Planning can be a bit daunting if you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’re tired of getting to the end of the week with barely scratching the surface of your to-do list. In this episode of the Routine and Things Podcast, I walk you through how I plan for the week ahead to give you a bit of insight on how I get things done in my life. This episode is a good one. Let’s get started!
Word For Word
Ashley Brown 0:00
Planning can be a bit daunting if you don't know where to start. Or maybe you're tired of getting to the end of the week with barely scratching the surface of your to do list. In this episode of the routine and things podcast, I walk you through how I plan for the week ahead. To give you a bit of insight on how I get things done in my life. This episode is a good one, let's get started.
Ashley Brown 0:39
Reduce daily stress and keep overwhelm at bay using the routine and things planner, our one of a kind planner merges routines and planning to help you get organized and stay organized. You'll build and incorporate routines into your life little by little and using the signature of routine Blackplanet method you will organize your weekly tasks and so for routine categories to maintain a strong foundation for your home and your life. The things that typically get lost in the day to day shuffle will now be brought to the forefront every single week, which will help you lessen stress and avoid becoming overwhelmed. To get your very own routine and things planner, be sure to head to routine and things.com or click the link in the show notes. Hey, hey, welcome back for another episode of the routine and things podcast. I'm your host Ashley. And in this episode today, I am walking you through how I plan for the week ahead. I wanted to do an episode like this because I get asked all the time, how do I plan and what makes planning effective. And this is a hot topic, I feel like it's always a hot topic planning, planning planning.
Ashley Brown 1:52
And I'm gonna be very frank in say that I feel like we make it more than what it is honestly, planning does not need to have so so so much thought to the point where it's overwhelming you planning can be very simple. I know I plan in a very simple and realistic way which I'm going to share with you today. And so I just want to encourage you and say, you know if you've struggled with planning it could be due to overthinking the process and thinking it needs to be more than what it actually is. And so today hopefully this gives you some insight and a strategy that you could start to use in your life to make planning easier and better for you. Before I get into today's episode, I do want to share about the routine and things planner it is back in stock for you add routine and things.com This This is a beautiful planner. It merges planning and routines to help you get and stay organized. To keep stress away to really help you to focus on and hone in on what's really important in your life including yourself. This planner has a routine blog plan and method inside where you are going to be planning your week and for routine categories. That helps you to keep the basics top of mind that helps you to keep your self care front and center. And that helps you organize your weeks in a way that is realistic and manageable.
Ashley Brown 3:21
And so definitely you can check out the planner at routine and things.com If you do purchase the routine and things planner, you will get my plan with consistency masterclass absolutely free. This helps you to set up your routine and things planner in a way that will work for you, as well as build out your planning routine. Like I say you can check out the planner and purchase it at routine and things.com. Or you can click the link in the show notes. But let's go ahead and get into today's episode, how I plan for the week ahead. I am a very simple Sheikh who always is going to use a simple strategy to get something done. And so how I plan is in a very simple and realistic way, is a very simple and realistic strategy that I use. And this strategy is a part of the routine and things planner. That's why I purposefully put my strategy inside of this planner because this is how I get things done in my life in a way that feels good and doesn't stress me out and where I feel like I can manage the things in my life. And so I wanted to share that with you that the routine and things planner is a part of my life. And it has been a really beautiful way for me to stay on top of the things that matter to me. Also, I want to share with you before I talk about how I plan for my week.
Ashley Brown 4:41
I think it's important to kind of share like my family dynamic because you know, we all have different types of family dynamics and we're planning for different age kids or maybe you don't have kids or you know, maybe you have one child maybe you have five children and so, for me specific physically, I have two children, I have two girls, their ages four and six. So one is in pre K, the other is in first grade. And so this kind of gives you an idea about what I'm planning. And like who I'm planning for, I plan for myself, when it comes to work, I plan for my kids when it comes to their activities, as well as like their school, and what's going on with them. And then I also have my partner as well who are co parent with and he's a huge part of my life too. And so working with him to make sure that we are keeping things organized and staying on top of things as well. And so I just thought that would be important to share with you. All right, so let's get to it. When it comes to how I plan for my week ahead, first and foremost, anytime I plan I'm going to have me something to drink usually is coffee. Sometimes I have wine, I'm not gonna lie, but many times it's coffee, because I like to play in kinda like mid morning, when my brain is really on fire is when I like to plan and think and so that's first and foremost, I'm gonna probably have me some coffee and hand some type of drink. But let's get really into the nitty gritty. When I sit down to plan I have my planner out, I have my pins, I have also my phone because I put a lot of notifications or just calendar items in my phone. And so I have my phone available too. And when I say pins, I use colored pins because I do use a routine and things planner and I love to color code the routine and things planner because it makes it easier as I'm routine blocking, to see which categories are taking the most focus during the week, so that I can maybe shift things around and edit things if need be.
Ashley Brown 6:50
And so when I sit down to plan, I have those things available. And the first thing that I do is brain dump. And this is the routine and things process, first brain dump. And what this looks like is me just getting down on paper, what I'm thinking about that needs to be done, or maybe what I want to do always start with what needs to be done first, like what's at the top of my mind, what maybe I've been putting off, what would make me really happy to do. And so and also like what's coming up, so I just brain dump out these things. And that just helps me to clear my head so that I can focus when it really comes to thinking about what I want my week to look like. As well as this helps me to sort through things and like kind of see like what really needs to bubble up to the top and what can kind of stay lower on the totem pole, if that makes sense. So that's the first thing that I do is brain dump. The second thing, which is the second part of the routine and things planning process is I will schedule important events, I will write down important events that are happening in the week. And what I mean by important events is the heart stops the things that I am going to do and less something like totally D rosy so like work is an important event, when I picked the girls up from school is an important event, as well as like celebrations like birthdays or parties or events that I might be invited to dates with my friends. And so I will write down all of these important events, if I have a work event that I might need to go to, or a work meeting that's super important that might be outside of my work time. Like these are important events when I'm actually going to work on routine and things and do things for routine and things is an important event. So I write down important events.
Ashley Brown 8:44
Second, that is the second part of my process. And with this, I don't just put like work, I also put timeframe. So I'll say I work seven to 330. That is important for me to know the time and here's why. When I know the time that something is going to take me then I can better plan for things outside of this. So that I'm not crowding my week so that I'm not overwhelming myself with a lot of things to do one day because that's not helpful and it's not healthy. So having timeframes for your important events can be a really helpful strategy for you and tip for you. So that's the second thing that I do. And then the third thing that I do which is the third part of the routine and things planning process is I've routine blog, which is basically scheduling in other activities in tears that I can do that will fit into my day without it being overwhelming and without me doing way too much in my day. And so scheduling in other events is like in those routine blogs. If you haven't seen the routine and things planner, you can check it out everything and things.com you And also check out the routine block planning like training video that I have, that is available for you to have routine and things that come to kind of see visually what I'm talking about. But for routine blocking is four categories self care, family slash children cleaning and cooking. And this, this is a grid. It's like a blocked out grid, and it goes Monday through Sunday. And in each block, you can write out what activity or tasks is going to go into this block for that specific day. And so once I know for example, from Monday, once I write down the important events, like those heart stops in my life, like me going to work, maybe picking up the girls, maybe, also the girls have an activity they need to do that night. Once I have my heart stops, and my important event scheduled out for that Monday, then I look at what do I have time for outside of what I'm using my time for when it comes to these important events? What else do I have time for, if anything? Because I'm gonna tell you right now, sometimes you don't have time for a whole bunch outside of the important events. But like, do I have time to do self care? And so that's a yes for me always. I never asked do I have time to do self care, self care. So first blog in the routine blog planning, because it's important for you to care for yourself as you're managing life and caring for everybody and everything else. And so self care, I'm always going to put something in that blog, whether it is me moving my body or me doing a meditation or journaling or just sitting and listening to music for an hour. Once I go to bed, like I'm going to do something for me, so self care is always in there. And then I think about, okay, is anything that I can fit in that has to do with my family. Sometimes it's like no, they don't really have much going on. I don't need to put anything in that block. And then I look at okay, so can I get any cleaning tasks done? Many times, it's like no, the only thing that I'm able to do is tidy, which is our tidy routine, which we do like clockwork before we head up to bed every night. And then cooking, right? We need to cook so many times in this block. I don't have anything either.
Ashley Brown 12:18
Sometimes I'll put like what I'm planning to cook. But I just look at those blocks and I see what actually can fit in here based upon the important events that's actually happening for the day. And this really is super helpful because you can start to see where are you overdoing it in your life where can things kind of be shifted and rearranged and move around. So this is just what I want to share with you is that that's how I go through and plan for my week. It is a very simple way to plan it helps me it is very just realistic, it's manageable. And I feel like at the end of my week always get probably about 90% of the things done that I needed to get done or that I want it to get done. Because I plan in this way. So that is my planning process. That is how I plan for my weeks in for the week ahead.
Ashley Brown 13:21
Definitely take anything that you've heard and use it for yourself. Like I said the first part is brain dump. The second thing I do is I scheduling my poor important events and then the last thing is I routine block. Thinking about self care and my family cleaning and cooking and what can actually fit in so that's my process. That's what I do and this process is inside of the routine and things planner. This is a very simple realistic manageable process for you to use as you plan your weeks. And so if you would like to check out and or get the routine and things planner it is available until mid December it is available for you you can get the planner at routine and things.com and read all about it and read the reviews. Women absolutely love this planner they say it really helps and works with like how their brain works and it helps them to keep really was important top of mind in the day to day basics top of mind and so definitely check it out. When you do purchase the routine and things planner you get the plan with consistency masterclass, absolutely free this is an amazing masterclass, that's going to help you set up your routine and things planner, as well as set up a planning routine so that you have a strategy for staying consistent with your planner in planning in general. So it is there for you. Thank you for joining me for this episode. I hope that it was helpful. You can definitely leave a rating and review of the show are greatly appreciated. And until next time, continue to enjoy wherever you are, whatever you're doing, Stay happy, and I will talk to you soon.
Ashley Brown 15:09
Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, take a screenshot and share it on social. I would love to know you're listening and for tools to help you start, maintain and enjoy your routines. Be sure to head to routine and things.com Here's to staying happy.
Planning can be a bit daunting if you don't know where to start. Or maybe you're tired of getting to the end of the week with barely scratching the surface of your to do list. In this episode of the routine and things podcast, I walk you through how I plan for the week ahead. To give you a bit of insight on how I get things done in my life. This episode is a good one, let's get started.
Ashley Brown 0:39
Reduce daily stress and keep overwhelm at bay using the routine and things planner, our one of a kind planner merges routines and planning to help you get organized and stay organized. You'll build and incorporate routines into your life little by little and using the signature of routine Blackplanet method you will organize your weekly tasks and so for routine categories to maintain a strong foundation for your home and your life. The things that typically get lost in the day to day shuffle will now be brought to the forefront every single week, which will help you lessen stress and avoid becoming overwhelmed. To get your very own routine and things planner, be sure to head to routine and things.com or click the link in the show notes. Hey, hey, welcome back for another episode of the routine and things podcast. I'm your host Ashley. And in this episode today, I am walking you through how I plan for the week ahead. I wanted to do an episode like this because I get asked all the time, how do I plan and what makes planning effective. And this is a hot topic, I feel like it's always a hot topic planning, planning planning.
Ashley Brown 1:52
And I'm gonna be very frank in say that I feel like we make it more than what it is honestly, planning does not need to have so so so much thought to the point where it's overwhelming you planning can be very simple. I know I plan in a very simple and realistic way which I'm going to share with you today. And so I just want to encourage you and say, you know if you've struggled with planning it could be due to overthinking the process and thinking it needs to be more than what it actually is. And so today hopefully this gives you some insight and a strategy that you could start to use in your life to make planning easier and better for you. Before I get into today's episode, I do want to share about the routine and things planner it is back in stock for you add routine and things.com This This is a beautiful planner. It merges planning and routines to help you get and stay organized. To keep stress away to really help you to focus on and hone in on what's really important in your life including yourself. This planner has a routine blog plan and method inside where you are going to be planning your week and for routine categories. That helps you to keep the basics top of mind that helps you to keep your self care front and center. And that helps you organize your weeks in a way that is realistic and manageable.
Ashley Brown 3:21
And so definitely you can check out the planner at routine and things.com If you do purchase the routine and things planner, you will get my plan with consistency masterclass absolutely free. This helps you to set up your routine and things planner in a way that will work for you, as well as build out your planning routine. Like I say you can check out the planner and purchase it at routine and things.com. Or you can click the link in the show notes. But let's go ahead and get into today's episode, how I plan for the week ahead. I am a very simple Sheikh who always is going to use a simple strategy to get something done. And so how I plan is in a very simple and realistic way, is a very simple and realistic strategy that I use. And this strategy is a part of the routine and things planner. That's why I purposefully put my strategy inside of this planner because this is how I get things done in my life in a way that feels good and doesn't stress me out and where I feel like I can manage the things in my life. And so I wanted to share that with you that the routine and things planner is a part of my life. And it has been a really beautiful way for me to stay on top of the things that matter to me. Also, I want to share with you before I talk about how I plan for my week.
Ashley Brown 4:41
I think it's important to kind of share like my family dynamic because you know, we all have different types of family dynamics and we're planning for different age kids or maybe you don't have kids or you know, maybe you have one child maybe you have five children and so, for me specific physically, I have two children, I have two girls, their ages four and six. So one is in pre K, the other is in first grade. And so this kind of gives you an idea about what I'm planning. And like who I'm planning for, I plan for myself, when it comes to work, I plan for my kids when it comes to their activities, as well as like their school, and what's going on with them. And then I also have my partner as well who are co parent with and he's a huge part of my life too. And so working with him to make sure that we are keeping things organized and staying on top of things as well. And so I just thought that would be important to share with you. All right, so let's get to it. When it comes to how I plan for my week ahead, first and foremost, anytime I plan I'm going to have me something to drink usually is coffee. Sometimes I have wine, I'm not gonna lie, but many times it's coffee, because I like to play in kinda like mid morning, when my brain is really on fire is when I like to plan and think and so that's first and foremost, I'm gonna probably have me some coffee and hand some type of drink. But let's get really into the nitty gritty. When I sit down to plan I have my planner out, I have my pins, I have also my phone because I put a lot of notifications or just calendar items in my phone. And so I have my phone available too. And when I say pins, I use colored pins because I do use a routine and things planner and I love to color code the routine and things planner because it makes it easier as I'm routine blocking, to see which categories are taking the most focus during the week, so that I can maybe shift things around and edit things if need be.
Ashley Brown 6:50
And so when I sit down to plan, I have those things available. And the first thing that I do is brain dump. And this is the routine and things process, first brain dump. And what this looks like is me just getting down on paper, what I'm thinking about that needs to be done, or maybe what I want to do always start with what needs to be done first, like what's at the top of my mind, what maybe I've been putting off, what would make me really happy to do. And so and also like what's coming up, so I just brain dump out these things. And that just helps me to clear my head so that I can focus when it really comes to thinking about what I want my week to look like. As well as this helps me to sort through things and like kind of see like what really needs to bubble up to the top and what can kind of stay lower on the totem pole, if that makes sense. So that's the first thing that I do is brain dump. The second thing, which is the second part of the routine and things planning process is I will schedule important events, I will write down important events that are happening in the week. And what I mean by important events is the heart stops the things that I am going to do and less something like totally D rosy so like work is an important event, when I picked the girls up from school is an important event, as well as like celebrations like birthdays or parties or events that I might be invited to dates with my friends. And so I will write down all of these important events, if I have a work event that I might need to go to, or a work meeting that's super important that might be outside of my work time. Like these are important events when I'm actually going to work on routine and things and do things for routine and things is an important event. So I write down important events.
Ashley Brown 8:44
Second, that is the second part of my process. And with this, I don't just put like work, I also put timeframe. So I'll say I work seven to 330. That is important for me to know the time and here's why. When I know the time that something is going to take me then I can better plan for things outside of this. So that I'm not crowding my week so that I'm not overwhelming myself with a lot of things to do one day because that's not helpful and it's not healthy. So having timeframes for your important events can be a really helpful strategy for you and tip for you. So that's the second thing that I do. And then the third thing that I do which is the third part of the routine and things planning process is I've routine blog, which is basically scheduling in other activities in tears that I can do that will fit into my day without it being overwhelming and without me doing way too much in my day. And so scheduling in other events is like in those routine blogs. If you haven't seen the routine and things planner, you can check it out everything and things.com you And also check out the routine block planning like training video that I have, that is available for you to have routine and things that come to kind of see visually what I'm talking about. But for routine blocking is four categories self care, family slash children cleaning and cooking. And this, this is a grid. It's like a blocked out grid, and it goes Monday through Sunday. And in each block, you can write out what activity or tasks is going to go into this block for that specific day. And so once I know for example, from Monday, once I write down the important events, like those heart stops in my life, like me going to work, maybe picking up the girls, maybe, also the girls have an activity they need to do that night. Once I have my heart stops, and my important event scheduled out for that Monday, then I look at what do I have time for outside of what I'm using my time for when it comes to these important events? What else do I have time for, if anything? Because I'm gonna tell you right now, sometimes you don't have time for a whole bunch outside of the important events. But like, do I have time to do self care? And so that's a yes for me always. I never asked do I have time to do self care, self care. So first blog in the routine blog planning, because it's important for you to care for yourself as you're managing life and caring for everybody and everything else. And so self care, I'm always going to put something in that blog, whether it is me moving my body or me doing a meditation or journaling or just sitting and listening to music for an hour. Once I go to bed, like I'm going to do something for me, so self care is always in there. And then I think about, okay, is anything that I can fit in that has to do with my family. Sometimes it's like no, they don't really have much going on. I don't need to put anything in that block. And then I look at okay, so can I get any cleaning tasks done? Many times, it's like no, the only thing that I'm able to do is tidy, which is our tidy routine, which we do like clockwork before we head up to bed every night. And then cooking, right? We need to cook so many times in this block. I don't have anything either.
Ashley Brown 12:18
Sometimes I'll put like what I'm planning to cook. But I just look at those blocks and I see what actually can fit in here based upon the important events that's actually happening for the day. And this really is super helpful because you can start to see where are you overdoing it in your life where can things kind of be shifted and rearranged and move around. So this is just what I want to share with you is that that's how I go through and plan for my week. It is a very simple way to plan it helps me it is very just realistic, it's manageable. And I feel like at the end of my week always get probably about 90% of the things done that I needed to get done or that I want it to get done. Because I plan in this way. So that is my planning process. That is how I plan for my weeks in for the week ahead.
Ashley Brown 13:21
Definitely take anything that you've heard and use it for yourself. Like I said the first part is brain dump. The second thing I do is I scheduling my poor important events and then the last thing is I routine block. Thinking about self care and my family cleaning and cooking and what can actually fit in so that's my process. That's what I do and this process is inside of the routine and things planner. This is a very simple realistic manageable process for you to use as you plan your weeks. And so if you would like to check out and or get the routine and things planner it is available until mid December it is available for you you can get the planner at routine and things.com and read all about it and read the reviews. Women absolutely love this planner they say it really helps and works with like how their brain works and it helps them to keep really was important top of mind in the day to day basics top of mind and so definitely check it out. When you do purchase the routine and things planner you get the plan with consistency masterclass, absolutely free this is an amazing masterclass, that's going to help you set up your routine and things planner, as well as set up a planning routine so that you have a strategy for staying consistent with your planner in planning in general. So it is there for you. Thank you for joining me for this episode. I hope that it was helpful. You can definitely leave a rating and review of the show are greatly appreciated. And until next time, continue to enjoy wherever you are, whatever you're doing, Stay happy, and I will talk to you soon.
Ashley Brown 15:09
Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, take a screenshot and share it on social. I would love to know you're listening and for tools to help you start, maintain and enjoy your routines. Be sure to head to routine and things.com Here's to staying happy.