I’m often asked how I plan out my days to balance work, home, life, and creativity and, over the years, I’ve written posts about what I’m doing in that particular season of life.  As I grow (and yes, age) and as my business evolves, so does the way I plan my days.  There were many years I operated by the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants method.  I had two small kids, my business had grown exponentially, and I was just trying to keep it all going.  That method and pace were unsustainable, though, and I felt the need to make a substantial change when I moved to Minnesota in 2017.  I decided to stop refinishing and upholstering furniture as the primary part of my business and shifted my focus to sharing about our home renovations, fine art, and writing.

This shift gave me more time to think, plan, and approach my business and life with more intention.  My first official creative retreat in 2018 was the kick-off for the way I currently plan my days.  I had time to read, think about the future, ponder questions, and make some decisions about how I wanted my work to feel.  I no longer wanted to feel chronically behind as I tried to conquer a massive to-do list.  I needed to find a better way.  So, I changed my approach and created my own daily & weekly planning sheets based on what I learned during that retreat.  I needed to focus on “the big three” each day so I could spend my time on the highest priorities and there would be a clear ending to my workday.  I also included a space to note what I was reading, what I had learned, and what my win was for the day.  I printed the sheets, put them in a binder, and included a section for notes.

The upside to the planning sheets is that I could make them just what I wanted them to be.  My days typically aren’t calendar-driven, but task/project-driven, so I don’t need a place to plan out every hour.  I also keep appointments on my computer calendar so I get pop-up reminders and can schedule recurring events, so I don’t need a full paper calendar.  The downside is I had to print up the sheets and put them in a binder.  It was all a little clunky.

Last year, I was introduced to the Full Focus Planner and it really is perfect for me.  It does have extra things that I don’t use, but it has all of the elements I liked best about my planning sheets – the big three, daily wins, lots of notes sections, and isn’t overly focused on dates and times.  It’s smaller, more compact, easier to carry with me when needed, takes up less space on my desk, and I don’t have to print it myself.  You can order one from Amazon and, if you like it, can subscribe directly on their website to receive a year of planners at a time for a discount.

Most of my daily big three entries look the same.  Four days a week, the first thing is writing a blog post.  The other two are typically painting, working on my book, and/or doing a project around the house.  In the “other tasks” section, I’ll add in smaller things like paying bills, reconciling my bank accounts in Quickbooks, returning an e-mail or phone call, and little things that need to be done around the house.  I try to keep that list to shorter tasks, so the big three doesn’t turn into a lengthy, overwhelming list.  I really make my best effort to only list the top three things that need to be accomplished that day.  I am on top of things instead of feeling like they are on top of me.  And, when all three things are checked, the rest of the day can be used at my discretion.

Of course, not every day is like that.  I started blogging only four days each week, so I can have days that are a bit more open to work on projects or to spend large chunks of time on creative projects I might not post about right away.

Even with a planner, setting goals, and working on my “dailies”, things still get pushed back, I still procrastinate, and I still miss things.  I don’t expect my quest for balance to ever come to an end, but I do expect to structure my days so I can minimize overwhelm and do my work from a joyful place.  Having the best planner for me isn’t the key to that but a tool that helps me get there.

In addition to my planner, the other notebook that is always sitting on my desk is a Wanderings leather refillable notebook.  I use this to collect quotes, thoughts, and notes about things I’ve read.  This notebook isn’t about planning my day or taking notes for meetings, but it is something I use and reference throughout the day.  I try to restrict meeting notes and thoughts related to planning, goals, and tasks in the planner.

I think systems for organizing are highly personal, so what keeps me on track and makes sense for the way my brain works, might not work for you.  Given that I work for myself, from home, doing a wide variety of things, means that my day likely won’t look like a typical work day for someone who heads to a more traditional job!  In all of the planners and notebooks, we need to make sure we’re extending the most important thing of all to ourselves – grace.  We don’t have to get it right every day.  We just keep moving forward, learning, correcting, adjusting, and growing…