If you are looking to organize your time, routines are your solution. A routine is an activity that you practice every day to make your days more run more smoothly and to be more predictable. I'll bet your already have a routine for what you do when you first wake up like brushing your teeth or making your bed. Why not try to get into a planning routine that will increase your productivity and help you to get more things done everyday?
How a Planning Routine Can Increase Your Productivity
A planning routine has many benefits. (1) It makes the task of checking into your planner easier and once you make planning a routine (2 ) it becomes more natural. It relieves stress and anxiety of knowing what to expect next. (3)Writing and planning out your day the night before will prepare you for what's to come with a planning routine. You will be able to focus and concentrate much better and it will help you get more done in less time.
My Planner Line-up:
1. My A5 planner- This houses my meal planner, blog planner and my weekly layouts for daily to do list. This I don't always use, because I am in the process of creating inserts for it.
2. Happy Planner Horizontal (classic size)- This is my personal planner that I use for listing, self care lists, to do lists, and right now this houses my blog planner, and use this for my appointments and school activities and school breaks, and school holidays.
3. My bullet journal- I new to bullet journaling and since I cannot draw, my is strictly used for my daily schedule, to do lists, monthly planner, meal plans, and blog post ideas. I time block as well, and I also plan parties and trips in this.
My Planning Routine:
To use my planners efficiently every day, I had to find a system that would help me increase my productivity. I had all of these planners but I wasn't using them to their full potential. A planner is a tool to help you get organized, the planner won't magically make you more organized.
You need to learn how to use your planner so that you can start getting more things done. This planning routine has helped me to become more productive in my daily life. Using this planning routine I have crossed more and more things off of my to do list.
Below I will show you what I plan for and when I plan to ensure that I am getting things done every day.
Beginning of the month
At the beginning of each month, I review my plans from last month. I look at my monthly calendar and at my weekly and daily spreads. There I check to see if I have reached my goals. I track all my month end results and plan new goals for the nest month. If I missed anything it is transferred to the next month.
I then plan my to do's, events, appointments, birthdays, and holidays, and school breaks during the month. I write down all of my appointments in my bullet journal, and when the time gets closer I transfer the information from my weekly and daily planners.
Weekly
I take every Sunday to plan my upcoming week. I take a look at my monthly calendar and if there is anything planned I write it down in my weekly spread. If things are happening on a specific day I make sure to place a sticker or write it down on that specific day. If anything new pops up I add it to my to do list that I keep in my bullet journal.
Night before/end of the day
Every night before I go to bed I review my day and I start my journaling. My journaling is done in my bullet journal. I write down what I am grateful for on my daily gratitude page in my bullet journal. This is a great way to wind down before bed. I then start to plan for the next day.
Before starting my planning routine, I used to worry and stress about what I didn't get done. This is what I use my bullet journal for. I write down every little thing and plan my daily schedule. I plan my schedule down to every hour of the day. I time block my specific times to work on my blog, our possible business and my house cleaning (all done in the early morning). I also plan my daughter's activities, time with the kids, and my husband.
Having this routine in place helps me know what to expect and when to expect it.
Day of
When I first wake up I always check my planner to see what's happening that day. I then start following my schedule. I get the kids and husband up, I get the oldest one ready for school and feed both kids breakfast. Once the oldest is at school, I start working on my routines.
I follow my daily schedules routine that I have in my bullet journal and planner. The daily schedule gives structure to my day.
It's great when you have a routine, it makes things that much easier. Not only for yourself but for family as well. I have two kids, one is in school and the other one is home with me all day and without a routine we would not be able to make through the day. At the end of the day, I plan for the next day and the cycle repeats itself.
And that's my planning routine!
Make an effort to plan. Make it part of your daily routine. You will notice a difference right away and your whole day will become smoother and you will feel better and happier about your days because of your increase productivity.
Happy Planning!!!! \
Do you have a planning routine? I would love to see it in the comments below.
