Happy New Year! While 2021 has certainly started eventfully in the US with successful Senate runoffs, a White supremacist coup attempt, and ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, little has changed in my day to day life (well, except increased news consumption). In this post, I thought I’d give an overview of my current planning setup for 2021. I have three basic types of planning: projects, action, and future. Each type has its own set of tools and review timeline.
Projects
This is the part of my planning where I organize all of the various tasks and projects for each area of my life (Personal/Home, Professor, Dance, Side Projects), with a focus on the semester level (currently, Spring 2021). I reset this system each semester (Spring, Summer, and Fall, though I guess this technically makes it trimesters). My main tool for this planning type is Trello, which I’ve discussed many times on this blog! However, I also have some analog systems, namely a workbox (per the Organize 365 system) and discbound notebook for each area of life. The workbox basically parallels my Trello board, but is for things that come to me in paper form. The notebook is for meeting notes and initial project planning, which I usually do on paper before transferring into a Trello board for long term planning.
Action
Although I like to keep the areas of my life separate for higher level planning, any given day or week includes most, if not all, of these areas. So, when I’m planning at a more micro level (weekly and daily) I don’t separate these areas out, although I do color code them for a nice overview of how they are fitting together and to keep me on track about the various amounts of time I want to spend on each one.
At the weekly level, my main tool is Google Calendar. As described in this post, I keep different calendars (e.g. ideal week, schedule, family) that I reconcile into a plan for each week during my weekly planning session. As my ideal week has slots already scheduled for each area of life, I generally try to just add details (e.g. my new book project in the research block). I always move things around, and it never works out perfectly, but this is fine as it’s just a guide to keep me on track.
Once I have the weekly plan, I make daily adjustments. For daily planning, my main tools are the Inkwell Press Daily Planner, combined with a light-up pen (so I can review my day at night while waiting for my daughter to fall asleep) and Zebra Mildliners (so I can colorcode!). Each morning, I consult my weekly Google calendar to make my plan for the day (on the left side of the schedule). As I go through the day, I record what actually happens on the right side.
I particularly like the Inkwell Press daily because it has the page divided up into sections, which I use to track various activities during the day. In the “Escalate” section I record any tasks that have to happen that day, and I track habits in the “Cultivate” section. I use the “Accommodate” section for things that pop into my head during the day, but that I don’t have to address right away and record my meals in the Notes section. At the end of each day, I do a quick review, filling in the day’s main accomplishment, what I could improve, and what I’m grateful for in the boxes as the bottom.
Future
This is the category for goal-setting and rhythmic seasonal planning. For both of these, I try to think at the annual level, and I have two tools to help me with this this year, the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets and a circular calendar. I’ve used the Powersheets before (2017) and found them useful, but I didn’t really have the bandwidth to think at the annual level at that time. Since I’ve worked hard on project limits this year, I think I might be able to pull this off in 2021, so I’m giving them another try based on the recommendation of Katie Linder.
The circular calendar was an exciting find for me because this is how I actually picture the year, and I’m excited to use it to plot out seasonal rhythms of the year for the various areas of my life (e.g. summer programs, classes, holidays, etc.) as well as goals in each area (trying to stick to one goal per area at a time!). Once I feel better about writing down future events (post pandemic) I think it will be even more useful! To fill it out, I use a compass to make pencil lines, and then highlight them in with the Zebra Mildliners.
Archive
I keep my paper planners and some of my paper notes by compiling them into one discbound notebook for the year. I don’t reference these that often, but it is nice to go back to them sometimes. I also archive my “Done” list every semester in Trello and start a new one, and archive any project boards after they are completed. I also sometimes go back to check these (for example if I’m starting a similar project) so this is useful too.
So, that is my 2021 planning system! Let me know what system you’re using, and if you’re trying anything new in the comments!
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