I don’t have time to make my calendar look pretty with washi tape. I don’t have time for multiple systems….I need to see my stuff all in the one place. For so many years I invested in expensive Daytimers – you know those 2 pages to a day ones. Some days (even weeks!) I wouldn’t even look at it because it was sitting in my office, not in a highly visible space. I would write up my to do lists only to find myself having to re-write them because there was so much on them and I would have to carry items over for another day. Life was overwhelming me and I felt like I was busy being busy all the time but never actually getting through all the things I had to do – I was literally chasing my tail.
What I was doing was over complicating everything. What I found is that it’s all about keeping it simple. My system for staying organised is pretty simple….and as a solo mum running multiple businesses and a household it certainly has to be.
My tool of choice is a simple wall calendar with columns for Ruby, and myself as well as one for events such as birthdays or public holidays and even columns for my businesses. This calendar sits on the wall in our mudroom. Every Sunday I review what I have coming up for the week and transfer it with more detail to the large magnetic weekly calendar on the front of my fridge.
The magnetic calendar on my fridge front has been the simplest but best part of the system. You see every time I go to the fridge I glance at it and can see exactly what I have going on. I plan out the meals for the week, note any bills coming up. I think ahead but I live in the week I am in and that seems to have taken a lot of the overwhelm away from me.
Thanks to our Google system spread throughout the house, I keep my shopping list updated by just a simple “hey Google” and adding items as I am in the kitchen cooking. Then when I get to the shops, I pull up my list and tick those puppies off! I also signed up for Google Workspace which has really elevated the whole way I work and live. That is a WHOLE post in itself!
My long term plan when we get our new house is to have a monitor in the kitchen that displays our Google calendar so I can take out the process of transferring to the weekly calendar which will save even more time.
It’s all about making life easier so we can actually spend time living life.
What planning systems do you keep to ensure you stay on track? Comment below and share your ideas.
Have fun!
