What to do when your week gets away from you.
Monday morning dawns, and you're excited to get going. Kids are off to school, you're finally in the zone, and nothing is going to get in your way. Until something does.
Be it a child who has forgotten a permission slip, a spouse who needs you to get one piece of information to them right away, or a text on your phone, and before you know it it's Friday and you still aren't through with Monday's To Do list.
Add in the extra days off school (that never come at a good time), your spouse taking a day off, and life in general, and nothing ever seems to go as smoothly as you had hoped. And it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. It's just life.
Most planners don't work for me. They're too rigid.
That's one reason I have resisted specific planners for so long. Anything dated, anything with specific time slots, and anything that's going to make me feel like time is slipping away is an automatic "No" for me. I need something that will help me make a general plan, but not be so rigid.
Because life isn't rigid. It's messy, and if there isn't a place to scribble down that phone number or a blank spot for random information, it's not for me.
I don't have energy to waste on feeling guilty that I didn't use the planner correctly. To be perfectly honest, my favorite "planner" is a 4"x6" spiral bound notebook (spiral has to be on the side) because there are no expectations. Just freedom to use it any way I need to at that moment.
So let's create a weekly plan instead.
And while I won't be trading in my trusty spiral notebook for random ideas, information, and notes, I've been feeling like I could benefit from a weekly overview--a plan that's flexible, recyclable after the week's over, and will help me not get lost in the weeds. Because I tend to do that too.
I started by creating a weekly calendar that allows me the freedom to use it as I see fit while giving me an overview of the week ahead. A weekly plan to keep the most important things top of mind so I don't get bogged down by the things that pop into my life.
How the weekly plan works.
With a spot to write in the date and determine the top 3 priorities for the week at the top, it starts by being perfect for ANY week, not the week of January 15th (or whatever week you may have missed). You start by lining out what's most important so it's not necessarily attached to a day of the week.
Moving down, there's an open block for each day of the week. It's open so you can use it however makes most sense to YOU. Want to use Sunday for jotting down a confirmation number or a restaurant recommendation? Do it.
There's also a list area, because I love lists. With check boxes. (Is it even worth making a list if you don't get to check it off when you're done?) These items should directly relate to your priorities for the week so you're keeping on track. You may not be able to do everything in a week, but three is a manageable number to work on.
Keep your week on track no matter what comes up.
By having those Top 3 priorities at the top, you'll be able to keep them in mind, build your To Do list with things that will help you accomplish them, and see visually where you can plug them into your week.
It's beautifully simple and has been working really well for me. So well that I wanted to share it with you. It's a letter-sized printable designed to make your week a little more organized while taking into account that life is messy.
