Plan Your Life in 5 Minutes | I’m a planner. I love the idea of carefree spontaneity, but practicing it as a mindset does not work for me. Give me a schedule, timeline, or detailed itinerary, and I am all over it. Planning isn’t obsessive for me, it’s just nice to know what’s happening!
With a crazy life and big plans, I’ve found two huge benefits to keeping a weekly planner:
Goal Setting
First –goal setting is a huge part of my life. I’m deeply passionate about intentional living and purposefully creating a life you love — which isn’t something that happens by accident. Planning ahead allows me to actually smash my goals. I explain my whole method here, but in short, each large goal is broken down further and further into action steps.
Because of this, planning allows me to schedule each step. I’m never unsure of my progress, and it’s pretty hard for me not to hit a goal.
Scheduling
Okay, I know this is the obvious function of planning. But running the blog means writing, editing, publishing, and marketing every post on my own — in addition to which I work 2 other part time jobs. I’m in a serious relationship, talk to my family all the time, and make a point to spend time with my friends every week.
All that to say: I have a lot going on. And since I started using this planning system, I haven’t double-booked, over-committed, or lost track of it all even once.
Over the last five years, I’ve tried what feels like every planner on the market. Printables, online orders, Fringe, Indigo, The Happy Planner, etc. While many of them were pretty, detailed, or had some good thoughts, none of them worked.
The systems weren’t functional. The boxes were too small. Or, worst of all, the task of filling the planner out became so time-consuming that it caused more chaos than it saved.
But finally, I have a system that works. A planner I love. And it takes me a mere 5 minutes maximum to set up my planner for the week. If your life could use a little more structure, or you’re just looking to keep track of things more — keep reading to find out how to plan your life in just 5 minutes a day.
How to Plan Your Life in 5 Minutes
For this planning system, you need 3 components in a planner. A to-do list, a calendar, and a space to track your progress (for work, goals, habits, etc).
Honestly, you could totally use this method without purchasing a planner, but I personally find that the hard copy is really helpful for me. but I’m using and highly recommend this STIL 18-month planner. (This isn’t sponsored, I’m not even an affiliate — it’s just by far the best planner I’ve used!)
Plan Your Life Every Month
At the start of every month, I take some time to sit down, fill out this section with goals, rituals, and budgeting plans for the next month. What do you want to accomplish, change, or start doing in the next 30 days? Where do you need to be for long-term goals?
Pick one day at the start of the month to mark off any important dates, deadlines, or travel plans, and most importantly, get excited about all you’re going to accomplish in the next month. It’s actually really exciting & motivating to do this, and it’ll give you a jump start on your to-do list.
This takes max 10 minutes, and is the longest part of my planning strategy.
Plan Your Life Every Week
On a more regular basis, select one day every week to fill out the planner & get all set up. Personally, I’ve found Sunday to be my favourite day for this, it gets me in a good headspace and I’m excited to jump into work the next day.
Again, this is a 5-minute process, so it’s very low commitment!
Each week, fill out the calendar section with the time blocks you know are going to take up some of your day. [INSERT PICS]
Next, add whatever else is on your to-do list. Work stuff, errands, soccer practice, playdates — you have a full view of your week and all the time in it. Spread out tasks so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. Make sure to actually plan & schedule in time to take a break, rest day, or weekend. Trust me, I get how hard it is to actually follow through on, but stick to it. Self-care is the only way you’ll be able to maintain productivity and accomplish goals.
Write down any other weekly goals (ex. finish a book, call Grandma, check in with a friend) and set reminders on your phone for those specific goals. Don’t overcomplicate it — stick with what you need to get done, what you most want to get done, and if you want, create a separate section for what you’d love to get down, should life allow it.
AAAANNDDD….. you’re done!
It’s ridiculously simple, easy to stick to, and can be adjusted to your needs and lifestyle. It might take you a couple weeks to fully get the hang of it, but honestly it’s just going to make your life so much more organized.
Planning your life & abiding by a schedule can feel like a lot, so give yourself grace to change your plans, adjust some things, and figure it out as you go along. It’s your life, and it’s up to you to make it something you love.
What are your planning systems, hacks or tips? I’d love to know — leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram & fill me in!
