Purposeful Planning: No More Flying By the Seat of My Pants

It's January. Calendars and planners are on display in the center aisle of the office supply store, and beautiful journals tempt shoppers at the local book store. Some seem too pretty to write in, and others look so complicated that they will probably sit, unused, on someone's desk collecting dust. After inspecting ten or twenty possibilities, I plunk down my money on something I think will get me organized at last. But now what? Will that little book get my house in order? Well, it might help -- if I actually use it. The question is, how?

I have set aside some time each day for Bible reading and prayer. I've established a habit of doing thirty minutes of maintenance in the morning, before getting seriously involved in anything else. I have planned a strategy of attack, with a five-week cycle, for decluttering and cleaning my house. I have cleared the clutter from my mind by writing everything down in my spiral notebook. I have a good calendar with plenty of space to write reminders. And I've started a project notebook with dividers for each area of my house, plus personal projects and goals. So now that I have all these lists and ideas, how do I make them work for me? Now that I know where I want to go, can I figure out how to get there? By purposefully planning my days, I will get closer to my destination.

First, I have a weekly routine. This is a general plan for what gets done each day. One day is reserved for shopping, so the day before that I clean out the refrigerator and get my meals planned and grocery list made. A couple days are set aside for extra attention to projects. Mondays, I shovel out the mess from the weekend. This is also the day I do my Weekly Review. Every Monday morning, I will sit down with my spiral notebook, calendar, and project notebook to make my plans for the week.

Weekly Review

• I review the list in my spiral notebook to see if there are any items that should be transferred to my calendar or project notebook. Perhaps I have been asked to play my flute for a special church service in three weeks. I will transfer that note to my calendar so I don't forget. Maybe I noticed that my recipe file is a mess and the area rug in the living room needs replaced. I have written these things down on my list, so now I will transfer them to my project notebook in the kitchen and living room sections. 
• I check my calendar for activities that must be done this week. Perhaps I see that I am scheduled to play my flute this coming Sunday. I will be reminded to get out my music and work on that sometime during the week. I will also note in which area of the house I will be working -- kitchen, living room, or whatever.
• I look at my project notebook in the appropriate section and decide if there are any things listed that can be done this week. Perhaps I should straighten out those recipes if I am working in the kitchen. Or if this is the week for the living room, I may start looking for an area rug. I will also look at the personal projects and goals section to determine which of these activities I can schedule this week. By having these things written down, I see them regularly and am reminded to spend some time on personal goals.
• Now I can choose which projects to do on what day and write those down in my calendar.  I can schedule errands to be run on days when I have the car and am already out and about. And those days when I don't have to go anywhere, I can get into more involved projects. I can decide what we are going to eat for dinner each day, keeping in mind certain days that might call for quick and easy meals. I might even  find some time in my schedule for sewing or painting! 

Now that my plans are made for the week, I can look at my calendar each morning while I sip my coffee, and prepare for the day's activities. No more flying by the seat of my pants! I now have a plan with a purpose. And now I can get to work!