How to Create a Weekly Planning Routine you’ll stick to
The reason you don’t use your planner for more than a week is rarely your planner’s fault; More than likely, you lack a system. I’m going to show you exactly how to create a weekly planning routine you’ll stick to.
The first day you send your kid to school in pajamas on a day that is not pajama day… You’ll admit you need a planner.. Or maybe you’ve shown up at the right doctor with the wrong kid.. (I will never admit to this one). Or maybe your frustration is something as simple as a house you just can’t keep clean, or meal planning that doesn’t actually fit your schedule.
My Weekly Planning Routine
On Sunday afternoons after lunch, I sit down, light a candle, and pour a new cup of coffee. I have a stack of my planner, pencil, highlighters, and a notebook for this time planning. This commitment to reviewing my week saves me time, money, and changes how I live. I no longer review my yearly goals without progress and doing this limits surprises. Here is my routine:
1. Evaluate Last Week
I spend the first 7-10 minutes reviewing last week. I write down any to-do’s left over and tab any notes that I might need down the road. I also journal what worked and what didn’t. It’s important to note if you are reaching your goals and why or why not. Make adjustments based on that.
Also consider how you are balancing life and your health, marriage, investment in kids, and routines are doing. Catching these on a weekly bases will get you back on track when needed.
2. Review Schedule for coming week
Now I write in all the dance classes, doctor appointments, and anything else that has a set time to be done. Make sure to allow time to get to and from these as well. As a busy mom of four, my week seems to fill up quickly.
3. Write out to-do lists
I use my notebook and brainstorm what I need to do this week. This can be phone calls, emails, or household management items. I determine if the items on the list are important enough to complete(It’s okay to change your mind), and prioritize the top 3 to complete for the week. I like to group them by email, phone, and errands, etc so I can stack them to be the most productive.
If I have projects on my list(anything that takes more than one step to complete), I list out the steps so I can make progress over the week.
4. Add in Goals and Routines
I like to schedule in my workouts and routines to see what time I actually have left. I have a morning routine and evening routine I follow. Let me know If you want me to share those!
For more information on how I prioritize my life and create goals check out this post
5. Meal Plan and Grocery List
Once I have my days starting to take shape, I think through what meals I want to make for the week. Using the schedule as a guide I may look for a crockpot meal on a busy day or serve breakfast for dinner the evening before an early morning so we will have breakfast left overs. Once Ive made the meal plan, I write the grocery list in order by store.
Check out this full blog on meal planning.
6. Update Finances
We are on our debt-free journey so I like to review the budget and set the weekly budget I will use as I spend money throughout the week. I don’t keep this in my planner, but I transfer my balances to a post-it to add in my planner.
7. Choose the top 3
If I only accomplished 3 things, which three would make the biggest impact. Additionally, if you have the same items on your list week after week, consider why they aren’t getting done and if they still need to be done!
I hope this made you excited about planning again.
In this season of life, we can easily fall into living day by day—treading water to keep our heads above it—while our goals and dreams quietly take a backseat. The To-Do lists keep growing, and only the tasks screaming “911” get our attention.
Using a planner has changed my life, and there is something powerful about writing things down on paper. It can be trial and error, but using your planner each week to reset and lock in, is worth the effort! Planners work if we have a planning system.
