Planning for the week

October 15, 2019

I love sitting down on a Sunday afternoon and planning out my week. There are so many benefits to being organised and prepared for the coming week, and it really is a simple process that doesn’t take much time at all, but leaves you feeling equipped to tackle anything the next 7 days may throw at you!

If you aren’t already a planner, you may not realise just how many benefits there are to planning and being organised.

Some of the benefits of planning:

1. It gives you a clear focus for what you need to achieve that week
   
   
2. It takes away unnecessary stress
   
   
3. It unclutters your mind and clears your head from long to-do lists
   
   
4. It ensures you don’t forget to do or pack anything
   
   
5. It helps you feel in control and more prepared for the unexpected
   
   
6. It helps you keep on track for short and long-term goals

Getting started and finding time to plan may be two stumbling blocks to becoming a planner, but it really is as simple as placing your planner, notepad or calendar where you can see it, and then using any small pocket of time, even just 10 minutes, to sit down and put pen to paper.

Here are a few tips to help you plan your week:

1. Begin with writing out the things that don’t change from week to week, for example - work, school drop-offs and pick-ups, weekly appointments and commitments.
   
   
2. Then add in anything out of the ordinary, such as birthday parties, events and one-off appointments.
   
   
3. Next, add in chores and jobs you need to get done each day.
   By breaking these up into daily tasks (and then into the morning, afternoon and evening sections of your day) it makes a long to-do list seem much less overwhelming.
   For example, on a Monday you might want to make sure you wash the bedding and clean the bathrooms. By writing them down, they are more likely to get done, and by completing those tasks on Monday, it frees up the other days during the week and the task won’t be hanging over your head for longer than it needs to.
   
   
4. Don’t forget to create a meal plan, either all daily meals or just dinners each day. Then create a shopping list, and immediately you have freed up time at the grocery store, and in the evenings when you might have previously worried about what to have for dinner (and didn’t have the ingredients anyway).
   Ensure you check what commitments you have on each day, and match it with the type of meal you plan, for example, if you have late night sporting commitments on a Thursday, plan an easy meal or one you can make in advance for that day.
   
   
5. Lastly, but most importantly, take time for yourself each day, and schedule this into your weekly plan. Keep this appointment with yourself and you’ll feel much better for it.
   It can be as simple as a bubble bath on a Tuesday night or watching an episode of Netflix after the kids go to bed on a Friday night.

Hopefully, some of these tips and benefits help in planning your week – let me know if you’re a planner and how you like to organise your weekly commitments!

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