We're a month and a few days into the new year and hopefully you're still feeling the pull to crush your goals, create new habits and set healthy routines. If you're feeling like things didn't start off as you had hoped or maybe your priorities have slipped, that's okay! Sometimes you just need a new day to reset and pull out the tools that can help you be successful.
Today, we want to take just a few minutes to dive deeper into one of those tools, the Mindful Planner. Let's take a closer look and see how planning with intention can help you center your mindset.
Plan with a Monthly Reset
Is it just me or does it feel like our mental loads or checklists have a way of sorting themselves into buckets? Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed, the little tasks and the larger projects seem to collide until it feels like nothing is really getting "checked off" or accomplished.
> insert the Monthly Reset! It's your "monthly brain dump" on paper (but a little bit more organized). Around here we suggest taking a 10-15 minutes before a new month starts to write down the larger tasks or projects that you want to accomplish in the next 4-5 weeks. These are items that don't necessarily have a timeframe, but you don't want to keep putting them off so you're giving them an assigned month so you have plenty of time to get them done.
Here's how you can organize your items:
- SCHEDULE - what are some appointments, coffee dates or even travel plans that you need to get scheduled and on the calendar? Don't keep putting off that oil change!
- ORGANIZE - look around your home...what space or chore have you been avoiding? It doesn't have to be all the things, but just pick one or two that you know you can accomplish. Write it down.
- PREPARE - are there projects, meetings, events, classes or parties you need to prepare for? Sometimes just getting the prerequisites done can help you feel ready to conquer the larger task at hand.
If you want to take a closer look, take a peek at any of our planners, they all come with Monthly Resets.
Plan with the Weekly Tasks
We LOVE this section, because it's one of the key elements to all three of our planners. Every week you can start off by sorting and organizing your tasks into defined categories:
- Minimalist Planner - to do, contact and remember (see picture below)
- Intentional Planner - to do, chores, email, call & errands
- Focused Planner - to, chores, text, call, email & errands
By intentionally planning out your week, you are setting priorities and giving yourself practical goals to accomplish based on your calendar and schedule for the week.
Sometimes by giving yourself a full week to get things done, rather than setting the items to a specific day, you may find yourself more likely to get it all done. Give it a try next week!
Planning with the Daily Schedules
It may seem counterproductive to write your schedule on paper if you already know what is going to happen in the day ahead, but let's think on this one just for a moment.
While we may know what appointments we have, or what time we're eating dinner, sometimes organizing your daily schedule can help you see if you have too much packed in. Often, when we see things on paper it can not only help us remember the various appointments and plans, but it can also help us slow down and intentionally plan more of "nothing" or time with loved ones.
Sometimes planning isn't about all the things we need to get done, sometimes it's about being intentional with how we are spending our time. Give it some thought the next time you look at your daily schedule!
And the good news is, each planner has a different daily view to fit your personality type!
- Minimalist Planner - free space & a box for "evening plans"
- Intentional Planner - space for "appointments" & "plans"
- Focused Planner - AM/PM prompts
We hope that you are able to take the time to see what works best for your lifestyle when it comes to planning and that 2024 is the most intentional year yet!