Kickstart Your Planning Routine with these easy steps!

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed and struggling to stay on top of your busy schedule? Do you find yourself constantly juggling multiple responsibilities and wishing for a more organized and productive life? If so, you’re not alone. Many individuals, especially busy moms, face these challenges every day. But fear not, because we have the perfect solution for you!

We’ve been working through steps to perfect your personal planning by talking through Developing a Planning Mindset, Finding the Right Planning Tools and Creating a Productive Planning Environment. In this blog post, we’ll provide a glimpse into the transformative insights and practical tips to help you kickstart your planning routine. Get ready to discover the secrets to creating a planning routine that will revolutionize your productivity and bring more balance to your life.

Routines come naturally to some of us and others…not so easily. No matter which end of the scale you are on, I think that you will find these five easy steps helpful in creating your new planning routine.

So, let’s dive in and explore how you can unlock your full potential through the power of paper planning.

Step 1: Set a Clear Intention

Take a few minutes to reflect on why you want to start using a paper planner. Write down one clear intention or goal you have for using your planner. By setting goals and understanding your why, you’ll have a better grasp on the importance of this activity in your overall daily life. My main goal is to help me better manage my time so that I can spend more quality time with my family. That means helping me run my businesses more efficiently, while also making sure that I know what all of our obligations and appointments are. I cannot tell you how many times my husband remembers a doctor’s appointment when he gets the reminder text the day before… *face palm* It kills me!! He’s had several times where he has had to reschedule some things because he had made other commitments during those appointments… If only I could get him to actually use his calendar for writing down appointments.

Step 2: Start Small and Be Consistent

It is important to start small and build up the planning habit gradually. Begin with a simple task, like jotting down three daily goals or scheduling one important event each day. By starting with just one thing, you reduce that feeling of overwhelm that you might get if you tried to organize all.the.things from day one. My friend, it takes time to build these habits, but it happens one task at a time.

Commit to using your planner consistently for at least a week. Then make that commitment again. And then doing it again… 😉

Step 3: Allocate Dedicated Planning Time

Dedicating a specific time for planning is vital for building this new routine. Find a daily or weekly time slot that works best for you and aligns with your schedule. I like to do my weekly planning on Sunday afternoons and do my daily planning while I drink a cup of hot tea first thing in the morning. Others prefer to check their day ahead at night so they can mentally prepare before they even go to bed. Don’t be afraid to try a couple different times and see what works best for you!

I do suggest setting a reminder or creating an appointment in your planner for this planning time. This is really helpful while you are still building that routine. You might even need to continue to use alarms if that’s just an area you struggle with in general. Again, find what works for you!

Step 4: Prioritize and Break It Down

Prioritizing tasks and breaking them down into smaller, actionable steps is going to help keep you from becoming overwhelmed with your to-do lists. Identify high-priority tasks and allocate specific time slots for them in your planner. You might start with just your top three tasks for the week, then move into top three tasks for each day. When you are setting the priority, consider which tasks fit into your goals and prioritize completing those first.

You may also need to break down larger tasks into manageable subtasks to prevent overwhelm. By doing this, you increase your sense of accomplishment as you complete each building block to your larger task instead of just seeing how much more you have to go.

Step 5: Make It Engaging and Personal

You can make planning enjoyable and personalized by using things like colorful pens, stickers, or washi tape to add visual interest and make your planner more appealing. I know I use mine more often when it’s pleasant to look at! Plus, creating those layouts acts as a sort of self care activity for me and calms my mind. You can even add in motivational quotes or pictures, to create a personal connection with your planner.

Set your intentions, allocate planning time, and start with small, achievable steps.

I am here if you need additional support and resources, and you are always welcome to attend one of my Planner Workshops. Our Chaos Coordinator Community is also a great place to find support in helping you to maintain your planning routine.

If you need additional help with building habits, I strongly suggest the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s one of my faves and is on my reading list almost every year!