Happy Monday, and Happy New Year! There's nothing more exciting than entering a new year. January 1 is my absolute favorite day of the year. Although you don't need a new year for a fresh start, I really feel the motivation. In anticipation, you may have purchased a planner, hoping to get your life together. But you might be wondering how to get the most use out of your planner. I'm sharing my top five tips to help you get started.
Write Important Dates in Your Planner
The very first thing I like to do when I get a new planner is write in important things happening throughout the year. These can include appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or other events. This year, I added friend's birthday, my monthly bookish club, date nights, and a trip I plan on taking early this year. Having these already written down helps me plan with more efficiency throughout the year. I know when to begin preparing for my kid's birthday parties, buy gifts for friends, or even when I need to wash my hair for events. If you know, you know.
Plan Your Daily/Weekly Schedule
This one is obvious, but it's the most important. Without my schedule, I am completely lost. I plan out when I work, blog, homeschool, tackle chores, playdates, workouts and anything else that needs to be done. I prefer a daily layout with hourly slots and a long to-do list, but I use a digital planner for my weekly overview. Having both can be beneficial if you're like me and like to time-block (If you don't know what that is, next week's post will clue you in!). No matter how you decide to plan your schedule, finding the right system can be life-changing.
Not a Busy Person? Use it as a Journal
Using your planner as a journal can be fun, especially if you use a vertical or horizontal layout (You can read more about planner layouts in my Ultimate Planner Guide post!). You could write out what you did that day, what you're grateful for, what you read, something funny your kid said -the possibilities are endless. It's also fun to use your planner for memory keeping. Happy Planner (not sponsored) has planners specifically for this. There's different layouts and stickers you can purchase, though any will work of course.
Track Your Expenses
Keeping track of your expenses can be tricky, but if you have a designated space, it's much easier. I will reserve a small section of my daily or weekly layout to log what I spent that day. I usually only write in the total, but you can be more detailed and write in what you spent and where. This can be helpful if you're on a strict budget or a debt payoff journey (like I am). Several companies also make budget planners: Erin Condren, Happy Planner, and Passionate Penny Pincher, to name a few.
Write Down Your Meal Plan
Are you always waiting until the last minute to plan dinner, and then realize the ingredients you still need are frozen, or you need something from the store? I know I am. It's frustrating when your family is starving (or just you), and you're unprepared. By writing down your meal plan. you can be sure you have everything you need to prepare your meal. I like to check mine every morning, and set out anything I might need from the freezer or make a last minute grocery run.
I hope these tips are helpful and point you in the right direction. Remember, make your planner work for you! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment, or reach out to me on social media.
-xxAlycia
P.S.
If you're interested in Cultivate What Matters products, use my link for 10% off with discount code ALYCIAPLANS
Check out one of my favorite planners here (Ashley Shelly): https://ashleyshelly.com/ref/103/
And here (Silk + Sonder): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1461423&u=3765598&m=93424&urllink=&afftrack=
And here (Laurel Denise): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1858024&u=3765598&m=115887&urllink=&afftrack=
*I earn commissions from my sponsored links*
Comments