CONFESSION: I used to not be good at planning. At all. Honestly, I wouldn’t say I liked it.
It took too much time, and I thought it would happen if I loved or wanted something. (SPOILER: Even if you love or want something, you have to make a plan.)
Thank God for growth.
I now understand that if I do not plan, I pay for it with time, energy, and attention being spread thin.
Planning is my lifeline between managing our home, cooking meals, and ensuring everyone has what they need for their day. Since I run a business where I am the face and our main product is online content, I must also have a plan at work.
Whenever I plan and avoid doing work in real-time, my productivity goes through the roof.
Here’s the thing, though, more than the plan is needed.
The plan only ever has value when it is executed.
That’s it.
That is the only time that planning ever matters – if it allows you to get work done and work done well. As a mom, I have moments where I swear I will remember something because it is so important, and it just isn’t true. I won’t remember to plan and do it unless I write it down.
In August, the lax nature of summer starts to slow down as the kids get back to school. Structure is necessary to get back to routines – no matter how spontaneous you claim to be. Planning positions you to prepare; when you are prepared, you are less likely to be stressed, overwhelmed, or caught off guard.
We aim to be perfect when we need to be prepared. Preparation is never time lost.
Preparation positions us to prosper. And to prosper in everyday life, it’s a non-negotiable.
Preparing for every day is tedious yet necessary work. When we identify what matters to us in a season, we can prepare for it accordingly and do work (even if boring) that matters daily.
Words mean things, and I want to differentiate between planning and preparing.
Planning is thinking about the activities required to achieve a desired goal.
Preparing is the action or process of making ready in advance.
Planning is getting clear.
Preparing is getting ready.
There is no need to talk about one without the other.
With summer break wrapping up, let’s rest and lean into a much-needed self-care routine. As I said in Everyday MAGIC, self-care is discipline, and we should take it seriously often.
While society often presents self-care as frivolous and indulgent, stopping and intimately focusing on ourselves can be challenging. Besides manicures and massages, you should plan for self-care appointments like therapy, a hike outdoors, or even getting adjusted by your chiropractor.
That’s right – going to the doctor is self-care.
Planning the bi-annual and annual appointments we need before the end of the year is here is a must. Both your self-care and health depend on it. Planning self-care can also be as simple as planning to take a bubble bath after a long day. The plan – yes, simply writing it in your calendar or to-do list makes it more likely to happen.
Self-care requires planning, commitment, and discipline. Lean into it.
As a grown-up, you know the other thing I’ve learned: time with friends must be planned for it to happen. Spending time with friends is essential (said the textbook extrovert), and it’s so necessary that it should be planned ahead of time.
Many of my friends are in a similar season – they are moms with small children – so the luxury of spontaneously getting together is beyond us.
However, as much as I love my family, I love spending time with my girlfriends to catch up, laugh and enjoy each other outside of our responsibilities as moms, wives, and professionals.
I’ve been trying to reach out to friends and schedule “friend dates” weeks to months in advance.
While it would be nice to see a friend next week, the reality is both of our schedules are demanding, so the date a month or so from now will have to do.
For instance, it has been over a month since I last saw my best friend. We live 20 minutes away from one another. But if you don’t plan it, it won’t happen. We finally put each other on our calendars and will see each other tomorrow. (Only because it’s in Google Calendar.)
Speaking of Google Calendar, I must admit that I have underutilized mine.
Some weeks, I write my plans down in a physical planner; other weeks, I write them in my Google calendar. The solution was I had to match both of them up.
Why?
My personal and professional lives blur lines since I’m married to and work with my husband. Also, because someone on my team usually assists with booking my calls and travel, I have to stay on top of it, or else I end up double-booking myself, which is never fun.
However, the way my brain works, I need both a physical and digital planner. It’s about deciding what’s best for you.
That’s why I’m taking it back to something Mom used to tell me to do: pull my clothes for the night before.
I’m serious.
I’m planning my outfits for the week to avoid real-time decision-making. I already do it for the kids, so I could add myself to the lineup. Planning and preparing takes about an hour or so, but the rest of the week is a breeze.
Finding a classic piece you can wear multiple ways, like a great pair of khaki shorts, is always a win. You can dress them up or down and get so many different looks. I consider them a go-to summer staple and have worn them all the ways this season.
I wear a handful of items from my closet almost all the time. Hence, planning outfits ends up being simpler than I expected. There are nine wardrobe staples in my closet that I wear all the time. You may have them in your closet too. They make the simplest yet cutest outfits. It’s all about giving yourself options.
At home, there are so many things I want to do. I want to put up a gallery wall on the stairway. I’ve tried to do it for a while, but why is it finally getting done? (Wait for it.) I planned it. And while I am far from a DIY gal, putting up this gallery wall was well worth the effort. (And easier than it looks, I swear.)
When I finally got that project done, I realized – why have I yet to plan for all the home projects I want to do? And that is how I came up with a home project bucket list.
It’s a plan of everything I want to do in each room. Decorating, renovation, furniture purchases – I put everything on that list.
Instead of relying on the vision in my head (which changes every time I see a room transformation on Instagram or TikTok), I have a written plan that helps me budget and prepare to execute my home decor goals. Plus, it’s just fun.
We can’t talk about planning without getting into meal planning. Meal planning and meal prepping for your family are very different yet vital parts of everyday life. I used to think they were the same, which set me up for a while. Again, planning is what to do, and preparing is what you need.
Think menu vs. ingredients. Both are necessary for meals, but they are very different. My meal plan for my family is based on our schedule and the season.
I also plan our meals with the EATS framework (entree, appetizer, treat & sustenance) in mind. How I prep meals for my family depends on a few things, like who’s cooking and what we had the week before. But no matter how often I feed my family (every day!) I need a meal plan to avoid being overwhelmed when it’s time to prepare dinner.
This month’s major item on my list is finding a dermatologist. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’ve never had a dermatologist.
Next year, I turn 40 and want to ensure I’m taking great care of my skin. Getting consistent facials and prioritizing my skin health is part of the plan. I Googled the best dermatologists near me and reached out. In two weeks, I have my first appointment.
I recently also made a few tweaks to my nighttime skincare routine that have made a noticeable difference in my skin. Simply writing down your routine can help you get used to doing it. Use whatever works for you, whether a post-it on the mirror or writing it in your Notes app. Just have a plan – yes, even for your skincare routine.
Because the girls return to school in a couple of weeks, we’re getting in one more weekend family trip. You know what you must always plan for no matter what? A road trip with the kids.
You must anticipate the needs and wants of the kids as you drive for a few hours. And my goal is always peace and comfort so Chris can drive undistracted.
Easier said than done, but a plan always makes it possible. Planning for travel with kids can be stressful when you’re unprepared, but making a packing list and plan does more than you think. It’s all about being ready.
And on those sunny days when my schedule is light, I plan on taking them to the neighborhood pool before it closes for the season. Having a well-packed pool bag with everything I need for the family makes it a fun activity for them (and me).
Being ready for the new school year is essential for the kids – and the parents.
With the girls attending a new school, I plan on cultivating genuine relationships with their teachers and the staff. With three school-age kids, being intentional with how we communicate and contribute to their teachers is so important.
Even noting teachers’ personal preferences and how we can speak to them makes a difference in the school year. Because our kids are typically at school more than us during the week, I believe my kids’ school year is a collaboration with their teachers. And I aim to be a team player.
While it may seem daunting, back-to-school shopping can be strategic – you can save money, earn points on a credit card or even earn for your kids’ school. Following some small but simple tips helps me do that this time of year. But only when I make a plan.
And yeah, that’s the thing about planning – it’s a lot of decision-making. While decision-making is a lot, I think what is sucking our energy is making small ass decisions in real-time. (You can’t tell me it’s a coincidence that small-ass decisions’ initials are SAD.)
Whenever you can make decisions ahead of time – tiny ones that you know inevitably need to be made – like what you’re going to wear and eat that day, you get your time and peace of mind back.
