3 Things You Need In You Planner

Simply owning and even using a planner doesn’t automatically make you more organized and productive.

It would be awesome if it did, but how you use a planner and what you put in it are even more important.

Now, exactly what that is, is going to look different for each person because we are not all the same obviously.

But there are some basics that every person should include in some way or another that will turn their planner into the powerful tool it can be.

1-Master, monthly, weekly and daily todo lists

You use your planner to plan your days so it only makes sense that the todo lists you choose your tasks from, be inside. Its a lot easier to track, manage and refer to your various todo lists when they are only the flip of a page away from where you are planning your day.

2-Goal planning and scheduled tasks

Want to know a secret to achieving your goals? Keep your goal planning inside your planner! This was game changer for me because it kept me super focused on my goals. Before I would often set and forget but now the goal plan and the tasks I have identified are right at my fingertips and in front of my eyes on a daily basis, with no extra effort from me.

I know what you are going to say, where the heck do you find a planner that has space for this?!

I get it, I never was able so I created my own! The Life Book planner is a complete goal planner and day planner in one, with built in features for all your todo lists, habit tracking, meal and exercise planning and of course goal planning and more! Learn more about it here.

Or take it for a free test drive here with the free one month printable version.

3-A clear daily plan (not just a to-do list!)

A todo list is not a complete plan. You planner needs more then your appointments, meetings or to do list. A plan is a layout of all the things you have going on in your day, from school drop offs, to meals you are cooking, to business meetings, to tasks you are doing.

Now, I strongly feel that you don’t need to create a plan that MUST be followed to the letter or that doesn’t allow for freedom and flexibility. But in order to be able to accomplish what you desire, you need a clear idea of all the things going on in your world.

I also DO NOT recommend planning your day down to the minute; buffer time for transitions, rest and interruptions is very important.

But do create a plan with all the things happening and the things you would like to accomplish so you have order and direction as your day going on.

There are other things that are super useful to have inside your planner, of course, but I think these 3 are some of the most important, if less obvious ones.

Don’t be afraid to personalize or modify your planner to suit your specific needs, personality and life!

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

The Planning Mistakes That Are Making Your Life Harder.

planning mistakes. save time and energy. — Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

The more you plan, the more time you save in execution.

And yet a lot of us still avoid planning because it feels too restrictive or because we think we can do it well inside our heads.

Except both of those are simply not true.

The time I have spent planning in advance has saved me so much time, so many headaches and energy that I can’t even convey it into words.

With 3 kids, a full time job (shift work!), a business, a role in my husbands business, a hobby farm and a home, I would be a serious HOT MESS if I didn’t take time to plan out my days, months and year inside my planner.

(I use the Life Book; a planner I created myself because I just couldn’t find one that worked for the ambitious, heart centred mom with a full life. Go here to learn more. Or here to take it for a free test drive.)

So the first mistake people make is not planning at all. If you don’t take time to plan out your time, projects or goals I can guarantee you, sh*t will often not go well.

Read on for 3 more common planning mistakes.

1- You are all over the place

Something I often see people do is use separate planners for work and personal life. I’ve even heard of people using 4 or 5 different planners to organize and manage their lives. Holy heck….I can only imagine how much time they have to spend flipping back and forth from one planner to the other before they can plan anything, or how often they double book or forget things.

Get ONE planner and organize your schedule for ALL THE THINGS in it. Of course you might have separate calendar where you plan content or business projects in detail but your time should be managed in one place. The only way to really have clarity on how much time you have and what you have going on, is to be able to see it clearly all in once space.

(The Life Book is a great planner to be able to do this as I literally designed it to be able to organize and manage all areas of my life. I call it my personal assistant, because its almost as good as one. You can learn more here. Or you can test it for free here)

2- Buffer time

You are not a machine and even the best made plans don’t always go according to plan. You need to make sure your day is not scheduled down to the minute. Its a sure fire way to burnout and get super frustrated that things never go according to plan.

Interruptions happen.

Your brain needs breaks.

Its takes time to transition from one task to the other.

Schedule in buffer time to account for these things. It really depends on a lot of variables but roughly, allow for 10-20% of your time to be buffer time.

3- A plan you can stick to

A day scheduled down to the minute is one example, but there are a lot of ways we create plans that if we are being honest, are simply not going to happen.

Personally, I know not to schedule pretty much anything after 5pm. Once the kids are home, its supper, bath and bedtime and by 8pm, my brain is toast. I am simply not a night or even an evening person so I can plan to do all sorts of things after the kids go to bed all I want, but I know from experience its not happening.

So consider your personality, responsibilities, constraints, like and dislikes before creating a plan so you make sure its one you will actually stick with.

Do you do any of these?

Whether you do one or all of them, thats actually good news because it means there are some pretty simple things you can do to save some time and make life easier!

And who doesn’t want that?!

Jennifer

Organized Owl

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

Should You Rest or Push Through

There is a difference between just not feeling like it, and not feeling like it because you need to rest.

I think knowing the difference can get easier over time but if you’ve always done one or the other, the answer might not be so obvious.

So here are 5 questions to ask yourself to help you figure out if what you need is a kick in the butt, or a break.

Is my health suffering?

Physical, mental, emotional; If any of these areas have been suffering lately because of the amount of work or things you are doing, its a big red flag that you need to rest.

Feeling overly emotional, super impatient, easily triggered, or struggling with mental clarity, fatigue or low energy are signs you might need a rest.

Conversely, is your health suffering because you haven’t been pushing through? Maybe its the workout, healthy meal or therapy session you need to follow through on because otherwise, your state of health isn’t going to get any better.

Have I already done a lot?

Have you already done an extra full days work or is it 9:30am and you just have what my husband calls the f*ck-its?

(Its important to note that if you are someone who typically prioritizes work and productivity and struggles to slow down, simply not feeling like it may be your brains way of saying its needs a rest from work.)

Have I been denying myself rest or self care?

My type A, Generators, Enneagram 1s, Upholders….I am talking to you. (and yes, to myself). Hustle culture is actually making us less productive! If you don’t prioritize rest or self care on a daily basis, what you need is a break!

What is the consequence of not doing this task now?

Its possible that you really do need a break. But this is the real world and its also possible that you just have to get this thing done. So weight out the consequences of both options and see which one you can live with.

Are we talking burning out in order to post for the 3rd time on IG? Or getting an hour less sleep to finish an important project?

Is it possible to reschedule these things without any major problems?

I said major problems. There might be some inconveniences but when you truly need a break, its your health thats on the line so make sure that you are not putting everyone else need above your own.

And yes, I am talking to myself there again.

The easiest was to be able to have the flexibility to reschedule when necessary is to make sure you are managing your life and time in a planner. The Life Book planner was created for the busy entrepreneur with a full life and lots go goals. Complete day planner and goal planner in one it will keep you organized, on track and productive. Go here to learn more!

You can also test it out for free here!

Ultimately, people often struggle with one or the other. If you find yourself rarely taking a break, then not feeling like it is probably a sign to do so. On the flip side, if you often find yourself making excuses to quit, stop or give up, some extra accountability might be good for you.

We usually know which one we are.

That being said, both situations can arise and its helpful to have some questions to ask ourselves to help figure out the best course of action!

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

How To Find More Time

How many times have you said to yourself that there are just not enough hours in the day?

I mean, you have all these dreams and goals but no time to work on them, right?

Start a business.

Try a new hobby.

Spend more time with family and friends.

Travel more.

Not to mention all of life’s everyday responsibilities.

Take care of the kids.

Clean the house.

Do the laundry.

Get groceries.

There are only 24 hours in a day, you can’t change that and if you are being smart, you are not sacrificing sleep for doing.

So how to do find more time to be able to do all, or at least some, of these things?

Well, there are 2 things you can do.

Identify what is wasting time and deal with it.

Most of us waste quite a bit of time and we don’t even realize it. A large part of what we do during the day is habitual, which doesn’t mean its necessarily productive. We can habitually waste a lot of time!

Spend a few days keeping a time journal. Set an alarm every hour if need be so you take notes as you go, otherwise you are likely going to forget what you actually spent your time doing.

Chances you are going to surprised by how much time you spend doing things you don’t need to be doing. #scrolling.

Once you have identified the things or periods of the day that are wasting your time, stop the activity, deal with the distraction or find a way to be intentional with that time.

Create organization and systems

Think about the things you do that take a lot of time, or even just more time then they should.

Chances are, there is a way you could structure these tasks so that they take less time. The goal is to work smarter, not harder, so simply trying to work faster is not the solution here.

That is a recipe for burnout. Instead, look at how you go about these tasks and see what you can:

Condense (shorten or remove steps)
Remove
Automate
Delegate

The systems I use are the secret to how much I can get done, without working harder and I can’t stress this enough. Great systems will give you more time, flexibility and freedom!

One of the most important ones is the planner system I use. The combination of my paper planner, a couple of apps and a small purse calendar, are the foundation of my organized and productive life. (note I didn’t say perfect!)

This is the planner I use; The Life Book planner is a complete goal planner and day planner in one and allows me to organize all the moving parts of my life in one spot. SOOO much easier to manage!

You can test it out for free here!

I hope you find these tips helpful, just keep in mind that whatever you do, small changes are much more likely to stick so don’t try to overhaul your life overnight!

If you implement these things, you WILL find more time!

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

Easy Habits That Keep You More Organized

Implementing new habits can seem like such a big endeavour sometimes because, lets be honest, they require a certain amount of time, planning and preparation.

So its always fun to learn about little habits that you can start right away with little to none of that AND that have a big impact.

So here are 3 easy habits to keep you organized you can start doing today to help you stay more organized, both physically and mentally.

Do it now.

If it takes less than 1 minute, do it right away. Hang the shirt back up, wipe down the counter, add the link to your post. Its the little things you leave all day long that add up to lots of clutter and tasks that don’t get done.

Never leave a room empty handed.

Every time you leave a room, look around and see if there is something you can put away on your way to where you are going. I didn’t even realize not everyone does this until I moved in with my husband! I watched my mom do this all my life and I picked up on it and do it too. Its also the reason why my home is generally tidy and uncluttered. This one might take a little more thought to implement, but its super easy to do because you’re already getting up!

Write it down in the moment.

The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we will remember something later. Unfortunately, we often think of things when we are in the middle of something else, so whenever that happens, take 15 seconds to write it in your planner or create a note/reminder on your phone. Relying on your memory is not a good strategy, but I’m guessing you probably already know this.

The best place to write these reminders down is in your planner, so if you are not using one, start now! I personally thing that paper works better (and well, to be honest, science has shown paper works best) but if you are a digital person through and through, then do whats best for you. I created the Life Book planner for the ambitious entrepreneur with big dreams and a full life, just like you, so I know you’ll love it. To find out more head on over here.

Or, test out the free mini one month version here first.

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

How To Have Killer Focus

The key to getting things done quickly and efficiently so you have more time for whatever you please, is being able to prioritize the right tasks and having strong focus while you do them.

The problem is that a lot of us struggle to focus well.

A lot of things can get in the way of great focus however, so here are my top recommendations on how to dial in killer focus:

Deal with distractions.

This one seems pretty obvious, however most of us don’t actually deal with our distractions and simply try to ignore them…which would have worked already if it was ever going to. Be honest with yourself about what yours truly are and remove yourself or the distraction.

Get it down on paper.

Tasks, reminders, things that are stressing you, etc. Get everything swirling around in your mind, down onto paper. It’s practically impossible to truly focus when you are trying to manage things in your mind.

Stop multitasking.

You can’t actually multitask. Trying to do 2 things that require focus takes longer than doing them one after the other because your brain is wasting precious time and energy re-focusing on one task then the other.

Get clarity.

The more clear it is exactly what you have to do, the easier it is to focus on it. Make a plan with clear actions steps or do some research so you know exactly what to do in order to complete tasks that feel vague.

Also, make sure to plan out your days. Wondering what you need to do next is another distraction. Use a planner, paper ultimately works best for your brain but if you prefer digital, do that. I use my own planner that I created precisely to keep me organized and focused on my goals. Complete day planner and goal planner in one, The Life Book planner has had the biggest impact on making progress on my goals the past few years. You can learn more about it here.

Or, you can give it a test drive with the free 1 month printable version here. Just keep in mind the mini version doesn’t have all the features the full size Life Book does.

Prioritize your health.

You can’t focus well if you are tired, stressed or unhealthy. Laser sharp focus starts with a healthy body and mind. In fact, this should probably be number 1 because if you are unhealthy the other points are going to have very limited effect.

Whatever you do, just make sure you don’t try to fix all of these things as once. Bonus tip: Spreading yourself too thin makes it hard to really focus on any one thing. The more things you’ve got going on, the smaller the progress on each one.

This goes for goals, problems you are trying to solve, new habits or things you’ve got going on in your life.

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

How To Have More Flexibility and Freedom In Your Life

Most of us want more freedom in our lives.

To be able to schedule out days the way we want, to able to do things the way we want, when we want.

Heck, if you’re an entrepreneur its probably one of the main reasons you decided to open your business.

Because of this desire for freedom and flexibility we often shy away from things that we think are only going to force us to be more rigid and structured.

This tends to include anything that has to do with organization and productivity because the belief is that any system designed to make us more organized and productive dictates how we spend all our time and must be followed precisely everyday to work, thereby taking away the freedom and flexibility we desire.

But its actually the opposite.

Its these very things that allow us to have the freedom and flexibility we want.

Imagine 2 people who have the exact same work load. One is super organized and knows how to work efficiently.

The other is a hot mess who struggles to manage their time and rarely gets things done quickly.

The first, using the organizational systems they have, gets to work and is done by noon. They decide to tackle a bit of tomorrows work and then quit for the day at 2pm.

The other has to work into the evening and still doesn’t finish everything that needed to get done. Which means that tomorrow before even starting whats scheduled to be done, they will have to finish today’s work first.

Which one of those people has more freedom do you think?

Its not hard to see that its the first one.

Lets continue the hypothetical situation:

The next day, person number 1 gets a call from a friend who invites them to go shopping and out for lunch. Since they already got some of their work done the day before and because they have a great morning routine that lets them get started on their day early, by the time they get the call, they already have their work for the day done. Woo hoo, impromptu friend date!

Person number 2 gets this call but the lets it go to voice mail because they are frantically trying to figure out how they are going to play catch up. They struggle through a few hours of work and finally listen to their messages. Even if they wanted to ditch work and go, its already 1 pm and lunch is over, not to mention the friend found someone else to go with.

I think we all aspire to be person number 1.

Of course, in the real world, there will still be days you have a too much to do to play hooky and moments when your mind and body just won’t allow you to be all that productive. We are humans after all.

But imagine the life you could be leading if you would embrace organization, systems and great time management skills? The best systems are ones that are personalized to suit your unique life and personality so this won’t look the same for every person.

Some people will benefit greatly from an early morning routine and some won’t, some will be super productive with time blocking and others won’t.

One thing that most people will benefit from however, is a planner. Personally I believe a paper planner to be more effective but if digital is your thing, then do it. If you don’t have a planner, The Life Book is a great option for ambitious woman with a full life and big dreams. You can learn more about it here.

You can also test it out for free here.

So I hope, if you have resisted organization and productivity systems so far, that I have at least convinced you to do more research. Test out some things and see what impact they have on your life.

Freedom is right around the next well planned out day.

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

5 Habits That No One Talks About That Make You More Productive

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

You probably have heard about a lot of productivity habits that help you to get more done. Ways to manage your time and be organized that help you to work smarter so that you can be productive without burning yourself out.

But there are also some seemingly unrelated habits that have a big impact on your productivity and they don’t have anything to do with time management.

Self centering habits like meditating or journaling

Anything that calms your nervous system, reduces anxiety and helps you to process your thoughts, will aid you to be more productive on a daily basis.

Exercise

Energy begets energy. Daily movement will boost your energy and ability to concentrate.

Cooking

This one may seem weird but hear me out; Cooking is actually the most common habit you see among people who are the healthiest. Not exercise, but cooking. When you cook your own meals you have control over the quality of your food which means you are likely to be healthier and have more energy. That translates into increased cognition and that means you get more done in less time.

Reading

Again, this one may seem strange but reading is like exercise for the brain so it helps with cognition on a long term basis. Plus, all the information you take in is inevitably going to help you along the way to make smarter decisions and work more efficiently.

Socializing (with the right people)

This one probably even seems counter productive, but we are social creatures (yes, even us introverts) and being around people who lift us up, hold us accountable, encourage us to be better people and provide us with strong emotional connection, has a direct impact on our happiness and fulfillment. And if you have ever tried to get stuff done in a time in your life when you felt depressed or unfulfilled, you know how this impacts your productivity.

As you might have noticed, there’s a common theme with these habits: They make you a healthier, happier person.

And healthier and happier people tend to get more done.

So if you are struggling with getting things done or have found that all the time management and productivity tips in the world are not really working, its likely because one or more of these things are off for you.

Focus on being a overall healthier, happier person and your ability to be productive is going to improve for sure.

Of course, things like using a planner daily are also important and if you are not currently using one, I recommend you check out the Life Book Planner. This planner is like no other and with its unique features and layouts, its bound to get your more organized and productive so you can get things done without burning yourself out and still have time for rest, fun and family!

Want to give it a test run first? Try the free one month version here.

Jennifer

How To Stop Getting Distracted By Your Phone

It’s no secret that our phones have become a huge distraction for us. They are literally designed to attract our attention in hundreds of different ways. They can take our focus from what we should be doing and they are an easy temptation to zone out when we are procrastinating or feeling overwhelmed.

The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to eliminate the distraction and get back to being productive that don’t include simply getting rid of your phone. In today’s world, where many of us run out lives and businesses from our phones, we need a different solution.

Test 1 or more of these out to see what works best for you. What you use may be different depending on the task, time of day or how you are feeling.

Often times its a multilayered approach that works best so if one doesn’t work by itself, don’t be afraid to add in 1 or 2 more before you right it off completely.

Put phone on Airplane or Do Not Disturb Mode
Turn off notifications for any or all apps that distract
Turn up the sound, turn off notifications for non-urgent things and leave phone in another room.
Remove apps that distract you and only use them on your desktop or laptop.
Sign out of social media apps so they are harder to access.
Remove apps for specific periods of time, like during the work week.
Set boundaries on when and how you can use your phone
Create rule around screen time like your kids are allowed watch tv for an equal amount of time.
Use app that tracks your time on your phone and limits it.
Hide apps that distract on the last page
Set lock screen as graphic with question like, Should you be on your phone right now?
Create a negative consequence for over using.
Leave phone somewhere you have to get up to get to
When you do need to do something on your phone, repeat the task in your head or out loud until it’s done and the screen is locked again.

This list is my no means exhaustive, but it should give you some ideas to start with. Make sure to personalize them to suit your life and personality!

Its worth noting that using a planner on a daily basis is one of the most effective ways to stay focused on what needs to get done. Even if you eliminate your phone as a distraction, if you don’t use a planner there is a good chance you will simply find another distraction. Without a plan to follow, its really easy to wander off course.

Check out the Life Book planner here. It was designed for the ambitious entrepreneur with busy life and big goals. It has some of the most unique but effective features that will get you organized and productive and keep you focused.

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.

How To Multitask The Right Way

So you may know by now that multitasking is actually counterproductive most of the time.

(Spoiler alert : We can’t actually multitask. Our brains are simply switching back and forth between tasks.)

When we are trying to do 2 or more things at once that require our focus we are actually wasting more time then we are saving, not to mention we are tiring our brains out like crazy.

(reason number 4847 why parents are so tired…)

Of course, life is life and its impossible to avoid the wrong kind of multitasking 100% of the time. The goal is never perfection, but rather improvement.

HOWEVER, there is one exception to this and that is when we combine a task that requires focus with one that doesn’t.

A mindful task and a mindless task, if you will.

So things like walking and listening to a podcast, or folding laundry and watching a training.

You might notice a common theme with the mindless activities in that they are almost always movement of some kind, something thats physical, rather then mental.

In fact, some studies show improved cognition from doing something physical when trying to learn.

So that treadmill desk is good for you for another reason!

And thank goodness this type of multitasking is good because otherwise I don’t think I would ever find the time to listen to all the podcasts the I do!

One of the easiest ways to avoid multitasking is by making a plan each day. The Life Book planner has all the unique features you need to do just that, including a complete goal planning section, master to-do list, important dates, meal and exercise planing, bullet journal, weekly and monthly to-do lists, deadlines and more. Check it out here. Or head on over here to try out the mini 1 month version for FREE!

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.