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The Art of Day Planning: 6 simple steps to reduce your daily mental load

Get more organizing in your day to day by day planning!

Moms are busy. You’re managing grocery lists, meetings, kid’s sports, family calendars, church responsibilities, and more. While many women have moved away from a classic day-planner, Monica Packer says it just might be the tool you need to organize your cluttered to-do lists.

Monica is a habits coach who shares practical advice on her page and podcast called “About Progress.” She shared her day planning strategy.

 

First, Monica is not naturally a day planner. She finds it can be mentally taxing. EXCEPT, she finds it MORE exhausting to carry around the constant mental load. So, Monica has gradually learned over the years to prioritize the habit of day planning, and how to do so in simple enough ways so she not only likes the outcomes (like not forgetting the piano lessons she already paid for), but more and more she even likes the process.

Don’t Worry About the “Right” Tools

A piece of paper, a notebook, a sticky note—don’t let the hurdle of getting the perfect planner prevent you from starting. Monica said there are SO many good planners out there. It doesn’t hurt to just pick one and try it out.

Weekly Brain Dump

Each Sunday, Monica does a brain dump of all the things she needs to do in the coming week. She categorizes them as she goes—for her, that’s home, kids, and work. She sets an intention for the week—an encouraging thought, a reminder, how she wants to feel/act. She jots down her time-bound tasks, meetings, appointments, etc. (those are all on her digital calendar on her phone). That’s it for Sunday. Now she has her week generally sketched out.

Nightly Review and Planning

Each night, she takes a quick look over how her day went and what she didn’t get to, then she looks at the next day and what’s coming. She prioritizes her topmost important tasks pulling from her categorized brain dump—like 1-3, and maybe a few bonus ones, and writes them down on that day’s to-do’s. This takes LITERAL MINUTES. During the day, she checks in with her planner here and there.

Key Tips for Effective Day Planning

  • Visibility: Set out the planner where you see it. During the actual day, Monica sees hers often because it’s out and open on her kitchen counter, where she spends much of her life. She’s actually not super religious about checking off boxes all day long—but luckily, research shows that even the act of writing helps you remember things better. Monica has found that to be true.
  • Consistency: Your target for consistency is “more times than not.” If you don’t plan every single day, it’s OK—even if you just start with your busier days and gradually work up to most days, you are doing it right.
  • Prioritization: Don’t let your to-do’s/brain dumps list every single minute thing you have to do, like showering or loading the dishwasher. Habits, systems, and routines don’t belong on your day planner; it’s about tasks you need to prioritize that aren’t automatic in nature.
  • Gradual Progression: You can gradually move up to planning in bigger segments, like your year, your quarter, and your month. But that’s a LOT, so if you’re new—just begin with the week then day in mind.
  • Realistic Expectations: When you prioritize your daily to-do’s, be super picky. Assume you’ll get interrupted, that things will take longer, and you’ll have less time. A daily to-do list where you have two things on it is FAR better than a list of 15.
  • Supportive Habits: Habits are meant to be supportive—period. Plan in a way that feels supportive for you.

By incorporating these simple steps and tips, Monica reduces her mental load and finds joy in the process of day planning. Happy planning!


Find from Moncia on Instagram @aboutprogress.

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