You’ve likely developed a routine for your planning sessions. Take a moment to think about your process. Over time, your responsibilities and needs may have changed from planning power lunches to get ahead in your career to feeding your grandkids PB&J when they come over for a visit. If your current planning system doesn’t feel …
Cover Scribbles with Tape
September 21, 2015
Imagine that you’ve been planning a fun lunch with your for weeks. But now, something has come up, and she has to postpone until next month. Thankfully, you don’t need an ugly scribble to cover up this disappointment. You can turn this change in plans into a decoration. Simply cover it up with a short …
September is Self-Improvement Month
September 14, 2015
Is there something that you would like to improve about yourself? Whether it’s arriving on time to meetings, flossing your teeth every day, or focusing on people rather than your phone, using a planner can help the change stick. Identify a few simple daily tasks to help you accomplish your goal. When you have your …
Happy Labor Day
September 7, 2015
As you go through the third day of your three-day weekend, remember that, sometimes, less is more. You’ll find more joy in your time when you’re present and focused on what’s going on, rather than getting distracted by preparations for the next activity. If you find that your vacation time is more packed than your …
Use a Zipper Pouch
August 31, 2015
If you use your planner to carry your life with you, chances are that you have some small items in there. It could be a stack of paper clips to attach receipts and other documents to specific daily pages, or a pile of loose change, or decorations for your planner pages. If you’re tired of …
Add Academic Dates to Your Calendar
August 21, 2015
Have your kids ever surprised you with a school event you weren’t expecting? Get ahead of the game this year. Access your school’s academic calendar, whether online or through your kids’ orientation packets, and mark important days in your planner, such as the beginning and ending dates for the semester, holidays, and sporting events. Then …
Create a Homework Station
August 17, 2015
If your kids have trouble finding a quiet place to do their homework, then it’s time to create one. The ideal location is somewhere out of earshot of noisy televisions and off the main traffic areas of your home. Organize a desk with pencils, paper, and other supplies, and have “Things Mom Needs to Sign” …
Find the Perfect Backpack
August 10, 2015
Finding a great backpack involves a lot of balance—literally, to avoid your small children looking like plodding Galapagos tortoises, and figuratively, to get the best features with the right style. Select a comfortable, stylish, and functional bag with room for all needed supplies, and your child will head back to school with a new found …
Prepare to Send Your Kids Back to School
August 3, 2015For the kids who live at home, it’s almost time for registration. For new college freshmen, it’s almost time to move out on their own. Wherever your kids fall along this spectrum, it’s helpful to take a notes page in your planner and write out everything that needs to happen before they go back to …
Plan Your Lunches for the Week
July 27, 2015Wouldn’t it be nice if summer came with a lunch menu? Elementary school students are used to selecting a school lunch or a sandwich from home, while your teenagers choose the cafeteria or a fast food restaurant for each day. How about you? Go through the past week in your planner and note what you …
Start Right with a Morning Routine
July 20, 2015
The easiest routine is the one that your circumstances dictate for you. But when the school bus isn’t coming, what will get your kids out of bed? Discuss a good morning routine with your family, decide how to spend your time, and set it down in your planner to help keep things on schedule. With …
Create an Emergency Contact List for Your Kids
July 13, 2015
Do your kids know the number to call in case of an emergency? And if Grandma isn’t home, which number do they call next? Prepare an emergency contact list with a package of Address/Phone Tabs, keep it in an easily accessible place in your home, and teach your kids where it’s located and how to …
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Add a Back to School Checklist to Your Planner
July 6, 2015
Summer gets crammed full of activities: family vacations, sporting events, and continuing education all get layered on top of your normal responsibilities. With so much going on, it can be easy to forget something the kids need when they head back to school. Keep a running checklist for each child in your planner, and you’ll …
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Planner Quote: July 6, 2015
July 6, 2015“They are able because they think they are able.” – Virgil
Help Your Child Pick Out Their Own Planner
June 29, 2015
No two people are the same, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution for planning. Before the start of the school year, discuss different planning styles with your child, and then help select a planner. If your child has many extracurricular activities, then a daily planner would provide space to schedule everything, while a child who …
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Plan Your Meals
June 29, 2015
If you’ve ever resolved to eat healthier, only to have your produce turn to compost in the crisper bin of your refrigerator, then you can benefit from a meal plan. Plan out a week of meals at a time, and look at your schedule to ensure that you have time to prepare the meal you …
Capture Each Day’s Highlights
June 22, 2015
Do you look back at your week and see nothing but your daily routine? Life is made of the small, unscripted moments that happen between the mechanics of living. Resolve to capture at least one small highlight from each day, whether it’s a simple hug from a friend or spotting a motorcyclist wearing a kilt …
Find a Good Pen
June 15, 2015
If you’re organized, you can probably find a pen when you need one. But finding the right pen for your planning sessions takes more careful consideration. You’ll want to find a pen that writes well and fits comfortably in your hand. It also saves wear and tear on your planner if it fits in the …
Track Your Shopping Lists
June 1, 2015
Whether you’re engaging in some retail therapy or going on a standard trip to the grocery store, your planner comes in handy for jotting down shopping lists. If you have a standard list of items that you buy each week, write them down on a Progressive Task List and place it in your Pagefinder. For …
Document Your Summer Plans
May 25, 2015
Summer is a magical time. It’s the season of family vacations, connecting with friends in the backyard, and exploring the world. Whatever your plans this summer, you’ll want to remember the fun. Use your planner as a journal as you plan your excursions, and as you carry them out, write down the small details of …
