year that I bought a new one for 2016. It’s gorgeous, has tons of fun colors and quotes throughout, lots of little things that I didn’t even know would be helpful (like a bookmark, dividers and a large note taking section) as well as interchangeable covers for my finicky self.
Buy Pretty Accessories
Gosh, I know it sounds stupid that this is my number one tip, but I promise you that I use my planner sooooo much more when I’ve got new washi tape or sticky notes to use on it. I like a mix of stamps, stickers, tapes, and I also use a lot of Project Life cards as well. They are perfect additions to throw on a coil clip connector (also sold at Erin Condren) to add some color and dimension and give you a whole new place to write lists and notes on.
Have One Planner and Keep it With You Always
This goes back to that earlier statement about phone calendars. Any planner or calendar that you use should be the only one that you keep. If you have two or three planners, you are likely to write some info in one, a bit more in another and wind up not having a complete one anywhere. Chances are good that you will miss appointments and things will fall through the cracks.
Also, make sure that you take your planner with you. Throw it in your purse so that when your friend asks you about a coffee date next Tuesday you can tell her without hesitation whether or not you can make it. I bought a zippered pouch (also Erin Condren) for mine and just throw it with a pen into my bag when I walk out the door.
Plan Out Your Week
Pick a day that works best for you to take some time to plan out your coming week. My planner starts on Monday each week, so I like to sit down on Sunday with a cup of chai and detail my coming week. It is such an incredible reminder of what I’ve got going on and also a great time to get a little crafty! All those pretty supplies make it fun!
It’s also a good idea to schedule a quick family meeting before you jot down your schedule to check in and see what everyone else has coming up this week. Even though my kids are still relatively young (9, 7 and 6), their schedules are ridiculously busy and I often need to shift my own to keep up with theirs.
Color Code
This is such a helpful tool if you are a parent. I use a different color for each of my kids and their sports and playdates. Notice the lacrosse and hockey notes on the picture above? That way, I can see in just a quick glance which kid I have a task for.
Monthly Page Views are Perfect for Bill Schedules
In case there are some bills that you don’t pay automatically online, or ones that you like to keep track of, you can use the monthly page views as a bill tracker or scheduler. Write down which days each bill is due and you can note how much it was so you can easily see how it fluctuates from month to month.
Use Dividers and Bookmarks
This is such a no brainer, but it is also a lifesaver. Even if you make your own planner with free printables found online (Pinterest is chock full of them), I implore you to purchase dividers and a solid bookmark. The dividers will help you flip from month to month easily while the bookmark allows you to flip to the current week. A total necessity.
Write Tasks and Lists on Sticky Notes
As you can see in the photo above, I have tons and tons of accessories and supplies for my planner. A drawer full, to be exact. And my favorite of all is the the sticky note. I write to do and shopping lists on them. If I don’t get it all crossed off, I can simply move the sticky note to the next day. Boom, instant reminder of what needs to get done and I didn’t have to fill up my planner by rewriting the same thing.
Do you use a planner? Pen and paper or tech savvy? What are your tips? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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