I often get asked how I plan my days, weeks, months and even year.
As a Business & Lifestyle strategist, many people expect a complicated, super thought-out, sophisticated method.
If you’re expecting the same, well, I hate to disappoint you!
I use a very simple, yet strategic system to plan both my business and life.
You see, one thing I’ve learned over the years is that there’s power in simplicity. The more robust, complicated and “techy” you get with organizing your life, the more chaotic things feel.
I’m old school and for the most part stick to paper planners and occasionally printable. I’m a pen to paper kinda person. To keep myself from getting stuck in the “productivity trap,” I like to keep things simple.
Believe it or not, simplicity is strategic. Why make things more complicated when they don’t have to be? Unless, you like to make life more complicated, which I know you don’t!
Simplifying your planning systems make life and running a business a whole lot easier.
I’ve created 4 super simple planning tools that will help you plan your days, weeks, months and year with ease. You can kiss those overly complicated planning systems goodbye and choose an easier way to plan.
If you prefer to go digital, I’ve made these resources editable, meaning you can download them to your computer, type in them and save your information.
Here are 4 planning tools to keep you organized in business and life (plus, how I use them in mine!):
Year Planner
Download Your Year Plan HERE.
I use a simple year calendar with 12 empty boxes to get a quick snapshot of my year. This is where I put the major things down for both my business and life. For example, anniversaries, vacations, product launches and any other major event that will happen throughout the year.
However, I don’t add minor details here, for example, daily to-do’s and weekly tasks. I only put major events so that I can get a quick overview of the year and have all the major happening in one place. I have a lot going on in my life in a given year and this helps me cut down on the overwhelm! I don’t plan my entire year out in detail because it’s just not effective for me. Instead, I use a 3-month calendar (see below!) and set 90-day goals.
3-Month Planner
Download Your 3-Month Plan HERE.
I use a simple 3-month system to focus on my 90-day business & lifestyle goals. It’s way easier and more effective to work in 90-day increments. Again, it cuts down on the overwhelm and makes sure I’m only focused on very next step in the process. This 3 month system allows me to stay focused and prevents me from getting a head of myself.
Week Planner
Download Your Weekly Plan HERE.
I love to use a simple weekly planner where I can an overview of the week. It helps me stay focused on only what needs to be done. I always like to have my top 3 priorities down so I’m focused on what will move my business and life forward.
Most importantly, I like to have my “non-negotiables” (things I’m not willing to compromise on) so I don’t sacrifice my health, happiness and sanity while running my business. From one ambitious entrepreneur to another, we must keep our sanity in tact if we want to operate at our full potential.
Day Planner
Download Your Day Plan HERE.
I like to keep my day planning simple as well. It’s important to have a snapshot of my hours in a day, which makes it easier for me to block off time for specific activities. For example, exercise, meditate, write or read.
Most importantly, I’m very clear on my top 3 priorities for the day and I plan to get those done FIRST. Also, to make sure that I nurture my life as a whole while working to build my business, I like to ask myself “What life areas need your attention today” so that I feel grounded each day.
Remember, there’s power in simplicity! You don’t have to make things more complicated than they have to be. If you take this small nugget of wisdom and apply it to any area of your life, you’ll see how things that once felt overwhelming can feel effortless.
Hope you enjoy these planning tools!
Noelle
2 comments. Leave new
These are awesome Noelle!!
Great tools. This will keep me organized and help keep track of goals and progress.