Planner

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

I think I need a unicorn planner.

I need something where I can plan my days at my new job, which is entirely self directed with no boss on sight, basically complete leeway outside of accreditation requirements to run the program how I want so due dates of projects and such are up to me.  Lots of meetings. So I really need to be keeping track.  I’d also like to put in the kids’ activities and appointments, household to do lists, freelance deadlines, and basic homeschool stuff(not full on lesson plans but basic page numbers and things I need to purchase or get around for the week, reading goal lists, etc).

I don’t like bullet journals since I don’t really want to design my own.

Suggestions? I haven’t worked a 9-5 job in 20 years and never anything that was as entirely self directed as this, so I’m nervous about making this all work.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Mrs Tiggywinkle Again

[Carrie12345]

That’s a tall order!!!

The best suggestion I can think of in this case is to Frankenplan with multiple Happy Planners, with one whole year for long deadlines and quarters for other stuff. I’m not really up to date on what they’ve been printing though. I just continue to get whatever dashboard planner is available.

I love my Colibri planner for school and I can squeeze household stuff in, too, but I still need a separate planner for homeschool stuff since it’s coil bound. https://colibripaperco.com/collections/the-works-daily?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7oeqBhBwEiwALyHLM0P27gid2BC8s5BOQ_DShQaexjW0BSJ7-tJt0bCOE4ZgsBb7lj5kVBoC_sMQAvD_BwE

 

[cintinative]

What if you had a sort of binder with planning pieces in it? Even an actual paper planner that you can put in there, but also sections for your homeschool stuff like purchase lists, reading goal lists, etc.  Like Carrie said, a frankenplanner.  😃

My problem is that things change for homeschool as the  year goes on so I like to be able to modify the lists and replace them. So a paper planner where I can replace pages like that is important. 

It sounds like you definitely want a calendar view plus a weekly view. There are some weekly views that break down the day by hours so you can block off appointments, etc.  Or weekly views with just lines for you to write what you want to do/need to do that day. 

[KungFuPanda]

I’d go with multiple Microsoft Teams or Google calendars. Even if you print the day or week, you ha so the freedom to change and you have records of everything 

[kbutton]

24 minutes ago, cintinative said:

 

What if you had a sort of binder with planning pieces in it? Even an actual paper planner that you can put in there, but also sections for your homeschool stuff like purchase lists, reading goal lists, etc.  Like Carrie said, a frankenplanner.  😃

My problem is that things change for homeschool as the  year goes on so I like to be able to modify the lists and replace them. So a paper planner where I can replace pages like that is important. 

It sounds like you definitely want a calendar view plus a weekly view. There are some weekly views that break down the day by hours so you can block off appointments, etc.  Or weekly views with just lines for you to write what you want to do/need to do that day. 

 

I use a weekly/monthly view planner that has list space on each day. A big one. If I need more planning in a specific week, I print freebie pages for days and weeks that have a more detailed structure, and I use it for checklists, meals, etc. Those can go in a ring binder. If you have a friend with a proclick, you could print a bunch at a time, and you can re-bind a regular planner with extra pages in it. iIRC, at least some of my freebie pages came from Scattered Squirrel.

I used to modify the Target ones for my kids. It gives room for writing out assignments (I did a week at a time). They learned over time how to put their own assignments in there. 

If you can keep it all integrated in one calendar, I would make sure you have some kind of spiral bound book of pocket folders for extra papers that you keep with it. I won’t stop to hole punch stuff for a regular binder, so pocket folders it is for me. I use one of these no matter what. Now that my younger one is in person in school, I have a whole binder just for his school papers.

[Brittany1116]

Check out the Happy Planner dashboard layout. The dashboard boxes are usually titled but nothing sticker headers couldn't change. 

[elegantlion]

A couple of ideas: 

Ink & Volt planners I've used this one this year for my dissertation work. It's been helpful to keep me on task. they have a lot of business management products besides planners. 

I would also look at planners on JetPens.  Ones you might consider are the Hobonichi Cousin (monthly, vertical weekly, and daily pages). It's an A5 size. 

[Teachaheart]

7 minutes ago, elegantlion said:

A couple of ideas: 

Ink & Volt planners I've used this one this year for my dissertation work. It's been helpful to keep me on task. they have a lot of business management products besides planners. 

I would also look at planners on JetPens.  Ones you might consider are the Hobonichi Cousin (monthly, vertical weekly, and daily pages). It's an A5 size. 

I also suggest the Hobonichi Cousin. 

[EKS]

I use Agendio.  You customize it once (or every time you get a new one), but it isn't like a bullet journal where it's entirely freeform. 

[City Mouse]

I’d use Google calendar because I can access it on all my devices.

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by City Mouse

[TechWife]

I used to love paper planners. I still do, they just aren’t efficient for me now. I use  Google calendar with the color code feature and Apple reminders, also with the color code feature. I make sure bath sync across devices.  I have a Moleskine classic softcover notebook that I use for impromptu notes during meetings or for research notes.

 

[Carol in Cal.]

I find that I mostly need to have One Planner To Rule Them All.

If I have more than one, things fall between the cracks.

So I use my work Outlook calendar for most planning.  I dislike that that makes a lot of my personal stuff semi-public to my employer, so I tend to code it or be very cryptic in notating it.  This makes that part of the planning less helpful.

However, I supplement with Word document 'to do' lists.  I use a category heading for each major category of my life--for example, work urgent, work projects, home improvement, grocery shopping, correspondence, chores, bills, etc.  I put more detail in that, and scan through it every day or two.  

The combo works really well.

When I was homeschooling, I had to provide monthly information to my ES, so I did a monthly Word doc report that turned out to be helpful to me in seeing progress.  I had a heading for each major subject area, with subheadings for sub-subjects, and brief summaries (1-2 sentences) for each.  Every month I would take the last month's document and rename it with the new month, and go through it and edit it to reflect that month's progress.  The simple process of doing this was brief (usually less than half an hour per month) but it helped to me perceive the progress that otherwise might have felt glacial or even nonexistent, and that was great.

I've ordered Passion Planners in the past, and they are great for project based stuff, but I find them harder to use than online docs because you have to enter the weekly and daily stuff separately, instead of just changing the views, and also it's harder to move appointments and such, which happens fairly frequently.  

I'm thinking about trying a Finish calendar next year to at least bear in mind trips.  I have 8 board meetings per year, 6-7 of them out of state, and usually 2 out of town vacations, and it would be good to have those dates always in mind.  However, sometimes they change, so I would get the dry erase version.   It looks like it could be a pretty neat tool for longer term stuff.  https://www.neuyear.net/products/finish-year

[Mona]

I bought a planner recently that you might be able to fit all of that into. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLZCP933?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

i see that there are also 3-tier planners that started this past October if you need something to start right now.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Mona

[Hannah]

6 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I’d go with multiple Microsoft Teams or Google calendars. 

 

4 hours ago, City Mouse said:

I’d use Google calendar because I can access it on all my devices.

 

 

4 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

 

So I use my work Outlook calendar for most planning.  I dislike that that makes a lot of my personal stuff semi-public to my employer, so I tend to code it or be very cryptic in notating it. 

I use my work Outlook in a similar way to Carol. It links to my phone, so always accessible. I use the inbox zero method (as best I can), so also mail reminders and lists o myself.

Others in thr organisation can see that time is blocked out, but not whether it's a meeting or time I've blocked out to work on a task or appointment etc.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

I don’t really like online planners; we use Cozi as a family but only so we can sync it.  I have a MacBook and iPhone so that’s probably what I’d use if I do something electronic.

I am getting handed a dumpster fire and good planning is going to be one of my better strategies to reduce the stress I think.

[Carol in Cal.]

28 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I don’t really like online planners; we use Cozi as a family but only so we can sync it.  I have a MacBook and iPhone so that’s probably what I’d use if I do something electronic.

I am getting handed a dumpster fire and good planning is going to be one of my better strategies to reduce the stress I think.

Have you done any project management training in the past?  If not, it might be good to look for a book or maybe a guru to get a quick overview of the best practice tips.  I don't know what book to suggest, but if you want to start a thread about project management best practices I'll bet you'll get some good stuff.  

[WendyLady]

My current favorite planner is the Erin Condren planner. The daily duo planner might work well for you, but the teacher planner could also be really good. I wonder if there's a way to combine the two - one as the weekly overview for all separate areas of your life and the other for daily/hourly planning?

Linking these so you can get a better look at the pages look, not because I think you need someone to tell you how to use a planner 🙂 

https://www.erincondren.com/inspiration-center-how-to-use-a-daily-plannerhttps://www.erincondren.com/inspiration-center-teacher-lesson-planner-101

[Clarita]

With that much stuff I'd use an online calendar of some sort and tie it to my phone. Since you already use one with your family I'd just also insert the work stuff there too and just categorize it and not share it with the family. 

If your work has a specific one they use, then use that for work meetings. It's good because it auto-updates when people cancel or need to reschedule.

In terms of work tasks and the like I found bullet journal to be the best (I do see that you say here you don't like it because you have to "design" it). Mine had no design to it. It was basically lists of things with notes scattered in between. So at the end of day I spent a few minutes making a list of things I think I want to or will accomplish or do the next day. There is a page with lists out the dates/day for the month, big things would be listed there (conferences, all day events, major due dates, vacation time, etc.). All other work meetings go in the online calendar. As I accomplished tasks I'd check them off my bullet list. Notes for meetings went in the journal. If it's meetings for an ongoing project I'd place it in the "table of contents" and mark down the pages of notes there (also any other ideas or notes I had about the project would just go anywhere and I mark down the page #). One-off meetings where I would handle the issue immediately I didn't record the page. One-off meetings where it would be a while before I got to it gets a post-it note tab (if it's associated with a big thing on the calendar list or a calendar item I would note the page either in the online calendar and/or the month list).

My work bullet journal was not beautiful and would not be pinterest worthy. No fancy writing, nothing. This really worked for my somewhat open-ended job that had a lot of personal work projects that didn't necessary have to go anywhere balanced with definite stuff I have to get done, but no one is going to check on for a while. Very project based work environment.

[Clarita]

One of my problems with premade planners for my project-based job was there was never enough note space for me to write all the notes that I needed. I really needed a new notebook every 3-6months but planners are always sold annually.  

[dsmith]

I have never been able to find a planner that works for me. The original Franklin Covey planner came close. I can’t stand having big planners with lots of pages nowadays. My husband bought me a Remarkable 2, and it has changed my life. I know you said no bullet journaling, but this is what keeps me organized and on track. I designed a basic one month template that I just make a copies of every month. I have one for just work. We have 2 businesses so I need that to be separate. I have another one for personal pursuits, housework, etc. I also have separate notebooks for finances, reading notes, various educational pursuits, etc. I have various templates for forms I use for work that I make copies of every month to fill out. It’s cut down on my paper use drastically. I love the way I can organize everything so I can easily find what I need. This wasn’t cheap, but it was so worth it. It’s basically my digital brain, lol. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

So I am teaching two college classes(one of which is 15 credits so equal to a full time semester and one that is a 3 credit night class) plus homeschooling. Added in is lots of meetings, phone calls, travel to clinical sites, emails, etc. I am also in a PhD program and writing and speaking throughout the country.

maybe I just need something with really big boxes for everyday?

[elegantlion]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

So I am teaching two college classes(one of which is 15 credits so equal to a full time semester and one that is a 3 credit night class) plus homeschooling. Added in is lots of meetings, phone calls, travel to clinical sites, emails, etc. I am also in a PhD program and writing and speaking throughout the country.

maybe I just need something with really big boxes for everyday?

In reality, you might need more than one planner. When I was TAing, I kept everything pertaining to that in one planner. That way I didn't have my personal information mixed with student information. Then I could file it at the end of semester. 

Or a larger daily planner where you can subdivide the page to keep track of your separate responsibilities. 

Another consideration is a ring or disc planner where you can remove non-relevant information as needed. 

Size is an issue for me as I tend to carry my planner everywhere but grocery runs and such. I wanted one that would fit in a purse vs having to carry a tote or backpack everywhere. 

 

[fraidycat]

On 11/2/2023 at 4:39 AM, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

So I am teaching two college classes(one of which is 15 credits so equal to a full time semester and one that is a 3 credit night class) plus homeschooling. Added in is lots of meetings, phone calls, travel to clinical sites, emails, etc. I am also in a PhD program and writing and speaking throughout the country.

maybe I just need something with really big boxes for everyday?

I think you should check out Organize365 Sunday Basket + Friday Workbox + possibly the Education Workbox.

Her system is colour-coded into 4 main colours for home and work, then 7 for the Education one.

Since you're jumping right into the fire at work, I'd recommend you start with the Friday Workbox to get started, then do the Sunday Basket and Edu Box later.

For the Friday Workbox, she will help you separate your organizing/thinking into:

1-Ideas/Research/Projects not yet started

2-Team/People/Work Systems & Tools (that "replace" a person) - Routines for keeping it all running smoothly

3-Current Projects/Forward Facing Service  - this is the work that people know you do. 
 

4-Routine Admin tasks/ Finance

Lisa, the owner of 365 is currently doing PhD classes and has whole podcast episodes dedicated to explaining how she uses the boxes to keep her organized for each of her classes + her dissertation work that she is gathering info for + being the owner of a company, etc.

Here is the Friday Workbox Link:

https://organize365.com/workboxes/

There is also a whole community, something like WTM to ask all the questions about making the boxes work for you, along with weekly online work-along sessions if you want/need that, and is included in the purchase price.

Edited November 3, 2023 by fraidycat