The Instagram Plan With Me Challenge prompt for the day is for people to share their Planning Routine. Below I’ve detailed my current routine. It’s a process that’s forever evolving and I change it as the need arises.   I’m currently using a pink dotted A5 Leuchtturm 1917 as my day-to-day bullet journal.

My monthly overviews are set up for the entire academic year at the front of my journal. I know that my journal won’t last for the entire year but I need to note down appointments, events and deadlines through to the end of the year. As we’re coming to the end of the year (thank goodness!) I’ve set up through to July 2018. Within the dated boxes I note mainly appointments and events. At the left hand side I keep a task list; those tasks which are date specific have the date written in the task box and those that aren’t are just left blank. I also keep a list of birthdays and anniversaries so that I don’t forget to send cards and presents. I’ve just started using washi tape along the side of each monthly spread. The design chosen will also be used on the first spread of the month as I reach it later in the journal.

On a Thursday evening I start setting up for the following week. I transfer information from the monthly overview onto the correct day which gives me a great idea of how the week is going to flow. At this point I plan out the number of lunches needed each day and then the evening meals for the week making sure I plan quick and easy meals for the evenings where I’m busy after work. As I carry out this process I check the kitchen cupboards and make a shopping list ready to do my online supermarket order. I choose the habits I want to improve for the week and set up a tracker to help me to focus on them.

At this point I then draw out the daily spread for the following week and the weekly spread for the week afterwards. This allows me to quickly see where I might be able to squeeze in meetings as needed and lets me note down items that need adding to the shopping order as they run out.

Each evening after I’ve put the kids to bed I then follow the same routine. I review my day, marking off completed tasks and completing my GLAD record (more about this next week). I then complete my timeline so I can see appointments and events, migrate tasks from previous days and then add new tasks as necessary. Some days there’s a ‘priority tasks’ list at the top with a maximum of three tasks that have to be completed that day.

During the course of the day my bullet journal is open on my desk and I refer to it regularly.

In my holidays from work I don’t bother with the daily pages as I don’t have enough to fill them.

What’s your Planning Routine?  Do you have a tried and tested method or are you still finding your way?

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