Stewarding an organized home is no easy task! If you are a planner type of gal, here are my tips for organizing your planner so you can stay on top of everything going on in your home.
If I don’t write it down, it isn’t going to happen. Are you that type of person?
I love starting my week by writing down what must be done. What chores do I need to catch up on? What meals will I prepare for my family? I write them down for a few different reasons (we will go over these first!)
As I consider the various aspects of my home, I want to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. When I create a plan, that’s exactly what happens.
If you’re struggling to keep your home in order, or struggling with sticking to a plan, try some form of a planner!
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Why Use a Planner?
A planner can help you stick to short-term and long-term goals. You can also write in your action steps for your goals all in the same place.
For homemaking, you may think there are no such things as goals. But I’d like to challenge that idea.
Dinner needs to be served every night. That could be a full spread you prepare from scratch, or that could be pizza you ordered on your way home from work. Either way, dinner is an intentional act that requires some thought.
Weekly dinners are your short-term, weekly goals. Meal planning, grocery shopping, and even ordering pizza are the action steps you take every single week to accomplish those goals.
Let’s change it up – what does a long-term goal look like in homemaking?
Planning for a baby, staying on top of seasonal home repairs, or financially saving up for either one of those occasions (and plenty more), are all long-term, homemaking goals.
If you’re having a baby, you can schedule other “due dates” in your planner for things like finishing a nursery, stocking your freezer full of meals, or cleaning and organizing your home as smaller projects you tackle every week.
Staying on top of seasonal home repairs can be managed in the same way. Say you’re preparing for winter to come. Schedule your expected first frost date as your “due date.”
Prior to your frost date, you can schedule any maintenance, remove any debris, button up projects that won’t survive freezing temperatures, and winterize equipment or prepare it for storage.
Related – How to Set (and Achieve) Goals as a Homemaker
What Type of Planner Do I Use?
I work best with a pen and paper, a daily planner. I use a planner with monthly tabs and weekly calendars. Since I have tasks to complete every single day, I like being able to turn to a specific day and also do a weekly review.
Other options include a digital planner you buy from someone online. Monthly calendars, and apps on your phone, are other planners you can use if you don’t like a daily or weekly planner.
If none of those things work for you, you can use a yearly calendar. There are so many options available today.
Add Fun to Your Planning
If you struggle with the monotony in planning, consider sprucing up your planner with washi tape, sticky notes, and functional stickers.
You can also use colored pens to differentiate between tasks, children, or days.
Looking for more ways to stay organized?
I offer all kinds of resources in my email newsletter! I also share a bit about what’s going on in my own home, recipes I recommend, and seasonal content that’s sure to inspire your homemaking.
I Can’t Imagine Having a Plan for Everything!
When you get into a groove in homemaking, you will see that there are some things that simply fall off your task list because they become so routine you do them without thinking about it!
I talk more about this idea when I share my weekly homemaking routine.
Every day, no matter, what, there are three things I need to do to keep my home running smoothly. I do some sort of work in the kitchen, I run the dishwasher, and I do one load of laundry to finish.
Now that I’ve been in this routine for quite some time, I wake up and just fit these projects into the pockets of my day. And since I’m always working on them, I’m seldom behind.
That groove of staying caught up gives me the capacity I need to learn new things and add them to my routine. That’s how you’re going to grow! Eat the elephant a little bit at a time. Learn a new skill, spend time mastering it, and move on to the next skill.
Homemaker and Happy Top Tips
You may find that some of these tips need to be adapted to fit a digital planner. Please take liberties where you see fit!
Don’t Complicate It
If you start out this process stressed, you won’t see it through.
Yes, establishing a new habit is stressful. And if you’ve never used a planner before, it may take time to find your groove. So add in tips and tricks as they benefit you.
I encourage you to try one new thing at a time. If you implement several new tasks at once, you may not remember all of them and struggle just to get started.
Set Aside Time Every Week to Make a Plan
If you fail to plan, you will plan to fail.
At the beginning of the week, I like to take an hour or so and create a plan for my week. If I don’t make a plan, what’s the point of having a planner?
Use Time Blocks as Guides, Not Rules
The rhythms of my home dictate what my calendar looks like, not the other way around.
What do I mean by that?
There’s so much that could come up and derail my plans on any given day. But when I rely on the rhythms of my day, I know that everything has a greater chance of getting done.
For example, in the morning after breakfast, my family and I get dressed. If I can take an additional 10 minutes to get lunch plans made and meat thawing for dinner, I have just made the rest of my day easier!
So, when you’re planning your day in a planner, consider using time blocks instead of scheduling breakfast at 8 a.m. Block off 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and simply write your entire morning routine in that time block.
Time blocks also make motherhood run a bit smoother. We already have things like sibling rivalry and boo-boos that pop up during the day. Don’t block yourself into a schedule so that you miss out on spontaneous dance parties or extra cuddles while you read books.
Keep Your Planner Visible
I share a lot of planning tips, but the common thread to take away is that whatever you are planning for has to be top of mind so you don’t forget about it.
That’s why it’s important to keep a planner visible.
A great place to keep a planner is in a common area, like a kitchen counter next to your coffee pot. At the beginning of each day, take a moment to see what’s on the agenda. Do a quick, 5-minute check-in and move around tasks where necessary. Then get on with your day!
Another great place to keep a planner is on your bedside table. You can stash it away in a drawer or keep it open. Every evening before you go to bed, you can review what you have going on for the following day. Again – this is a 5-minute process.
Digital planners are no different. Take 5 minutes a day during a dedicated block of time to look at your phone. Stay focused! This is intentional time and we don’t want to waste it.
Seeing your planner is a constant reminder to you that you are in control of how you spend your day. Use that time wisely!
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Planner Organization Tips
Keep a Bookmark In Your Planner
If you are using a paper planner, this is a great way to keep it accessible.
Some planner brands produce their own bookmarks that work directly with your planner. In my experience, I have used paper clips and binder clips as bookmarks with great success.
Physically Cross Off Completed Tasks
Part of the joy of keeping a planner is realizing what has been finished. So mark it off the list!
This is the best way to make sure everything is getting done. What can be moved can simply be erased and moved to a different day.
Keep a Running Task List
If moving tasks around from day to day isn’t your cup of tea, simply use a sticky note or a planner insert to keep a running list of to-dos.
Mind you – this isn’t the place you’re going to put personal appointments. This is where you’re going to put things like art projects, maybe a grocery list, or other activities that have an extended due date.
Implement a Color-Coding System
If you want to streamline your planning process, you can do so by color-coordinating your planner.
Let’s say there are six or seven different “categories” you need to focus on. They can be relationships with others, your family, finances, working out, your spiritual life, etc. Assign each of those areas of your life a color, and when you need to make a plan, use that color.
Your week may look like worship on Sunday mornings, dinner with your family on Tuesday nights, and working out every single day. When you quickly glance at your planner, you know exactly what the week entails because you just have to recognize the colors.
Can also offer availability for other things in your life, like hanging out with friends, errands, and trips. At a quick glance, you know what you’re week looks like. You can quickly make last-minute decisions with ease.
Related – Sample Weekly Homemaking Routine
Add Extra Paper for Projects
I keep a separate journal for my budget. But it’s often inconvenient because I lose my budget journal often. To remedy this, I can add paper to my current planner!
You could also do this for work projects, Christmas lists, Valentine’s cookie boxes, Spring Break plans, and so much more. Use extra paper for your planner, but keep it all in one place!
Are you ready to organize some fun for your family?
Schedule your family activities with these seasonal bucket lists!
I absolutely love spending time with my family. What better way to bond than over a shared experience?
Supply your email below and I’ll send you my seasonal bucket lists. Add snowflake-making and splash pads to your calendar – check them off your bucket list when you’re done!
Related Blog Posts
Summer Family Activities
Spring Family Activities
Fall Family Activities
Winter Family Activities
The Most Important Things In Your Planner…
…are the things that work for you!
We can talk a lot about color-coding systems, bookmarks, and goal setting. But none of it is worth it if it isn’t a system that works for you.
Your day shouldn’t be spent trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole, filled with daily tasks that take an incredible amount of time because they take forever to complete. Your day should be important tasks that matter to your family. That starts with a planning system that works for you.
So if you aren’t a fan of different colors for tasks or you like another fun way to keep things organized – do it! Don’t spend too much time stressing over the perfect planner organization. Just do what works for you and your family.
What About a Habit Tracker?
Habit trackers are a great way to incorporate new habits into your life.
For example, you want to read your Bible, write a verse, and pray every single day. But you find yourself in bed at night having done none of those things. A habit tracker is the perfect thing to remind you of this habit you want to establish.
Habit trackers can also be used to hit goals, like establishing a workout routine or waking up early.
I’m Still Not Sure…Can I Start with an Undated Planner?
An undated planner is the perfect place to start if you don’t know that working with a planner is for you.
A printed, undated planner will allow you to keep dates yourself. And if you don’t pick up a planner for a week or two, you aren’t creating any waste.
Undated planners can also carry you through the years. If you forsake planning entirely, pick it up when you’re ready.
Don’t Forget Weekly Check-Ins
I like to review how my home runs every week or so. Sometimes I do a monthly review if things have been busy for me and my family.
The purpose of this is to make sure I am using my time wisely. And as our commitments grow, that becomes more important for me. The main reason I run my home on a routine is so I have more time to do the things I want to do. If we waste that time on things that don’t benefit us or others, that’s time wasted!
My weekly check-ins are usually on Sunday evenings when planning my week. I ask myself, “What worked? What didn’t?” I don’t want to overcomplicate this process.
Managing Important Dates
I like to write important dates into my planner at the beginning of every year. I’m talking about things like birthdays and anniversaries.
I tend to write things like doctor’s appointments and bills into my monthly calendar so I don’t forget about them. I rarely have to schedule a doctor’s appointment for a year in advance.
That’s the thing about managing a planner – it truly is to serve you and what you’re doing in everyday life!
Managing Daily Life is a Beautiful Gift
As a homemaker, I’m so thankful I’m able to do this full-time. Sure, I have this blog and a few other projects, but my main work is my home.
Because this is my job, I want to make sure I’m doing a good one! If you are in the same boat, I commend you for staying on top of your schedule and learning more about how to invest your time wisely.
If you are looking for more homemaking inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest!
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