This has got to be one of my favourite answers to how do I do it all. We’ve seen chores and systems. Let’s move onto planners!
Planners
Technically, planners could have been on the systems post but there is so much information I figured it deserved it’s own.
I am a lover of all things stationery. Paper, pens, stickers… the list goes on. To me nothing can compare to the feeling of writing things down on paper. On top of all of that I LOVE with a capital ‘L’ , Lists. And more than that, checking boxes!
Why I Started Using a Planner
For one thing I am an eclectic homeschooler which means I don’t use one particular curriculum for all subjects, I pick and choose according to my children’s needs. Because of this sometimes I would buy extra resources and forget about them. A planner reminds me of what I have and helps me utilize my resources. Also as a mother to a large family ,I have to remember everyone else’s stuff as well as my own and my brain can only hold so much. I used to write on paper but pieces of paper and sticky notes get lost… Insert planner here!
Making it Work For Me
Because I can be a perfectionist, when I finally took the plunge and got a planner with a schedule, I felt guilty when things didn’t get done at the time I put it next to. It would stress myself and my children out as we tried to ‘chase’ the time. So I made the switch to a planner that doesn’t have times. I would then either write things down as they were completed, or I would write ahead of time the things I would like to get done in a perfect day. This removes a lot of the pressure to just ‘check off the list’. Now I can focus on being with my children and being mum and not just a box checker.
My Current Planners
- Teacher planner: I set goals for what I want to do in school each month and break it into weekly, then daily goals. I use note paper to list subjects and resources so nothing gets forgotten. This year, I will also be using this planner to write my 7th graders grades. The planner is large so I will most likely end up using it as our homeschool and daily life planner.
- Personal Planner: Here is where I write doctors appointments, special dates, grocery lists, to do lists, chores etc… You will find a bit of everything including budgeting, books I am reading, lists of books I plan to read and more. (I am trying to read 100 books this year!)
- Work Planner: As a Christian doula, I not only want to attend my clients births, I also want to be taking the time out to pray for them. I write scriptures I want to pray for them, and write prayer points for them. I ask God for wisdom in the birthing room. In here I also write my doula packing list, books to read and courses to take so I am fresh. I even pen in time to WORSHIP! This helps me to stay focused before a birth.
- Faith Planner: I plan to eventually make my faith and work planner one. In here I write a scripture each day in the monthly view. In the daily view I write a prayer or notes from what I read in the Bible that day or what stood out to me from my devotional. I also use half note paper to write my prayer points for my clients. Which is why I think it will be a better use of my time to make them one. So once my work planner is finished in 6 months everything will be moved over!
Four Planners?
This is what works for me right now. I am finding ways to use less planners over time, but I will always use more than one because I love my faith planner and I need it to be separate from my other planners.
What The Word of God Says About Planning
Now you know I can’t leave this post without directing you back to God. For starters if you decide a planner is for you, may I suggest you add a Bible Reading plan, or perhaps you can pen in family or personal devotion time.
Each time God had His people build something He gave them the plans.
Therefore, before I make plans I consult the Lord. “What should I do Father? Direct my steps.” I then take the time to write them down.
Luke 14:28 says “ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.”
As we build our homes, our homeschools, and marriages, let us take time to think ahead and plan, and count the cost.
