• Home
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy and Disclosures
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Blog Archives
    • Search & Blog Categories
  • Get Inspired
    • Get Inspired
    • Inspiring Words & Quotes
    • My Muses – Favorites & Inspiration
    • Challenges
    • Product & Book Reviews
  • Get Creative
    • Get Creative
    • Start Handlettering
    • Handlettering Fun Styles
    • Tutorials & How-To
    • Creating Art – Watercolor, Painting & Drawing
  • Start Planning
    • Start Planning Here
    • Planner Spreads & Themes
    • Plan With Me Archives
    • Organization
    • Habits & Trackers
  • Find Your Happy
    • Find Your Happy
    • Random Holiday Archive
    • Journal Prompts & Ideas
    • Health Journey
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Lost password
      • My account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • Orders
  • Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Etsy
    • Facebook

Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

  • Home
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy and Disclosures
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • Blog Archives
    • Search & Blog Categories
  • Get Inspired
    • Get Inspired
    • Inspiring Words & Quotes
    • My Muses – Favorites & Inspiration
    • Challenges
    • Product & Book Reviews
  • Get Creative
    • Get Creative
    • Start Handlettering
    • Handlettering Fun Styles
    • Tutorials & How-To
    • Creating Art – Watercolor, Painting & Drawing
  • Start Planning
    • Start Planning Here
    • Planner Spreads & Themes
    • Plan With Me Archives
    • Organization
    • Habits & Trackers
  • Find Your Happy
    • Find Your Happy
    • Random Holiday Archive
    • Journal Prompts & Ideas
    • Health Journey
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Lost password
      • My account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • Orders
Home » Get Organized & Start Planning » Start Planning Here » Page 3

Are Your Goals a Priority?

November 17, 2019 Leave a Comment

Are your habits a priority? Simple questions to ask yourself to find out | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #bulletjournal #goals

Are your goals a priority? How can you tell? Are you consistently meeting your goals? If not, read on.

In this post, I’ll show you how to determine if the habits and goals you set for yourself are really priorities by following the self-assessment I take and show you the planner layout page I use.

Are Your Goals a Priority?

If you make empty promises without the intent to follow up and do the hard things to accomplish your goal, then I hate to tell you the bad news. Your goal or habit is not really a priority.

Reflecting on your actions will show you whether or not your goal or intended habit is actually a priority in your life or if you’re set up for failure.

A Sure Sign Your Goals are NOT a Priority: Making Empty Promises

Life is full of empty promises that we never intend to keep. We make them to acquaintances and friends. Sure, we’ll get together. I’ll give you a call. We should have dinner sometime. We neglect to set a date, time, or follow-up because we don’t intend to keep the agreement.

Do you also make empty promises to yourself? Have you ever promised that you would start a diet next Monday only to find that it’s #nationaldoughnutday? And decide that you should begin your well-intended diet the next Monday instead?

Are your habits a priority? Simple questions to ask yourself to find out | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #bulletjournal #goals

What Changed the Commitment Rollercoaster?

I was always on this rollercoaster of hollow commitments to myself and never got anywhere. After reading several goal-setting and habit-forming books, there was one thought that kept recurring. All of these goals and habits had to become a priority to become an accomplishment or a formed habit.

Here is the Harsh Truth

The harsh truth is this: your actions show what is really a priority in your life. If it’s a priority to lose weight, you will either skip the doughnuts or plan carefully so you can have the right amount of doughnut and still keep your promise to yourself. Most days, I skip the sweets – and guess what? I’m ok. 

What are Your Empty Promises?

What things in your life do you empty promise – either to yourself or to those around you? Take a hard look at how you spend your time and the actions you take when faced with a hard choice. You’ll soon find out if your goal is really a priority or if it’s just a wish.

What If You’re Not Perfect?

Keep in mind that not every day will be perfect. And most days you’ll have some sort of set back. This is a matter of assessing your overall intentions and actions. This is not an opportunity to rip yourself apart and tear you down. It’s an opportunity to think long and hard about the positive actions you’re taking. Then build on those rather than bash yourself about what you do to hinder your progress.

  • 24-Hour time block stickers for bullet journals and planners | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #productivity
    24-Hour Time Block Number Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
  • 1-31 Number Line for Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers
    Every Day (1-31) Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
  • handmade game board tracker for classrooms, teachers & bullet journals | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker #gameboard
    Printable Tracker Game Board – Turn anything into a game!
    $6.00
    Select options

Goal Example

For instance, I want to learn how to do chalkboard lettering so I can go to other businesses and pitch my talents (it’s a thing). Well, the harsh truth is a big fat NO – I am not making this a priority. 

But here’s what I have done:

I found a really great chalkboard to practice and have all the materials to practice, and I look at it every day. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but I can build on it. If I focus on the positive actions I already have, then all I have to do is change the negative items.

So this is what I would write as my plan to make this goal a priority:

Block out a time every day (or week) to practice chalkboard lettering. Decide which materials I like best to start, but don’t eliminate any upfront. Find some Skillshare classes that teach chalkboard lettering. Use quotes from my monthly quote page so I can have something to practice. Reassess progress in a month.

Continuous Changes to Make Your Habit a Priority

When you do an assessment, it’s not once and done, you make corrections, come back and reassess. What new positive actions have you added to achieve this goal? What obstacles do you face? And the Harsh Truth is always there to give a reality check.

Then set your plan, refocus your attention and energy, and go out and work toward those goals again.

Here’s the Planner Page I created to help me assess whether or not I was serious about the goals I set. You can recreate this in your planner (tag me @chocolatemusingscreates – I’d love to see it!).

Are your habits a priority? Bullet Journal spread with questions to find out| ChocolateMusings.com #habits #bulletjournal #goals

Goal Priority Assessment:

GoalPositive Actions I TakeActions that Hinder my GoalHarsh Truth – am I making this a priority,
Yes or No?
Weight Loss – Weighing in every day
– Recording everything I eat
-Using an app to track everything
-Sticking within my recommended daily allotment
-Snacking too much
-Getting stuck in a rut and not finding healthy alternatives when I want a snack or meal
-Going to the store hungry
-Not planning meals
Yes, but I could do better. The goal is to change my eating habits permanently and affect the rest of my life. Refocus and keep going!

The Plan:

  • Order groceries online so I don’t add snack items as I wander the aisles.
  • Do not shop hungry!
  • Add daily walks back into my schedule.
  • Use my bullet journal to plan meals & shopping lists.
  • Make a list of healthy alternatives and post it on the pantry/fridge door (maybe it will help the kids, too!).
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is find-more-arrow-down-e1569382617571-300x71.png

Want to know more about my weight loss & health journey? I share snippets from my planner and daily activities in my quest. Click on the image above

Other Examples of My Goals in Need of a Priority Assessment:

  • Running a creative business.
  • Creating a how-to doodle book.
  • Getting out of debt.
  • Replace the income from my job.
  • Create a lettering course.
  • Go-to Chalkboard letterer for local businesses.
  • Clutter-Busting (read post #1 & #2)

Here’s your question: What do you want to do?

How to Get Started

What’s the big goal in your life you keep chasing but never seem to get any closer to the end? Follow my example and write down your goal, the things you do consistently to achieve your goal. Then admit to yourself what you struggle doing. Finally, what does the harsh truth say?

Remember: this is not a time to beat yourself up. Capitalize on your positive actions (even if it’s a recurring thought) and build on those.

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Get Inspired, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, Journal Prompts & Ideas, Organization, Start Planning Here Tagged: #BuJo, Bullet Journal, habit, habit creation, journal prompt, prioritize

Notebooks: What’s the Difference Between Ghosting & Bleeding?

September 12, 2019 2 Comments

What’s the difference between Ghosting & Bleeding in a notebook?

What's the difference between ghosting and bleeding in your notebook? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal

Ever heard of the term ghosting or bleeding when bullet journaling or planning? Not sure exactly what ghosting or bleeding means? And what’s the difference between ghosting and bleeding? Don’t worry, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Hint: it does not mean that your planner is haunted or died a tragic death (although my bullet journal fails could argue otherwise).

Ghosting Vs. Bleeding in your notebooks - what's the difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bleeding #bulletjournal

What is Ghosting?

Ghosting in a notebook is when you can see the ink or text you’ve written from the other side of the page. But the ink doesn’t come through to the opposite side. It’s like showing a ghost of the other page.

I used Leuchtturm 1917 A5 notebooks for a long time, and they ghosted on every single page. In all honesty, I didn’t care too much, as long as the ink didn’t bleed through to the other side. But when I started posting consistently on Instagram, I didn’t like the fact that you could see the previous page’s use.

You could say that the previous page haunted me. Oh wait, I said that your notebook wasn’t haunted.

If the ink seeps through the page, that’s when it’s called bleeding.

Ghosting Vs. Bleeding in your notebooks - what's the difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bleeding #bulletjournal

What is Bleeding?

When you write on one page, and the ink appears in full color on the opposite page, in spots or blotches or more. I find that notebooks bleed when they can’t handle the amount of liquid a pen or marker lays onto the page.

I started using fountain pens in my notebooks, but have reverted to gel pens and fine liners. But using Tombow Dual Brush Pens and Crayola Supertips for headers and coloring is almost non-negotiable for me and a notebook, so the pages have to withstand some coloring abuse. I also like to watercolor (with limited water in most journals). This tends to break through the fibers and bleeds through, especially if you use too much water.

Recommended Post: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal

Too much water trying to blend the marker made the ink bleed through | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal

How Can You Test for Ghosting or Bleeding in a Notebook?

When starting a new notebook, I flip to the end pages and do a pen test using the most common pens & markers in my planner. Scribbles that Matter notebooks have a page at the back dedicated as a pen test.

TIP: I write the name of the ink/pen I’m using so I remember what it is in the future.

When Doing a Pen Test:

When you do a pen test, put the paper through more extreme examples than you might regularly use in a planner. I do this and it helps me know what the limits are on the paper.

For instance: I take the darkest Tombow Dual Brush Markers and layer them and blend them until perfectly blended. I find that most paper starts bleeding on the 2nd to 3rd layer. Using consistently dark colors will give you a better idea for ghosting as well. Light colors won’t show up as much.

Now you know what ghosting and bleeding are, and how to test for them in your notebooks. Happy Planning!

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

Use a pen test page in the back of your notebook to see if your favorite pens bleed or ghost in your new notebook! | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #planner

2 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Bullet Journal Fails, Get Organized & Start Planning, Start Planning Here Tagged: Bullet Journal, bullet journal fails, pen test, planning

Two Things to do Every Night to Have More Productive Days

August 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

Two things to do every night to have more productive days | ChocolateMusings.com #productivity #organization

Here are two things to do every night to have more productive days. Since I started doing these two small tasks every night, my days are much more focused and productive.

Number One Thing I Do Every Night to Have More Productive Days:

Clean up before you go to bed.

I’m not talking about breaking out the mop and scrubbing the floors. I simply mean that I straighten my desk. Put away markers, straighten papers, stow electronics. When I’m creating, my office gets very messy.

I try to keep my desk clear when I’m creating videos for my YouTube channel or taking photos for the blog or Instagram, but around the perimeter of the video, the markers spill out of their box, drawers flung open, supplies riffled through and disheveled. You’ll find paintbrushes strewn about the surface, resting on paper towels, sticky notes and open notebooks laying about. It’s really quite embarrassing.

Is Your Work Area Like a College Dorm Party From the Night Before?

Don’t you hate waking up and have to clean up after last night’s mess? Your work area looks like a college dorm party where you wonder what happened the night before. How could you have caused this much mayhem? You probably don’t remember any of this.

A Little Goes a Long Way to Have More Productive Days

If I straighten my desk and put back the pieces in their respective places, I wake up ready to work and surprisingly more alert. The same goes for my kitchen and living room. If I put away the dishes and generally straighten the counters, my morning is much smoother. Before the kids go to bed, I have them tidy the living room.

Little Tasks – Huge Impact

These small actions have a significant impact on the next morning’s productivity and enthusiasm for being productive. 

If you haven’t conquered the magic of tidying before going to bed – give it a try: spend 5-10 minutes and straighten your main work areas or areas of your home that tend to be a distraction. You’ll see the difference in your mindset.  It’s so refreshing to be ready for the new day instead of cleaning up last night’s mess.

The second thing I do every night to have more productive days:

Plan the next day. 

I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times. But it works. Write down your top three focuses for the day, make sure you have school notes signed for your kids and put back in backpacks. Set out any other supplies you need next to your planner to get started with your fresh, new morning. I like to leave my planner open on my desk, turned to the correct page, so it’s the first thing I see.

Add a To-Do List

Leave a sticky note or a loose page with ideas, instructions, to-do lists, and other details for the day. In the morning, it’s easier to jump right into your tasks instead of trying to remember what you intended to do.

Both of these items are kind of ‘duh’ moments. I know I’ve heard these two little productivity hacks hundreds of times – but usually not paired together. Cleaning up my work areas and other important (and distracting) areas of my house plus planning the next day the night before are both game-changers.

The best productivity comes not just after straightening or merely planning for the next day but when paired together. If you want to have more productive days, give these two suggestions a try.

What do you do to create a productive day? 

Two Things to do Every Night to Have More Productive Days | ChocolateMusings.com #productivity #planning #organization

Want More Ways to Organize Your Life? Check out These Posts:

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, Organization, Start Planning Here Tagged: create organizing habits, get organized, organization

Weekly Time Block Spreads for Your Bullet Journal

August 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

A Month of Timeblock weekly layouts | Chocolatemusings.com #productivity #productivitylayouts #timeblock

All About Productivity – Weekly Time Block Spreads

This month is all about productivity (and trial and error)! I created several different time-blocking layouts for the month of August and want to try them out. One thing I discovered is that I have a very boring schedule. It’s the same every day of the week. But I really enjoyed coming up with a month’s worth of weekly time block spreads to try out! I hope you find some inspiration. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!

Weekly Spread Ideas: Time Blocking (+Video Plan with Me) | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #timeblock #minimal

The Plan

After looking at several different time block layouts, I decided that I didn’t need to block out time for sleeping. I would track my ‘awake’ hours only and not fill space with scheduling my sleep. I made a time-blocking spread a couple of years ago (please don’t look, it’s embarrassing) and I still get questions about it.

Watch the Plan With Me Video Below & Be Sure to Subscribe!

Weekly Time block Spread Ideas & Layouts

Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread #afterthepen | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Bullet Journal Time Block Spread with Highlighter Stripes | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Bullet Journal Time Block Spread with Highlighter Stripes | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread

Since time blocks take up so much room on the page, there are only a few ways I could think of to customize each page. Each one is slightly different, and in pursuit of productivity, I want to find out which layout I prefer. The first week I highlighted every other line – but I didn’t find that necessary after the first week.

A Month of Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread

Solve a Problem – Number Stickers

Time Block Number Stickers Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers

I figured with so many planners and spreads with time blocking, there must be something to it. But I’ve always hated writing the numbers over and over again. Because it never fails! I start daydreaming while I’m writing and I skip a number or get off sequence. I solved my problem by creating hourly time blocking stickers that work perfectly in a 5mm grid.

Since I’m tracking only my ‘awake’ hours, I cut the hours of the day I want and stick them to the page. That’s how they work for me, and it could work for you in your own way – and isn’t it about creating a method that works for us individually?

If you like the numbers, find them in my shop!

  • 1-31 Number Line for Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers
    Every Day (1-31) Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
  • 24-Hour time block stickers for bullet journals and planners | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #productivity
    24-Hour Time Block Number Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart

Do you use time-blocking? How does it work for you? What spreads have you used for your time blocking?

Here Are Some Great Supplies for Minimal Bullet Journaling

  • 1-31 Number Line for Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers
    Every Day (1-31) Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
  • 24-Hour time block stickers for bullet journals and planners | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #productivity
    24-Hour Time Block Number Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
Weekly Spread Ideas: Time Blocking (+Video Plan with Me) | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #timeblock #minimal

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2019, Planner Spreads, Start Planning Here Tagged: productivity, time-blocking, timeblocking, weekly

Ideally Planned: Year, Quarter, Month Week & Day – How To Create Your Own ‘Ideal’

February 25, 2019 1 Comment

Ideal Year Month Week and Day | How to Make Your Own Ideal Plans | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #idealday #idealweek #bulletjournal #bujo

Ever since reading the 12-Week Year by Brian Morgan I think less in 12-month calendar time increments and more in quarters or months. I started questioning why I have to live off of someone else’s designated quarters. So I set up my own quarterly calendar. Ideally planned is what I call it. It fits me, and my life. I’ll give you a break down of my ‘ideal’, but my ideally planned life will not fit yours. Customize to your heart’s content.

My Year in Quarters

The future log in my planner happened to break it out perfectly by section:

Spring Quarter: February, March, & April

Summer Quarter: May, June, & July

Fall Quarter: August, September, & October

Winter Quarter: November, December, & January

Ideal Year Month Week and Day | How to Make Your Own Ideal Plans | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #idealday #idealweek #bulletjournal #bujo

How It Worked Out

My kiddos go back to school the first week of August, so that month doesn’t really feel like summer. I never feel ready to start a new year right after December and the whole slew of holidays beginning the end of October through December, so that’s why I figured I’d align the quarters and start a new year in February. The Chinese do it, so I think I’m in the majority. To clarify – it’s not about being in the majority. It’s about making things fit the way I need them to fit into my life.

One thing led to another, and I created an ‘Ideal Year, Month, Week & Day.’ It was very eye-opening how much time I have, and how much time I…don’t have. If you want to set priorities, I highly recommend creating an ‘ideal’ plan. Start with your ideal day and work backward. Or start with your ‘ideal year’ (things you do during certain times of the year) and work forward.

Things I do in the different Quarters of the Year:

  • Spring: Refresh my house by cleaning, decluttering, setting goals, planning for family vacations
  • Summer: Family Vacation, Back to School Planning
  • Fall: Plan for next year’s calendar year, Recipe Revisions
  • Winter: Focus on What Matters

There’s something about the promise of blossoms and blooms that renews my energy and love for life. As I figure it out, I will add miscellaneous house cleaning tasks. But I haven’t gotten there, yet.

Ideal Year Month Week and Day | How to Make Your Own Ideal Plans | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #idealday #idealweek #bulletjournal #bujo

Monthly Planning

If there were a weak link in my ideally planned spread, monthlies would be it. I love how planning out your ‘ideals’ shows you your weaknesses and what you can improve. To figure out my ideally planned month, first, I’ll start with a list of things to do every single month. Then break them down and assign them to specific days or weeks throughout the month.

For instance: on the last Sunday of the month, I back up photos, videos and do general digital upkeep on my files. New blog post out on Sundays & Thursdays, Newsletter 3rd Friday of each month. Plan for the next month when there are 2 full weeks left in the month. On the 1st of the month, I do an inventory of statistics.

A cleaning schedule breaks out nicely into monthly and weekly plans. From a financial standpoint indicate bill-pay days and paydays.

Ideal Year Month Week and Day | How to Make Your Own Ideal Plans | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #idealday #idealweek #bulletjournal #bujo

Ideal Week Plans

Of course, these plans ebb and flow with life and may change from week to week. This is the reason why my plans are ‘ideal.’ Knowing where to focus my efforts for family or cleaning on any given day when I have a small slot of time to get all the things done.

The other day, I listened to a radio host breaking down the hours in the week. If there are 24 hours in a day x 7 days per week =168 hours per week, subtract 8 hours per day for sleeping (who gets that much sleep in a day on a regular basis?!), remove the hours at work (typically 40 hours) and you have 72 hours left. My goodness, that sounds like a lot left over.

It got me thinking about what occupies my time. In my case, I have three kiddos, and they require (and I intend to give) a lot of time. Self-care time (including showers and getting ready), dinner prep, travel time and a myriad of other things. So if I could block like items together (even more than I do, already), it’s possible to conserve precious hours and minutes.

What do you do on a particular day of the week? I find that I get more laundry done if I assign it to a specific day. I clean my bathroom regularly if I know it’s Wednesday.  Adding recurring events like my son’s scouts on Thursdays helps me to not over-plan that evening.

Ideal Year Month Week and Day | How to Make Your Own Ideal Plans | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #idealday #idealweek #bulletjournal #bujo

Ideal Day Planning

This section was a HUGE eye-opener. I realized how much time I don’t have. So I have to choose what I want to do. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. If it’s not that important, reconsider. Time is a precious element every single day. Visually organizing my days, weeks, months, and years showed me just that. And emphasized how important it is to prioritize.

How to Make Your Own “Ideal” Plans

Not sure where to start? I recommend starting big and working down. Map out your year. Do you change batteries in your smoke detector in the Spring? When are your family vacations? Do you seem to always clean your house in the spring or hold garage sales when the weather turns nice? What about holiday shopping? Do you wish to have that all said and done by the end of October so you can enjoy the holiday season without the stress? Well, that’s a good thing to plan.

How to Make Your Own Ideal Plans | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #idealday #idealweek #bulletjournal #bujo

Ideal Year Plans

Ideal Year: Recurring events or tasks throughout the Year – for me I broke it into quarters.

However, you might break it month-to-month. For instance, if you have kids, do you shop for school supplies in August or July?

Ideal Month Plans

What tasks do you need to do each month? Can you assign them to a particular week or a specific day? Make a list of all the things you do. Cleaning, bills, tasks. See where it all fits in. You can make a calendar view here or add a second section where you list the days numerically. 1st & 15th – paydays. 5th, mortgage due. Etc.

Do you have recurring events? Include those so you can plan around those items.

Ideal Week Plans

What days do you feel stretched too thin? Are you scheduling too heavy on those days? What can you prioritize? For instance: if you have dance and soccer on Tuesdays for your kids and you’re gone from the moment the kids get out of school to the second they go to bed, scheduling laundry on that day is probably not a good idea.

Do you have any other recurring tasks to do during the week? Figure out what those recurring items and pencil them in. Move them around until it makes sense. Ideally planned is another word for ‘makes sense in my life’. At least in my opinion.

Ideal Day

Now, this is where things get real. List the hours in a day and plan out the big things first. Sleep, work, commute. Then start adding the smaller items around those scheduled chunks of time. Dinner prep and eating dinner seem to take up a good part of the time.

After the smaller ‘have to’ tasks appear on your day, start prioritizing. It’s not about how much time you have, it’s about how much priority you give the things in your life. I wanted to schedule more time for developing my business but saw that I took away time from my kids. I know they are a high priority and had to make a choice. Kids won out. Efficiency just became more important than ever.

Need help getting things done? Set a time to do a certain task. And include it in your habit tracker.

Check out my list of Mid-Month Habit Check Posts Here – there are so many things in my life I’ve improved by keeping a habit tracker.

What gets measured, gets managed - Peter Drucker

Side note: I saw someone on Instagram who planned their ideal day and left nearly 4 hours to sleep every night. If that’s ideal to you, by all means, miss out on those precious zzz’s. But sleep is a huge part of my self-care regimen, so I schedule it out. I discovered when I scheduled my sleep, I made an effort to go to sleep then.

What is Ideally Planned – Really?

For me, ideally planned is not all about fantasy and the perfect life, it’s about the realities that we deal with regularly and how to map it out so life does not overwhelm us on any given day. Creating an ideally planned life allows you to map out your life on paper and show you where your strengths and weaknesses are. Any day life doesn’t overwhelm me, is an ideal day. You’ll have to define what ‘ideal’ means to you.

1 Comment
Filed Under: #InMy10Minutes, Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, Organization, Planner Spreads, Start Planning Here Tagged: Bullet Journal, ideal day, ideal month, ideal week, ideally planned, life questions

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »

About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Etsy
  • Facebook

Cart

Browse Products

  • State Outline - Wyoming State Outline - Wyoming $10.00
  • Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
  • State Outline - Arkansas State Outline - Arkansas $10.00
  • State Outline - Idaho State Outline - Idaho $10.00

Search ChocolateMusings.com

Categories

What Do You Want to Do Today?


 

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2025

Copyright © 2025 · Exquisite Damask Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...