Tired of being stressed and overwhelmed with housework and life? There are things you can do to take back control and manage your time and home more efficiently. Let’s talk about some ways to simply and effectively plan your day (and your week too!).

how to simply and effectively plan

Planning doesn’t feel fun sometimes. It can even feel like a waste of time. However, the more that you are intentional in planning ahead, the more effective and efficient you will be with your time.

“Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent Return on Energy!”― Brian Tracy

Choose a day and time that you set aside to plan through the next week. For some people, it works well to do this on a Saturday morning. Others prefer Sunday evening. It doesn’t matter when it is, but set that time aside each week to plan.

The following are some lists that are helpful to make for the week ahead. This is part 1 of 2 posts, so make sure you check out the part 2 as well!

how to simply and effectively plan

Lists:

  • all the things
  • tasks
  • meal planning & grocery
  • remember today

All the things list

The all the things list is the same as what some people call a brain dump. I’ve never loved that term so I call it an all the things list. This list is for getting all of the to-do’s out of your head and onto paper.

List every task, project, or to-do you’ve been thinking about. This practice alone will help you mentally declutter and let go of trying to keep track of everything in your mind.

Task list

The task list is for all of the household work that needs to get done. Think through every task and then decide how frequently it should be done and then assign a day(s) on which to do them. As you are planning your week, reference this list and see which tasks you need to do and on what day(s).

For example, Tuesdays and Saturdays are for laundry. Vacuum on Mondays and Fridays and so on. Having assigned days that you do the same tasks each week helps make them easier to remember so that they actually get done.

As you are consistent with doing those tasks on the assigned days, they turn into habits. We don’t even think about brushing our teeth every night because it is a habit. If it is night time, I brush my teeth.

Similarly, if it is Tuesday, I do laundry. Creating habits helps you get a handle on your tasks as you create your own custom routine that works for you and your home.

Meal planning and grocery list

Include in your task list when you will go to the grocery store. Take a few minutes to plan your meals for the week and make a corresponding grocery list of the items needed.

Planning your meals and the grocery list saves so much time and stress during the week and (mostly) eliminates last-minute extra trips to the grocery store.

Remember today

Some days are just super busy. When you have a day coming up where you are balancing a lot of different things with various activities, spend a few minutes thinking through the day.

Include the places you need to go, people you need to contact, and anything you need to bring with you. This helps you to feel more in control of your busy day and is much more efficient than having to run back home multiple times for forgotten items.

Simply Scheduled

To help you learn how to simply and effectively plan your day, I created the Simply Scheduled Workbook. It has worksheets that go along with the lists mentioned above. Continue reading in part 2 to find out how to create routines and plan your schedule.

Use the Simply Scheduled Workbook to get a handle on all your to-do’s by creating routines, habits, and systems that work for you.

For more details and to order, go here: https://thesimplicityhabit.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1042352

Want to keep up to date on the latest Simplicity Habit information? Sign up below and also receive the Priorities Assessment worksheet to start decluttering your schedule!

Sharing is caring :)