The Loving Cedar, LLC

Simplifying Life Series

November 1, 2021

The focus of this series is to give simple tips and tricks to help ease the hectic life. Simple living creates positive changes in places you can’t even imagine. Those small changes can make a significant impact. Is your baby between the ages of 1 minute to 100,000 minutes, and do you want to create a loving, positive atmosphere for them? Then you are in the right place!

LeahJacobson CD(DONA)

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

Simplifying Life with a daily planner

Stressed about having more tasks than hours in the day?

Are you struggling to keep a schedule and finding you don’t have enough hours in the day? I know I do sometimes. AND having every intention of tackling the never ending to-do list, with ending up getting overwhelmed and feeling even more unorganized. Have you tried every planner out there and find most are too busy or there is way too much to them? Trust me, I totally understand. After much trial and error, I have found the best way is to keep it super simple, time block or manage (read more on time management), and most importantly having it right in my face.

That saying “out of sight, out of mind” is totally true! I have learned that if I keep my daily planner next to my desk where it is in plain sight, then I get the things done I need to.

Finding your planning style.

The monthly planner gives you the ability to schedule the entire month out.
The weekly planner schedules the entire week out.
The daily planner schedules the next day out.

Maybe a monthly planner works great for you, or a weekly? Or maybe those are too intimidating for you? Experiment, try what style works best for you and stick with it. If one style fails, don’t keep using it. The main key is finding what one works best for you, and flying with it. Take on the world with your planner. Feel good about it.

Schedule a sit down time each month, week or day to plan out the schedule.

Pro tip: write everything down! Even breaks. And most importantly, your self-care time (read more on self-care).

Note for you monthly and weekly planners

I chose to use a daily planner. Now don’t get me wrong, I use my phone calendar to keep track of things that are in the future. But for those everyday activities and tasks, keeping it one day at a time has been less stressful. So, for you monthly and weekly planners, the rest of this article mostly focuses on daily planning, but I encourage you to continue reading and maybe ignore that word daily. Now for the ones who aren’t sure what style you need or those who are daily planners, I encourage you to continue reading to simplify life with a super easy plan to help organize, de-stress, and declutter the day.

The importance of a daily schedule

Using a daily schedule helps keep you in the moment. Looking at a year of work to do or even a month of work is too overwhelming. “Taking one day at a time” helps keep us from panicking over ALL the things we need to get done over a huge chunk of time. That takes the focus out of our daily tasks. Including the focus of what matters most (our family). Meaning we end up failing that day because we stressed over something a month from now. Have a future event on your big calendar and leave it there until that future date.

To be successful in our day, we need to declutter the day with future events, or unnecessary stressors.

Keeping it simple is key!

How to use a daily planner

I created a simple one sheet printable planner that I use everyday. Sign up to receive the daily planner printable bundle! It includes monthly, weekly, daily, and weekly meal plan templates. Super easy to use and helps you keep track of your schedule! Already a subscriber? Email me and I will send the bundle to you!

This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Pro Tip: Laminate it and you can reuse it! I’m all about reusing. Plus it saves on ink! Interested in a laminator? I recommend this one… You can purchase it right off this link. It has been a great tool to use and it is reliable.

Now that you have your schedule printed, fill it in! Write everything down. Like I said before, EVERYTHING, including your self-care routine, lunch break, snack break, even bathroom break if you need. A walk around the house to clear your mind break. EVERYTHING!
Check it often, have it in an obvious spot. I am at my computer most of the day, so I hang my schedule next to the monitor so I can see it. Remember, that “out of sight, out of mind” will sneak up on you.
Follow it! I can’t stress this enough, you have to follow it. There have been so many times that I took the time to “get super organized” but failed because I didn’t follow it. Trust me, following it makes you feel great and accomplished! It really does de-stress the day.
Be realistic. This is even a reminder for me. Create realistic time chunks so you can actually accomplish the task. Also, if you over book or add more than you can handle, you will find yourself frustrated, and just giving up. Just like talking about seeing too big of a picture earlier. Leave the future tasks in the future. Leave the tasks that can be set aside for another day, set aside for another day. That doesn’t mean procrastinate, that means prioritize. Following the schedule will help you with that, and create less procrastination.
Mark it off!! Yay! Check ✓, you did it! Seeing those check marks is totally worth the work!
Be flexible, I talk more about this in my time management article, (read more) but I will touch on it a bit now. It is key, life happens, so we need to roll with it. Yes, easier said than done, but live simply, it needs to be part of our routine (another reason why I laminate my page and use a dry erase marker)!

Need a planner that can go with you?

Sometimes a printed page doesn’t work, especially if you are out and about most of the time. Here are some recommendations: Find one that is simple, easy to use, and small enough to take with you! I have use The Simple Elephant planners for when I need to carry one with me. I actually use it since it isn’t too complicated.

Wait a minute! What about the family schedule?!?!

I have found that keeping a simple framed dry erase board (I know, me and my dry erasing) on the wall where everyone can see it, and use it has been the best. This one is weekly though, super simple, color coded for each person. I keep my daily one for the things I need to do, but have a weekly for the family.

For example: my daughter has dance four days a week, she is purple, so on Monday, dance from 4-5 pm is written in purple. My son has football everyday, so football from 3-5 pm is written in blue. And so on. I even have chores and the meal plan up there for the week as well.

Here are some wall organization recommendations:

KEY: Keeping it simple, I can’t stress that enough. If it is too complicated, then things just won’t happen.

I’m always looking for more ideas, if you have any suggestions, or have questions, please feel free to reach out to me. My door is always open, I am here to help you through this parenting journey!

Hello!

I am Leah. Welcome to The Loving Cedar LLC. Here is where you will find parenting tips and tricks to help you simplify life.