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School’s Starting – Time To Get Organized!

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It’s that time of year again!  How did summer go by so fast?  If you’re like me, you’re thinking it’s also time to get organized.  I’ve decided — this is my year!  This is my year to start REALLY using my planner, not just for recording lists and what I did for the day.  But to REALLY plan my life, my year, my days!  Want to join me?

My goal?  To turn my journey into a Year-Long-Planner Challenge and to encourage you to share it with me.  Just maybe, the accountability of going public could push me (and you) to succeed!  If you’re up for a challenge this year — one to get your life in order and stop procrastinating on dreams, goals, and responsibilities — please join me!

Resources To Help You Get Organized

I’ve tried lots of planners over the years, and I’m finally narrowing down what actually works for me.  Read this post to find out the benefits of using a planner — and this post to see several different planner styles and how they might fit your needs and personality.  The key is finding what works for you!  The sky’s the limit online — hundreds of creative ideas for organizing your dreams and goals.  In future posts, I’ll highlight information from experts in goal setting and planning, so you can find what fits your personality.

Here are a few new ones since I did my research a few years ago….

The Big Happy Planner

A favorite with my daughters and me is the Big Happy Planner*.  I especially prefer the long columns to plan out the day, along with sections for to-do lists, meal planning, etc.  It has a monthly page for birthdays, goals, important dates, and a fun area to jot down activities you’re currently spending time on.  The feature that makes it stand out from the rest — it’s disc binding which gives you the ability to move pages around or even add your own!

The Living Well Planner

A planner I’ve considered for a few years is Ruth Soukup’s Living Well Planner but hesitated due to the cost.  Well, this year she’s giving a special price on the new design plus a few bonus planning sheets (but only until the end of August)!  So, yup, I went for the sale.  (I’m a sucker for a good deal!)  I’m super excited to get my new planner and begin to take charge of my days.  I like this planner so much, I’m willing to help promote it (thus my affiliate clause at the end of this post) because I know it will encourage busy women to get organized!

Another reason I love Ruth’s planner* is the multitude of detailed videos and guides she offers to anyone who wants to learn how to truly use a planner.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Brainstorm your responsibilities and to-do’s
  • Choose Big Goals
  • Develop an Action Plan by breaking those big goals into bite-sized steps
  • Plan each week and day to get MORE accomplished with less time WASTED

You can find Ruth’s planning posts here and detailed pics of each planner page here.  I can’t recommend these posts enough for motivating you to take action!

So if you’re in, shoot me a message on Facebook or jot me an email.  If you’re ready to take back your days and get that to-do list checked off, let’s get started.  Together.  That’s always the best way!

Start Here To Reach Your Goals

Planner Challenge To-Do List…

Here’s to taking control of our year and actually getting things done!

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Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.  Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.   Proverbs 6:6-8
*This asteric indicates that I may earn some compensation for these items IF you purchase through my website.  I only share products I love and use personally!  Thanks!
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Finding Quiet In A Noisy World

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Morning Quiet Time

I awoke this morning to my usual world, one where I don’t know where I’ll be living in a year, with ceilings that look like I’m in a doctor’s office, and adjustments all around to life in my fifties.  That’s when I again realized the necessity of quiet time in this crazy, noisy, chaotic world.

Now, if I were writing this post from the mountains of Tennessee or on the beach in California or any of my “perfect” places, I might not feel the chaos of the times.  But for most of us, calm days are few and far between, and we enter our days running.

I’m in my quiet corner of the world right now, yet, there is noise.  There are a hundred things shouting my name, calling me to come hither, that they might steal my joy, my peace.

Get Ready For Battle

And so we must fight.  We must wage war on this culture which seeks to steal our peace.  We must plan an attack early in our day, lest we get the onslaught of the wave of hurry, the avalanche of to-do’s.

But how do we do this?  What does it look like for a busy woman?  Where will we find space away from the crowd or the tumult?

This is where need and self control come in.  Once you discover the much needed commodity, quiet for the soul, there will be little that can stop you from creating space in your day to get it.  Once you realize your need was there all along, you’ll know the minute it rears its little head begging for more.  You will have to make it happen, not much different from when you feel hunger or thirst.  You will realize your cells are running dry when you feel distant from God, or when you snap too quickly, or when discouragement is draining your energy.  But you must find the time.

 

Is God An “Add On” Item To Your Day?

My husband and I went to a “Christian” marriage counselor/psychologist years ago.  I question his faith because in his counseling, God was an “add-on” (like in Amazon’s cart when you want free shipping but the product is low cost, so it must be “added on” to a larger item).  He treated God as if He was an “add-on” to his therapy, someOne to give a little power to the message.  Let’s not do that with God!  Let’s give Him the pre-eminence He deserves.

We can only do this by giving Him our personal time.  Offer Him a tithe of the first fruits of your day.  Let Him fill you with His wisdom, strength, counsel, and love before you begin in this crazy life we each must live.  You may have children who need you from sun-up to sun-down, husbands who need to talk.  You have work to do, meals to make, and clothes to wash.  You have birthday cards to write, houses to clean, and lessons to teach.  And that is why quiet time with your Lord is so very critical.

You need Him and He desires for you to place Him where he belongs in your life.  Center front, first love, ever present, constant in your minute-by-minute life.

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit therefore to God….Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.  James 4:6-8, 10

Make Space For God

You will have to figure out how to keep God center-front, but do figure it out!

  • Steal fifteen minutes while you’re nursing a baby.
  • Grab five minutes after your shower.
  • Hold onto those precious moments when your husband has the kids busy.
  • Even one verse to meditate on while you shower is time with your Father.
  • Simply pray for wisdom and listen to His voice while you wash the dishes or brush your teeth.

Create space in your day (preferably your morning) to make a quiet, purposeful, listening time with your God.  No doubt it will make your day run smoother, brighten your outlook, give calm to the hurry, and deliver you from fear of the unknown.  But do take time.  Time to listen.  Time to think.  Time that gives God space to speak to you, time for you to listen.

God wants us dependent on His grace, love, wisdom, strength, and so much more!

Find His Truth for any lie.  Feel the comfort in His arms.  

Discover rest.

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I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving.
And it will please the LORD better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
The humble have seen it and are glad; you who seek God, let your heart revive.
For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise His who are prisoners.
Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.
Psalm 69:30-34

 

Kaylene Yoder

Choosing A Planner….So Many Options!

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I know it’s February, but….it takes me a bit of time to get over the holidays and realize that the year is upon me!  And then I have to research….  :)

It’s funny how we seek after some “thing” hoping it will “do the job.”  I’ve wasted years searching for that “holy grail” and have finally come to understand something.  It’s not the idea or product that gets the job done, but the person using it!  That’s a duh!  (Okay, I’m a bit slow.)

Now extend this reality to our topic of goal setting and planners.

When it come to goal setting and being organized, it’s not the planner, but the “D” word!  DISCIPLINE.  We user requires discipline to carry out any plan well.

A commenter on my post, Goals…and A Planner, A Necessary Part of Success, called it “determined to be disciplined.”  I really like that!

  • First, we need to stop striving for the end-all — perfection — and instead, exert our efforts to being determined to live out our goals.  It’s all about ATTITUDE.
  • Next, understand the process of getting things out of our heads and onto paper really helps ease our overwhelm.
  • Then it’s the actual doing that reaps the rewards of goals met.  The process is what really gets us to the productive stage.

It’s simply the work of life.  We can do this!

We just need a plan, and a place to plan.

 

Planners Beaucoup! – (hint: /bōˈko͞o/)

Okay, so I promised I’d share what I discovered in my quest to find a planner or goal-setting product that would inspire me to get going this year.  (Caveat:  even as I’ve researched and launched into my new planner, I’m still learning just how easy it is to get carried away with details instead of just doing the work!  Argh.)

I’ve listed some of my results below, both in options and favorites:

Pre-Decorated Planner (My Favorite!)  –  Mom’s On The Go Planner –

It’s all the trend to embellish planners with stickers, markers, and washi tape.  This was new to me, but looked like a lot of work.  This planner has all the design work done for me, in a colorful, tactful display!  You’ll find these planners at –  In The Leafy Treetops.   As you can see above, it’s a pretty planner (we girls like that!) complete with lots of creative pages to set goals (and these goals focus on much more than home management, like relationships with family, friends, and God.  How great is that?!)

I’m really impressed and think it will help me love my planning time, and remind me of the importance God places on my responsibilities as a wife, mother, and friend.  (The creator of this planner designed it for Mormon moms, but offers one for non-Mormon moms.  I got the Mormon mom one and will alter the pages designed for the LDS family for my homeschool/Bible study planning for our family.)  I love this planner!

  • PS – I even bought washi tape and stickers to highlight some of my most important events.  Pretty fun stuff!
  • PPS – Since using this planner for a few weeks, I can see that having one in a spiral (even though it’s beautiful, strong, and metal) is, for my OCD brain, a bit limiting….yikes…it’s excruciating!  But I may take it out of the spiral, punch holes, and put it in my personal, adjustable, comfortable, binder!  Ahhh…..smile.)  You see, planners are only as good as they fit your personal style!  Yes!

 

Erin Condren Planner pic

Popular Undecorated Planner – Erin Condren Planners –

These planners are extremely popular but expensive!  They’re similar in content to the Mom’s On The Go planner, but they are not decorated at all.  Just a simple page layout you can decorate if you want a pretty planner.  Above is an example of a simple page decorated with washi tape, multi-colored pens, and stickers.  Although you can use these planners simply, women have taken scrapbooking to a whole new level with these planners!  You’ve got to check out some of these planners here!  I guess the scrapbooking crowd just had to have a place to create!

 

Printable Planner Pages – The Polka Dot Posie

This Etsy shop has some attractive, printable planner pages already designed for you.  They’re colorful and simple in design and include:  monthly & weekly layouts, plus daily planning pages, notes, lists and journal pages, just the options I like in a planner.  These work well if you have a personal, multi-ring planner and you want to arrange your planner to fit your needs.  Just print what you need, punch holes to fit your planner, and you’re ready to get organized!

I recently started using Canva for my photo creations for my blog, Pinterest, and Facebook.  But they have a nice variety of free planner templates to download.  Check them out here!

(My penny pinching brain has a hard time wrapping around the copier ink needed to print these, or the cost of going to an office supply store to have them printed.  I’ll have to work on that for next year because I still love being able to add a page here or take out one there!)

Basic Planner – The Homemakers Friend

There are many basic planners out there at reasonable prices, like these at Walmart and Target.  I prefer to support the entrepreneur so The Homemaker’s Friend is a simple yet cute option and includes Scripture on many pages.  It includes general task lists, monthly and weekly calendars, projects/events pages, shopping lists.  I really like having a task list on the same page as the weekly calendar.   I choose items from my general To-Do list to add to a specific week’s to-do list, planning out what tasks are best for what week.  Plus, I really need to have an easy place to jot down those last minute to-do’s that come to mind!  Here’s a post where Sue describes seven planner perks.  Always nice to hear other’s perspective!

A Few Less Traditional Planning Methods

I may try these on for size in the coming years.  They come from creative minds that are less concerned about tradition and seeking to pull from different styles of learning (think right vs. left brain).

Hand Drafted Planner – Bullet Journal

Bullet Journaling is the minimalist method of planning.   Call it “freestyle” planning.  You call the shots on what your planner looks like, how it’s laid out, what goes on what page and let it grow as the mood or need fits.  You’ll find ways to keep your goals, tasks, and planning in easily used pages with:  bullets, tasks, notes, events, monthly and daily calendar pages, and pages for collections of information, page numbers and indexing so you can find your all your info easily.  Try it, you might just like it!

 

planner pad picBrain Dump Style Planner – Planner Pads

Planner Pads has a practical and unique style of planning.  I really like it.  Just list out your project Warehouse (Brain dump of to-do’s) and funnel them down into the next row – your daily to-do’s.  Below that, list our your daily appointments.  Simple and easy way to prioritize, organize, and plan life activities.

 

passion planner pic

Life Coach Style Planner – Passion Planner

Passion Planner is a great place to brainstorm and define life goals.  It helps you create an action plan to start moving toward them.  It offers plenty of space to get focused, declutter your mind, journal, manage your time, and challenge yourself to positively live your dreams.

GoogleIt’s easy to find a multitude of ideas for planner types and styles.  Just Google what type of planner page you’re looking for (weekly, monthly, daily) and wah-lah!  Click “images” and you’ll have hundreds of pictures of planner ideas, then click on the image page to find how to use it, where to buy it, or copy for free or a small fee.

 

PinterestPinterest has tons of ideas for planners, along with many sites you can click on to find ideas and videos to learn the best tips from those who use them well.

To Sum Up

Well, there you have it!  I hope my research helped you discover some options for organizing your life.  It’s so important to find a planner that fits your personality and needs.  Remember….

It’s not about perfect or perfectly organized, it’s about viewing your work in a more productive way.  When we gain fresh perspective about the necessity of what we do each day and throughout my week, it helps motivate and give confidence to do even better.

Let’s determine to make this the best and most productive year yet!

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The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:1, 9

 

 

Goals…and A Planner – A Necessary Part of Success

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Goals are an often discussed topic this time of year.  They’ve certainly been on my mind as I consider what this year might hold.  But moving from having a “goal” to actually getting it done is another story.

I look at it this way, I have two options:

  • Continue on as I so often do, hoping things will get better, wishing I’ll become more organized, wanting to do better at my homeschooling goals,  dreaming my home would be neater, and desiring to growing in my relationships.  OR….
  • I can choose to live differently, doing more than just think about what I need/want to accomplish.  Take time to set my sites on my goals and then plan organizational and proactive activities into each day that will accomplish those goals.  List out duties I am accountable for to help my family live out their goals in a comfortable home while developing strong bonds with family and friends.

Choices

It’s always a choice, isn’t it?  Discipline is always something we must make ourselves do.  It’s never something that just happens simply by osmosis.  We can talk and think and hope for all those changes to take place, but the cart just won’t move without getting the donkey in front of it!  And guess what?  Each one of us is that donkey (oh, I’m sorely tempted to use the other word here, but I’ll contain myself! :o) and we must do the hard work of moving into the tasks at hand and forging forward toward our dreams and into our responsibilities.

So, as I begin a new season, I am choosing to move, choosing to grab hold of another year, another day to “get it right”.

  • I’ll start by brainstorming (stating and listing out my goals), not just dreaming about them.
  • Then I’ll make a plan and seek the best way to implement it.
  • I guess I’m a bit stubborn, but I maintain a hopeful and determined attitude that all is not lost when my plans didn’t evolve.  Very possibly one or two of the things I dream of and set as goals for this year or this life, might just happen, but not without lots of hard work and determination.
  • Now I must hold onto that picture, trusting God to show me what’s worth my time – and what’s not.  As I trust my life and energy to obeying, serving, and glorifying God in this life, He will reveal what’s important but also He will choose the outcome, success or failure.  I love the fact that even a failure is still a success in His plan – it teaches or protects in a loving way.

Get A Planner!

So how will I begin this quest?  Of course, with prayer, but more tangibly, I ordered a new planner. (smile)  I’m excited to find one with plenty of  pages designed for me to: get organized, plan, and maintain those plans; set goals, build relationships, plan holidays, and jot notes to myself; plus it includes cute designs with quotes and verses to remind me of God’s love and ways I can share that love with those around me.

I searched for weeks and looked at literally hundreds of planners, both pre-printed and reproducible versions.  I share those finds in my next post, so click here to read about the many options available.

In a nutshell, I recommend you FIND A PLACE, no matter what it looks like (a notebook, a printed or computer planner, even a decorative personal planner) just a place to jot down your thoughts, dreams, plans, to do list, calendar items.  Don’t keep them swimming around in your head, hoping they’ll somehow develop into a plan or system all on their own.  Write them down, organize them, prioritize them, and like Francis Chan says in his wonderful book, You & Me Forever, “Just do something.“

When it comes to goal setting, proactivity, and responsibility, my own ‘fortune cookie proverb’,

“Do nothing, expect nothing in return.  Do something, and you will certainly see results.”

Don’t seek perfection, simply seek God, and you will find your way, His way!  His love is unending and everlasting.  But there is still work for you to do.  Trust, obey, and get to work!

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Let all things decently and in order.  1 Corinthians 14:40

 

When you desire to bring order to your life….

Living Well, Spending Less Affiliate

* I will receive, at no additional charge to you, compensation for any sale you make via this link for LWSL planners.  Thanks!