Even from a young age planners have always been one of my favorite things. I was that girl in elementary school always filling out her calendar and assignments everyday. While most kids lost their agenda’s, I never did.
Fast forward twenty years and planners are still one of my favorites. I have loved the brand Day Designer for 5 years now. It’s the first planner I got as a married women and I have not left the brand since.
I recently just bought there 2020-2021 planner. I have tried to find a link to share my planner with you. I can not find it online. My best advice is to go to your local target and check there planner aisle. You can watch my video below to see more detail with what it looks like. I hope to make a video & blog post soon to review my newest 2020-2021 planner.
Life with a baby completely changed my planner schedule. Newborn to six months really wasn’t much of a change. But with a nine month old, I had to figure out something to help save my never ending to do list.
I was feeling like I was failing. I was only getting a couple things marked off my to-do list while adding more things every day.
I stumbled across this Over Achievers Creed.
While I was constantly thinking of everything that needed to get done, I was forgetting the most important.
Keeping my nine month old ALIVE and HAPPY.
I know that sounds kind of silly. But I seriously started writing that in my planner. Keeping him alive and happy was taking up a good portion of my day AND it should. That is my main job – a mother.
Once I came to grips with that, I realized I was actually getting a lot done EVERY day.
If you want to watch my video mommy plan with me – click here!
So two things I started to change with my agenda:
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Write down normal chores.
My super long to-do list was never getting done, and it was making me feel unaccomplished. I then decided to start writing down things I was actually doing.
-Getting me dressed,
-Getting Milo dressed ( putting clothes on a 9 month old is not a two minute task 😉 )
-Unloading the dishwasher (once again with a baby, not always a simple task 😉 )
-Feed Milo
-Go for a walk
-Make a phone call
-HAVE SOME REST TIME!
Once I saw what all I was doing, it made me see I wasn’t being a failure. I was recognizing that those small tasks I was doing every day are a part of my routine now. That routine takes time which should be scheduled into my day.
I also want to mention real quick, how important it is to rest. I like almost every momma that reads this, constantly deal with the question – “He’s asleep – Do I try to clean the house, do work for my job, shower, eat, have some me time…”
Being a mom is a 24 hour job that even includes night shifts some times. So schedule your rest! It will make you feel so much better checking that one off the list! And check out my blog post – If you love Jesus, take a nap!
2. Block Schedules!
I found a YouTuber named Jordon Page, who runs the YouTube channel and blog called, “Fun, Cheap or Free.” She has 8 kids and has several videos on how she schedules her day. She introduced me to block schedules
Block schedules are blocking off a certain time for certain tasks.
For examples, here is my 4 block schedule of time:
9 am – 12 pm – wake up, get ready, empty dishwasher, do a load of laundry, play with Milo, do some work during his nap, maybe run an errand.
12 pm- 2 pm– I plan nothing during this time other than lunch, breast pumping, and getting Milo to hopefully go down for his second nap.
-I have several blog post on my breast pumping journey if you are interested. Click here to read all my tips and journey as an exclusively pumping breast feeding momma
3 pm -5 pm– play with Milo, exercise, devotional time, REST!
7 pm -9 pm – Supper time, family time, maybe do a task while my husband can watch Milo, bath time, bed time.
I don’t always accomplish everything on my list. So whatever I don’t accomplish, I just roll it over to the next day.
When it’s Friday and I didn’t accomplish everything, I decide if it is worth doing that on the weekend. I often have another list of things I want to accomplish on the weekend. I try not to put too much pressure on myself.
Whatever doesn’t get done there is always another week.
Do the best you can and be content with what you got done!
Once again check out my video where I explain a little more about my day. CLICK HERE!
I hope this was helpful to motivate mommies to see that even the small things we do every day count.
~ Gracefully Fashionable Britt