How to Organize Your Time With a Planner

*This post is part of a collaboration with Transcending Waves Planners.  Although I was gifted this item, all opinions are 100% my own.

One thing that has helped me out a lot with staying organized and on task, is using a planner.  I used a planner all through high school and college and it was always helpful.  As an adult, I stopped using a planner.  I guess I didn’t see a need for it.  My husband is always trying to get me to use my phone to keep me organized, but there is only so much my phone can do for me.  There is just something about using pen and paper and actually writing things down.

Recently, I’ve been using my Transcending Waves planner, and let me tell you, this planner is a game-changer.  Earlier this year I bought a simple planner at TJMaxx and it was great.  It had a calendar for each month and the weeks, but it was missing so much.  When I got my Transcending Waves planner, I got really excited because it had all the features I was looking for.  It breaks down the months, weeks, days, and even the hours.  They have places to write down your goals and projects, what action steps you need to take, distractions to avoid, and even a spot to say what you’re grateful for.  One feature I like the most is the morning plan page and the nightly review.  It helps you make your plans and then at the end of the day, you can evaluate how productive you were and make changes for the next day.

So what kind of things do I use my planner for?  I use it for pretty much everything in my life, but here is a list.

Meal planning
I find it so important to meal plan, especially with a full-time job.  When I come home at night, I like to know exactly what we are having for dinner.  Every weekend, I write down what I have in the house, and then I plan out my grocery shop list.  Then I write down in my planner what I’m making for dinner each day.  It’s very helpful.

Work Paper Work
 I work for a Headstart Preschool program, which is funded through the federal government.  If you have ever worked for a government agency you know that it’s a lot of paperwork.  I do daily observations on the children, write individual lesson plans every week, lesson plans, keep behavior trackers, parent-teacher conference/ home visit reports 4 times a year, 2 screenings…my list goes on.  So yes, it takes some organization in the classroom.  I like to use my planner to plan what I’m going to do during my class time and my planning time after the kids go home.  I try to break down the paperwork so it doesn’t pile up.

Workout Plans
After becoming a mom, I have become a total slacker with working out.  With summer around the corner and bathing suit season approaching, I’ve been trying to make some changes and add a little exercise to my daily routine.  I’m starting out slow, but I like to keep track of it in my planner to stay on top of it.  I record what I did each day, so I know the next day what to work on.

Blog work and Social media
I love blogging.  I’m passionate about it and it’s so fun for me.  Now that I have been working with brands and using affiliate links in my blog, blogging has become much more than just a little hobby.  It’s hard to keep up with all 4 of my major social media platforms, emails and promoting my blog posts.  I use my planner to plan out what posts I’m putting out each month.  Then I record where I’ve promoted my posts.  I write down what sponsored posts are coming up and what brands I’d like to contact. It’s a lot to keep up with, but my planner really helps me with organizing all that.

Cleaning Schedule
Cleaning is my least favorite responsibility, but it’s one of those things that need to get done.  I like to schedule out in my planner what rooms I’m going to clean every week.  I try to keep a list of cleaning projects in my planner and I cross them off as I complete them.

Those are the things I write down in my planner.  Do you use a planner to stay organized?  You can use the code THRIFTYWIFEHAPPYLIFE to get 10% off of a Transcending Waves Planner.  They are only $19.99, which I think is a pretty great price for all the features it offers. I hope you will check them out!!