Are you a busy mom running from activity to activity feeling behind all the time? Do you ever get to the end of the day sure that you forgot something important? Does everyone in your household seem to rely on you for remembering their schedules also?
If any of these questions resound with you then you’re in the right place. Because this is basically how I feel most every day. And to combat this overwhelmed and chaotic feeling, I use my secret weapon: a free printable weekly planner sheet.
I used to scour the office supply stores looking for the perfect planner that I could use all year long only to come up empty. So I created my own weekly planning sheet that I can print out each week and map out where I need to be and when.
So, if you’re not sure if you can benefit from creating a weekly planner, then keep reading to see my top six benefits of using a weekly planning sheet.
Benefit 1: Schedule your priorities
Does it always seem to feel like fires that pop up midweek tend to take over and monopolize all your time? If you don’t schedule in advance, you’ll never get all your important tasks done. And yes, there will be times when the water heater breaks and you end up with a flood in the basement. So you’ll need to adjust.
However, if there seems to be an emergency every single week then you need to readjust what your priorities are and learn how to deal with these fires. Is it more about your kids forgetting their lunch and you had to circle back to the house before heading off to get your own stuff done? That’s fine, and I have certainly done it more times than I care to admit, but at the end of the day, if you have your habits and routines in place then hopefully it won’t happen as much.
Benefit 2: Gives you balance
As you look at your weekly plan, do you have one area that is over-represented? If so, then you either need to add more of the underrepresented area or cut back on the one taking over.
Granted, remember there will always be weeks where you need to focus on something hardcore. But make sure that at the end of that phase that you actually finish and walk away.
It’s okay to take a season to focus on one particular area of your life. But don’t let that one particular area start to take over your priorities leaving other areas neglected. If you focus solely on your career to the detriment of your health or relationships, where will that get you? To the top of the career ladder, out of shape and lonely. And you don’t want that.
So look at your weekly plan sheet with an extra careful eye for balance to ensure that all your priorities are getting enough attention.
Benefit 3: It’s easier to keep track of all your responsibilities
On a similar note to the last section, you’re more than just a mom or just an employee. You’re also a wife and a sister and a homemaker and a community citizen. You have many different roles in your life and you wear many different hats. It can be complicated to try to keep track of them all in your head.
In one of my favorite books on time management, Lee Cockerell talks about going to a coffee shop every morning at 6:30 am to write out his several different roles and what tasks and priorities need to be fulfilled for each role.
This will ensure that you don’t drop the ball on any role while focusing too much on another. (PS – that guy ran all of Disney World, so he knows a thing or two about getting things done! And if you’re like me, you’ll love his very low-tech solution so check it out!).
Benefit 4: You’ll feel like you actually accomplished something
Do you ever get to the end of the week and think ‘what did I even do this week?’ If this is you then, having a schedule will show you just how much you get done. It’s hard to remember how much we get done when all we’re looking at is a never-ending to-do list. But you are getting a lot of things done.
So, when you schedule your priorities then you want to cross them off when they get done. And, at the end of the week, you can look back and feel proud about just how much you did actually get done. Stop looking at your to-do list that never seems to get fully completed. And start looking back at just how much you did get done and realize you did accomplish something each week.
Benefit 5: It’s easier to share with others
If you’re trying to keep your entire schedule straight in your head it will eventually lead to one of two things happening. Either you’ll end up forgetting something or your family will become solely dependent on you to remember everything. I know for me, option C is the case and they both end up happening.
It’s so much easier to make a weekly plan and then post it on the fridge. This way everyone knows what is expected of them and when. Nobody is asking when their soccer game is or what afternoon they’re staying after school for math camp. Instead, they can look at the schedule and see for themselves.
And if you’re like me, you can also write each night’s dinner on the schedule so everyone can stop asking what’s for dinner. (Why do I hate that question so much?!)
Benefit 6: You’ll bring calm into your home and decrease stress
After all, isn’t that what we’re all going for? Aren’t we all trying to move away from the total chaos that seems to run our everyday lives?
And for me, that is exactly what my weekly plan sheet does. It brings calm to a chaotic world. It shows me a realistic view of what I can actually get done. When I’m making a linear to-do list it can be easy to get carried away and make it too long. But there are only so many hours on your weekly plan sheet.
And when you can see in a very visual format just how busy your days are then you won’t try to cram too much into your schedule. And when you see a certain day that has a lot of responsibilities scheduled you can plan ahead with a crockpot meal so you know at least dinner is taken care of.
You need a free printable weekly planner sheet
As you can see there are several great benefits to creating a weekly plan sheet. So, if you’re ready to start living a calmer and less chaotic life, then you need a weekly planner printable.
My free printable weekly planner sheet is exactly what I use to see my entire schedule at a glance.
I can ensure that I keep balance to my week and not neglect any of my many responsibilities. And if you feel like you’re being pulled in too many directions, or if you’re neglecting an important area of your life, then you need to download my free printable and start planning your week with me.
