Planning Light | Jess' Summer Planning Process
Throughout the year our life will change in subtle and sometimes major ways. At different times each area of our life will demand & receive a different level of attention depending on a plethora of things. With the ebb & flow of life comes a change in the frequency and way in which we use our planners. Sometimes we will find ourselves attached to our planner - it keeps us sane & on top of things. Other times we may not touch our planner or use it just as a quick reference or central list keeper. The point is our lives aren't static and things change so our planner & planner needs will change too!
My Summer Planning Process
In the summer I love being outdoors! I actually kinda feel guilty when I've been inside too long like I breaking some law about summer and outside time LOL! My #1 goal is to get my work done as quickly as possible so I can head into the sunshine and nature. I tend to lose interest in my planner and find myself using it way less. But that doesn't mean I don't get things done, make progress on goals or feel productive. I just change my planning style.
Right now it's a Monday in July, I've gotten a ton of work done, I feel pretty darn productive and I'm staring at a blank planner spread for the week. While my planner is bare, I have a vertical half sheet grid paper insert next to me with a list of to-do's. This has been my go-to planning style the past 2 weeks. Not glamorous but with summer adventures as major priority it works.
While I'm using my brain dump/to-do list as my planner at the moment, I'm still going back and adding the completed tasks, stickers and notes to my weekly spread for more of a reflecting, documenting, crafting purpose. This process has been working great for me as my focus has been less prepping my typical planner layouts and more on getting things done and enjoying the 'fun/creative' part of planning after the fact.
With that said, my one little pre-plan step I've been taking pretty constantly is using my Notes sidebar as a Weekly Action Step section for my monthly goals. While my goals are much lighter this month, I still like taking a few minutes to quickly map out a small action step I can take each week to achieve the ones I have set.
Less is more = Stress Free Planning
Moral of the story...don't stress or feel guilty during those times when you use your planner less or not at all. Remember it's your planner and it needs to serve you when and how you need it to. There is nothing wrong with simplifying your process and heck even just grabbing note paper & a pen to keep a list vs. going full planner mode.
Oh and it's also okay to have times when you don't have epic goals. Sometimes the goal is just to enjoy life, take care of you daily life and do the best you can. You don't always have to be doing a big project and aiming for the stars, sometimes just trying to wake up 5 minutes early to breathe is enough!
Need support navigating your planner as your experience a seasonal change? Shoot me an email at hello@knockoutprintshop.com! I'm happy to support you (think of me as your planner coach). And be sure join our super friendly & support FB Fan Club for more inspiration, ideas and connection!
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