In order to wrap up my last few posts about having a solid weekly plan, we’ve come to the place where we can put all the pieces together in a way that really helps. After you learn the benefits of a planning routine, tools to use, the basics for actually planning out your week and a tip to declutter your brain, the last piece of the planning puzzle is putting it all together in a way that works for you. You can find links to all my planning posts below.
Priorities and Goals
After you know what your week looks like with all the routine items and appointments you should then have an idea of how much time you have left for all the other things that need to be accomplished. Once you figure out what your priorities are, you can be much more strategic in sorting out your to do list. Recognizing that everything on your to do list can’t be a priority, is a really big step in helping you to be more productive, feel more organized, and alleviate some stress. The priorities are the few things that are the most important, most needed, most personal, or just need to get done, and you are the driver of what these items are, and usually, you are also the one that has the most to gain by getting them done.
Another thing that helps set the tone for the week is to set some goals, or intentions. This is something I do every Monday morning. In fact, I find it so valuable that it is a recurring item on my Monday to do list. To set your goals or intentions you can visualize what things need to happen this week that will make you pat yourself on the back when the weekend rolls around? And again, don’t set yourself up for disappointment, try to be realistic. If one of your goals is to get your steps in every day, put a walk into your calendar each day – make that appointment with yourself.
Solidify Your Plan
The last part of planning is to solidify it by putting it in a format that you can work with. Use your calendar to record appointments or timely tasks, write a to do list that you can refer back to all week, or even post sticky notes on your fridge with all of your priorities for the week. You are the one that will determine the format that works for you. You can have the greatest system in the world…but if you don’t use it, or if it is not intuitive, it’s still not going to work.
Weekly planning is a really good tool that you can use to add balance, help you feel more organized, more productive, and also help with time management. For me my weekly planning keeps me grounded and helps me with my focus. When my mind goes wandering, I can regroup, look at my plan and get myself back on track. Happy Planning!
Check out these other posts about creating a weekly planning routine:
The Benefits of Having a Planning Routine
My Favorite Tools for Weekly Planning and To Do Lists