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Today, we are going to be talking about the importance of planning. A lot of stress can be avoided by proper planning. If you spend some time thinking through next week, you might remember you need salt for your son’s science project (so you don’t have to drop everything in the middle of the day to go buy salt…not that I’m speaking from experience or anything), or that your daughter needs new soccer cleats before practice starts next week, or you have a dentist’s appointment on Tuesday. Friday is a great time to prepare for the coming week. This way you can enjoy the weekend without the Sunday evening scramble.
I am really good at planning things. I love to plan and organize. My biggest problem is follow through. I’m the person who makes a detailed grocery list and then leaves it at home when I go to the store.
I’ve had to come up with a planning system that works for me. It’s trial and error, but the more you work towards discovering ways to keep your life organized, the less stressful your life will be.
There are 3 things I use:
- an Arc customizable notebook (from Staples)
- a Big Sky planner (from Wal-Mart)
- and a homeschool schedule I created myself
I realize all my resources are paper (sorry, trees), but my Internet is sketchy and my laptop is temperamental. I’m also very visual when it comes to planning. I need to see it all laid out.
I love the Arc notebook for all the neat accessories it has and the pages are easy to move around. I use it for all my blog planning. It is pricey, though. I’m sure a 3-ring binder with notebook paper would work just as well, but since I have the notebook, I’m putting it to good use.
The Big Sky planner is great because it is landscape-oriented and uses bulleted lists for each day. I think best in lists, so this is perfect. This is what I use for my life – meetings, events, etc. I record what Scripture I’m reading or verses to memorize. It holds my to-do lists.
For our homeschool schedule, I keep it simple. I plan out a week at a time. This way the kids know what to work on and can keep moving, even if I’m not able to assist right away. It also helps them with their own time management skills. I also write the week’s Bible memory verse on there.
My system is definitely not perfect, but right now, it’s working for us. When it no longer works for us, I will adapt to something that does work. That’s what I encourage you to do. Find what works. If you’re using a method that is making life more stressful, try something else.
I would love to hear from you! What planning methods do you use? What advice would you have for someone who is struggling to find a planning method that works?
[…] did your week go? After you planned it last Friday, did it go according to plan? Was it any less stressful? How did your time spent align with your […]