Now that school has finally started for our kiddos and we are finally getting back into the swing of real life, it’s time to get serious about our routine. We’ve taken the time to embrace the power of the routine and even used time blocking for our days.
The best way I have found to pull all this together is to stay consistent and use a planner. It’s hard to plan without a planner. You need one place to visibly combine your schedule, your family’s schedule, and your everyday life.
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5
We all have good intentions about what we are going to do. Yet if we don’t actually sit down, plan, and write them down they stay just that, intentions. Things we mean to do, but never get to. Having a planner you actually want to use gives you a place to plan. Now it’s up to you to just do it.
There are a thousand different kinds of planners out there and that alone can be overwhelming. There is no one size fits all planner. I have probably had a dozen planners over the years and have stopped using each for a variety of different reasons. The key is not the type of planner you have, but that you actually use it daily. A planner that I have grown to love and actually use daily is the Happy Planner.
The Happy Planner
I fell in love with it not just because it was cute, easy to carry around, and inexpensive. Moreover, it is so customizable. You can add things to it that work best for you and your lifestyle. I have dividers, stickers, and fun pens just for my planner.
For example, the end section of my planner is devoted to Beyond Committed. I have blogging info, notes, and a section with just blank paper. So no matter where I am, I can capture any thoughts or ideas I may have. Making your planner fit you is so important.
Your planner is also a great place to keep your time blocking schedule. So you can use it as a guide to help you plan out your weeks and months. Knowing that every day will not always go perfectly, yet having a goal to shoot for. Having both your time blocking schedule and planner easily accessible can definitely help to keep you and your day on track.
On those days when your day has seemed to just get away from you, just pull out your planner as a restart. You’ll be able to look to see what you have done and what you have left to do. You can also adjust anywhere you need to.
Always give yourself a little grace and don’t allow yourself to get too overwhelmed. You have set your plan and written it down, now allow God to order your steps.
I’d love to hear about your planner and how you use it in the comments!
I am TERRIBLE with planners. (I cannot overemphasize terrible!!) slowly I’ve begun to use the notes in my phone. I’m trying to branch more into time management with a planner of some sort. I have no idea if I can make it stick.
I am still searching for “planner peace”. I go between my Happy Planner and my Recollections planner from Michaels all the time. The Happy Planner is my favorite because of it’s vertical lay out (I feel like I can be more creative and fit more “to dos” in my day), but it takes up a lot of space in my purse. I might have to try the new mini one!
I am definitely looking into a planner for the next year. I have to get more organized with my time!! It’s definitely hard to knock out items off your list if you’re not seeing it in writing!
Meghan | BeyondBasicBlog.com
I’m definitely on the look out for a 2017 planner. This year, I’ve been using the Erin Condren life planner and I love it, but I’m always up to try different brands, too!
Right now I’m planner-less. I have the terrible tendency to write things down and forget about it completely. This planner looks awesome and convenient!
I am addicted to planners! I don’t know how I would get through my week without mine!
I love list-making and planning and an old-school planner is one of the best ways because I still enjoy actually writing things out. The only drawback is that pen and paper don’t synch to my email lol.
I love writing things down so planners are great ! This one is so cute !
With Love Rochelle | http://www.withloverochelle.com
Cute planner, I am going to purchase my first one tomorrow. You should join the group I’m in on Facebook: planning squad
I’m a planner addict! Love this!
You’re so right about using planners! I need to get back into the habit of having a physical planner that I carry around instead of just the calendar in my kitchen. Thanks for the inspo!