124. Want to be organized, productive and plan ahead all at the same time? Do this ONE thing every week to make it happen! | Productivity, time blocking, schedules, routines, systems, time management

124. Want to be organized, productive and plan ahead all at the same time? 7 tips to plan your entire week in an hour or less! Do this ONE thing every week to make it happen! What's the one thing? Your weekly plan sesh! Learn my simple system to get organized and plan ahead every weekend for the upcoming week.  Weekly Plan Sesh:  1. Set time aside every weekend for your Weekly Plan Sesh - schedule out your planning sesh - same time, same day, same place and in the same planner every week. Consistency is key to creating and sticking to a new habit.  2. Mind Sweep - Take all your to do's cluttering your mind and do a mind sweep! Simply list out anything that you need to get done within the upcoming week.  3. Mini Lists - Narrow down your to do list (using my "ADE" method - automate, delegate, eliminate) & categorize your to do's into mini lists. Combine like items into one list & Label each list - each list will become a time block in your upcoming weekly block schedule.  4. Weekly Foundations - The regular tasks you need to do on a weekly basis to maintain balance & thrive. What tasks will help you stay in maintenance mode? Think about my THRIVE METHOD - Time (Planning/calendaring), Home (homemaking tasks - meal plan/prep/shop, cleaning, laundry, etc), Relationships (God, marriage, kids, family, friends, etc), Impact & Income (work/finances), Value Yourself (self care/personal goals), Empower others (service/volunteering).  5. Week at a Glance - Write down the schedule highlights for each day for the upcoming week, along with a menu plan next to each day that coincides with what you have going on that day. Ex. Busy Monday - Tball practice, dance practice and family fun night... Do a slow cooker meal for dinner! It's that simple. Busy days get lighter/easier meals, slower days get to be a little nicer meal wise.  6. Weekly Block Schedule - Set up your weekly blocks & begin with your weekly foundations. Then add in your newly created time blocks (the labeled mini lists will each become their own time block). Use highlighters and color code/label each time block.  7. Leave White Space in your Schedule - Don't over schedule yourself! Make room for white space - breathing room in your calendar/schedule. Don't schedule out every minute - that's just a recipe for burnout and hot mess moms. Steer clear of wearing business as a badge of honor - think "less is more" - when it comes to planning out your week. You can always add things to white space time blocks as needed, but it's so much harder to take away time blocks that are already scheduled in and feel urgent. You've got this! Keep some time blocks open for breaks, breathing room, chill time, time to relax and rejuvenate, time to play with your kids, etc. It also gives you a buffer/cushion incase a baby has a blowout, a toddler has a tantrum, a child gets sick, a friend knocks on the door and wants to do a spur of the moment get together, etc. Don't be so rigid in your scheduling that you forget to make time for spontaneity! Remember - We aren't here to survive Mama, you were born to THRIVE! So make time for FUN! Visit our website for our FREE printables, shop our planners/printables, check out what's new on the BLOG, etc. @ http://www.highfivemotherhood.com