Best Laid Plans

BLP Ep #126: Last Q/A + Listener Tips Ep 2022!

December 27, 2022

A day late, but I didn’t want to have a gap in my show notes pages!!

In the very last BLP of the year, I answer some questions + share some great tips sent in by listeners.

Topics include:

1) Goal setting in a year with a new baby – take it very easy on yourself! Those post-baby years are no joke. Keep it minimal and centered around things to help you weather the challenges ahead!

2) Planner move-In rituals – while my planner move-in is often somewhat gradual, I love sitting with my planner, any calendar resources, nice pens + washi while watching something relaxing (often planner YouTube!). This is often on a Friday night in then fall while my kids watch a movie. Yes I am that cool.

3) Ideas for blank calendar spreads + trackers in the Hobonichi planners – SO many ideas out there! Books, media, travel, quotes, ideas – anything! Hobonichi reddit (or IG) is a great place to look for inspiration.

4) Fitness planner recs: Commit30, Simplified, or a regular EC Softbound would be great options!

5) Keeping track of tasks/to do items captured on the fly in multiple locations: commit to just a couple of locations! Agree the issue is too many. Think about ONE digital and ONE analog capture – perhaps you email yourself, or you use an apple notes list that you clear every day (ritual), or write analog directly into a daily planner that you process at the end of each day. The key is not the specific tool but a) having a minimal number of tools and b) having a set ritual to process these capture tools on regular intervals.

Listener Tips include:

1) Year Compass for a free goal-setting resource: here!

2) Using an app to share mental load duties with a partner (she did not share the specific app, but I love the concept! I’ve heard of people using Things or Apple Notes to do this!)

Episode Sponsors:

Plan to Eat: Meal planning with your own favorite recipes. Best Laid Plans listeners can get a 25% discount on a yearly subscription by signing up for a free trial at plantoeat.com/plans

8 Comments

  • Reply Lori C December 27, 2022 at 11:43 am

    I listened to this episode yesterday on my run and it was great! I checked out the free planning resource (amazing), and made mental notes about your response to the “to dos on the fly” question because I completely identified with the struggle. Great episode thank you!

    • Reply Lori C December 27, 2022 at 11:44 am

      Oh and I even went looking for that roommate app because I loved that tip too!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger December 27, 2022 at 12:02 pm

      awww yay! thank you!!

  • Reply Chelsea December 27, 2022 at 7:24 pm

    Wrong podcast, but I was excited about your decision to get super shoes 🙂 When I got to the start of the Marquette Marathon everyone was wearing the exact same style of Nike Alphaflys. It really is a different feeling.

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger December 27, 2022 at 8:27 pm

      Hahaha yep! Will be my first allowance purchase in the new year so I can wear them for my half (and a probably 2-3 training runs prior)

  • Reply Anupama January 7, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    Hi Sarah!
    A few comments and a question:
    I’m moving into one new planner, while i continue my April start (so that one is not a move in right now) and in Feb/March to decide if I stay with the new one “alone” or purchase another April start to complement.

    I track my exercise in Strava–so easy–and it syncs with work so I can get “credit” for the wellness program there. It’s time for me to go back in and see if I can “print out” a year to check trends.

    Printed out my year compass, what a great resource. I used my “nicer” standard printer paper. Would prefer a paper that is more fun to write on. Do you have recommendations on paper that will feed through home laser printer and is more like for example Leuchtterm or MDpaper (and dotted corners)?

  • Reply Anupama January 7, 2023 at 4:50 pm

    “dot grid”

  • Reply Susan January 11, 2023 at 7:32 am

    I completely endorse this idea of too many capture places. I am working on Friday Planning after reading TBT so all digital reminders get set for Friday at 10am (when I plan). All paper reminders go in the notebook that I loosely use as a planner that sits on my desk.

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.