My New Day Planner

One of my favorite things to do in January is to create my day planner. For three years, I've used a mini-binder, decorated it with inspiring pictures, and divided the contents with colored tabs, but this year I decided to try a full-size planner. 

Thick binders don't work well for me. They take up too much room, and you can't stack anything on them due to their slant. So I bought an inexpensive 1/2" binder with clear plastic sleeves on the outside, a package of colored dividers/folders, a pack of clear sheet protectors, several pretty scrapbook papers, and stickers with inspirational phrases and words.

I mapped out how I wanted the planner organized then I set about to decorating it. Instead of my usual picture collage, I decided to focus on my One Word for the year, which is Peace (you can read Monday's post "One Word 2014" here). This is how it turned out.

In December, I typed up my business plan for 2014. I printed it out, slipped it into a clear sheet protector and inserted it front and center so I can see it first thing. 

My business plan always includes:

A. Books I will plot, write, and revise and a tentative schedule for accomplishing this

B. Promotion (In addition to my usual social media interactions, I'm starting a new web series this year and will launch my newsletter later this summer)

C. Speaking (I've put this on the back burner this year, but other years I've been more active)

D. Continuing Education (what craft books I will study, conferences--if any--I'll attend, memberships to organizations I'll renew) 

E. Freelance (I set modest goals for this)

F. Other (Spend one day of the week writing somewhere other than my home)

I used to include Income/Expenses, but I just throw my receipts in a folder now instead.

After the business plan, colored tabs divide the planner into sections. One section is for my monthly tasks. I jot down any upcoming to-do's on the appropriate page. Another section keeps track of books I've read, books I want to read, and music/art/movies I might want to check out. A section contains logs for different things like my weekly exercise plan. Naturally I have a miscellaneous file. Right now it has several Bible passages I read often. 

A planner should make your life easier. It should be a one-stop place for your information. Many of you will be better served using a digital organizer on your phone, tablet, or computer.

If I don't have hard copies, I lose information. For some reason, digital day-planning doesn't work for me. That's okay. I accepted it and reverted right back to my physical planner.

How do you organize your business life? What works? What doesn't? Please share!

Have a terrific weekend!

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December Organizing: Good for the Soul

December and organizing. Enemies, right?

Wrong.

Sure, we all have too many things to do this month, and organizing gives us the shakes at any time of the year. How can I possibly suggest adding this dreaded task to a month full of errands, parties, and temptations?

The short answer? It will put you in a good mood.

Yes, you'll want to cram a dozen snickerdoodles in your mouth and shoot anyone who comes near you while you're organizing--no biggie. When you finish, your soul will lighten. Your brain will find a teeny bit of room for possibilities. It's true!

We have a "scary closet" in our basement. It's full of photo albums, toys, board games, books, and out of season coats. For months I couldn't push my way into this small room. Last weekend I got serious. Pulled everything out. Grabbed trash bags. Forced the kids to decide what stays and what goes. The closet is now organized and even has room for more storage. I can't tell you how delighted I am to know this room isn't bulging anymore!

One of our pantry shelves was an explosion of napkins, paper party plates, and who knows what else. Every time I opened the door, I saw a big mess, which made me think I should clean it up, but I just shut the door. Yesterday, I organized that beast. No more guilt!

I'm also tidying my computer files and organizing my address book (what better time to do this than while filling out Christmas cards?).

Honestly, the pantry situation took about twelve minutes to fix. The computer files? Thirty minutes. My address book? An hour tops. The scary closet took two hours but was worth every second.

Without all of these known clutter areas in my house, my soul feels lighter. And yours will too!

What problem area in your house can you organize before the new year? 

The fabulous, Jennifer Hale, hosted me on her blog yesterday! Stop by to read "Busy Mom? Find Peace in Your Day."

Have a terrific weekend!!

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The End of Summer Tipping Point

All week I've ignored my office. I've also gulped my way through back-to-school shopping. I've tried to soothe my kids' anxieties about a new school year, new sports teams, and various other uncertainties. I've eaten more candy than I should have. Drank a few Cokes too many.

This morning I woke and knew I'd hit the tipping point, the place in my inner-being that yells, "Get it together, woman!"

The dishwasher never fits all the dishes during the summer and a zucchini waits on the sill.

No more fretting!
The piles and dirt in my office can be tamed.
The kids will be back in school late next week and they will be fine.
It may take me twenty-five years to pay off school supplies and I don't care.

The counters always contain bits of cheese, random utensils, and empty containers in the summer. I have no explanation.

Shaking my fist in the air and declaring, "I will prevail," sounds kind of dumb and over dramatic, but I am doing it anyway. The little stresses in life can really add up to a knot in my gut if I don't take action.

God has a better plan! Sheesh!

I get like this every year before school starts. After a summer with dirty counter-tops, piles here, piles there, a constant cycle of dishes and laundry, and a house shared with kids, I'm ready for my quiet routine.

This pile is mine. My standards slip during the summer. The dinosaur is not mine. It is Sophie's.

 

 

Fear not, anyone mired in the end-of-summer chaos. With a few hours of deep cleaning, peace can be reclaimed! Onward!

 

 

Do your standards slip in the summer?

 

Have a fabulous weekend!!

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WSG 24: Expand Your Bubble

Writer's Survival Guide 24: Expand Your Bubble

Writer.

So many labels apply to that word.

Introvert. Creative. Sensitive. Unrealistic. Starving. Wealthy. Smart...

Unless you have a writing partner, one label stands out. Independent.

Writers have to be independent. No one is forcing us to write. We do it because we want to--because we're independently motivated.

But with that independence comes a side-effect. It's true, no one can do the hard work of writing for us, but too often we drift into a bubble, a bubble of one.

When I'm in a bubble, I miss out on opportunities. I get closed into my own small world. I see things through narrow eyes. I miss the big picture. And my writing suffers for it.

Recently, I expanded my bubble. I reached out to a few writer friends who I'd become lazy with. I purchased a new book on the writing craft recommended by a good friend. I took a workshop from one of my favorite authors. I Skyped with a friend to practice pitching my book. I listened to advice from an editor. I added "Make the Effort" to my goal list.

All of these things were outside of my comfortable bubble. But they improved my writing life. The friends I reached out to strengthen me regularly. The book on writing is giving me new ideas on how to keep the middle of my book lively. The workshop refreshed my knowledge of story structure and the inner journey. The Skyping session gave me confidence to pitch my book. And the advice from the editor came in time for me to tweak my first chapters before it's sent out to the world.

Sometimes expanding our bubbles is hard. Sometimes we don't like what we hear. We wonder why we even bother. But every time I take a chance, I feel better about myself. :)

How do you expand your bubble?

Have a lovely Monday!

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