When I talk about planning, I get either one of two responses. The first group of people is all ears, their eyes light up and they soak in every word. They want to see my planner, my planning supplies, show me theirs, it is like two giddy school girls getting together and gushing about a boy. The second group of people has a little twitch on their lips. Their eyes glaze over, sometimes even harden. They humor me and let me talk for a little bit, waiting for the conversation to take a turn to something more interesting. I get that not everyone is into planning. However, as busy mom’s, especially if you are one of my homeschool mom followers, planning is really the number 1 key to being more on top of our days! The disconnect happens (often) when people try different planners and it doesn’t work out. They spend money on planner after planner and try system after system. At the end of it all they are no more organized, they feel like they have wasted valuable time and money, and they are somewhat jaded about the whole idea. Can you relate? I want to talk to you about creating a planning routine. Whether you bullet journal like me or have your own planner you are in love with, a planning routine can make or break your planning experience. It can take a while to really “settle in” to your routine, but once you do, it begins to become automatic and takes far less time than “binge” planning.
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10 benefits of a planning routine
To help you understand why I have a planning routine, I wanted to list off the benefits that I see so far. The only con is that it took me about 10 minutes to set up this planning routine. Aside from that, it is done and all I have to do is follow through!
1. I avoid binge planning (which is exhausting and not sustainable).
2. I temper the crazy perfectionist within me (that wants to do it all or nothing at all).
3. Routines become habits, part of who you are and what you do.
4. Baby steps make my goals attainable (a little bit each day).
5. I tweak it to work within my “creative window” (I do my art and create projects in the morning when I am the most inspired).
6. I get more done.
7. I have time for reflection (what’s working, what isn’t?).
8. I can refer to it when I just don’t know where to start (aka. blank page syndrome).
9. It keeps me on track with my goals.
10. It isn’t overwhelming, when I look at it I feel motivated to begin, not overwhelmed with a huge list!
Setting up a planning routine
I have seen a lot of planning routines over the past year. Some people make a list, some people set it up by time slot (this is more of a schedule, which I have to run far away from due to the whole “crazy perfectionist” thing). It doesn’t have to be pretty or you can get creative with it. The point is, setting up a planning routine shouldn’t take you a lot of time and will save you time in the long run. You will be able to open it up and start planning rather than opening up a blank page and feeling totally lost on what to do next. Before you set it up, I recommend taking a few minutes to assess when you are most creative (this is when you want to schedule in your weekly/monthly tasks…), when you are the most motivated, and when you are the most reflective. For me, I am reflective in the evenings, I love looking through my planner at that point, looking on Pinterest, getting ideas, etc. In the mornings with a hot cup of coffee I’m ready to plan! I love to paint and create and try new things! Find what works for you and build your routine off of your brain’s natural flow.
My planning routine
Minimalistic Bullet Journaling
Tomorrow I am going to be talking about a minimalistic bullet journaling. What that looks like, some ideas and inspiration to get you started, etc. So tune in tomorrow or check me out on Instagram below!
Did you know this is part of a 31 day series? There will be a post each day this month showcasing how I use bullet journaling, planning, hand lettering, and more! We will talk about the tools you need and I’ll review some of my pen hoard (including my brand new flex fountain pens, eeeeek!). There will be videos, pictures, hand lettering practise pages, doodle challenges, journaling prompts, some amazing giveaways, and hopefully a TON of inspiration to get you writing in your planner, whatever that may look like for you! How can you get on board?
BOOKMARK THE LANDING PAGE (that is where all the posts will be added throughout the month)
FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM (I’ll be posting the daily posts there)
USE THE HASHTAG: #PlanWithRebecca or #planninginspiration4u on Instagram for a chance to be featured on my page!
JOIN THE NEWSLETTER (if you want an short update on the latest post in your inbox)
