Today's episode is devoted to the Ideal Week exercise, a practice where you put your ideal week onto paper (or screen) using an hourly format. This can be done on paper using a template or an old vertical weekly planner, or on screen via an electronic calendar or even by writing on a pdf using an app.
Sarah discusses nuances of this exercise, components she includes, and variations on the idea (Ideal Month, anyone?).
A free ideal week template was included in the March newsletter - if you'd like a copy, feel free to send an email to sarah.hart.unger@gmail.com!
Episode Sponsors:
PrepDish: Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first two weeks free!
Jenni Kayne: Find perfect winter pieces at at jennikayne.com. Use code PLANS at checkout to get 15% off your first order and support the show!
CONTACT:
Email: sarah.hart.unger@gmail.com
Voice questions: https://www.speakpipe.com/bestlaidplans
Info on Best Laid Plans at Home: theshubox.com/courses
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Your Ideal Week EP 190

Welcome to Best Laid Plans -- a podcast all about planning and the planning tools we love. From planning techniques and organizing philosophies to planners and notebooks, we cover it all. Host Sarah Hart-Unger is a mother of 3, physician, podcasting pro, and a lover of lists and all things paper! Listen in weekly for conversations about planning and productivity as well as product reviews and interviews with planning experts!

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Self-Improvement

Today's episode is a planning-adjacent topic! Sarah opens with a bit about her own decorating and organizing challenges and then interviews author Myquillyn Smith, an expert on decorating and creating functional spaces within the home.
They chat about many planning-related aspects of big home projects, including how to get started when it all seems daunting, tools for tracking home projects, and an incredibly useful framework for order of operations. Myquillyn prizes functional decorating and creating a home that truly works for then ways you use it.
Her beautiful new book, House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget can be found wherever books are sold.
Find Myquillyn at thenester.com and @thenester on IG.
Episode Sponsors:
Factor: Visit factormeals.com/plans50 and use plans50 to get 50% off your first box, plus 20% off your next month!
Jenni Kayne: Find perfect transitional spring pieces at at jennikayne.com. Use code PLANS at checkout to get 15% off your first order and support the show!
PrepDish: Super convenient and delicious meal plans straight to your inbox! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first two weeks, FREE!
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Decor, Cozy Minimalism, and Creating a Functional Home with Myquillyn Smith EP 196

In today's episode, Sarah provides a more in-depth review of two NOLTY April-start monthly planners, and then provides updates on the latest releases from Erin Condren (some excited changes to their Daily Duo!) and Simplified (so pretty).
She then shares her own planner switchup for Spring!

Episode Sponsors:
Jenni Kayne: Find perfect transitional spring pieces at at jennikayne.com. Use code PLANS at checkout to get 15% off your first order and support the show!
Factor: Delicious and fresh already-prepared meals delivered to your door. Head to factormeals.com/plans50 and use code plans50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next box!
PrepDish: Super convenient and delicious meal plans straight to your inbox! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first two weeks, FREE!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring Planner Releases (Erin Condren, Simplified, and NOLTY) + Some Planner Switchups! EP 195

Today's episode features a planner peace submission that was so intriguing that it warranted an entire episode! Our listener Erin has a lot on her plate (full time job, 2 kids, volunteer work, caring for relatives, and more!) -- and she has put together and incredibly comprehensive system that brings her to a current state of Planner Peace! Rather than a stack, she's combined digital and physical elements from her favorite tools to create a streamlined system.
Products Discussed:
1) The Remarkable2 Tablet: https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2
2) Day Designer Monthly: https://www.bluesky.com/collections/day-designer-for-blue-sky
3) Organize 365 Sunday Basket: https://organize365.com/sunday-basket/
4) Artful Agenda (she syncs with Google Calendar): https://artfulagenda.com
5) Trello: https://trello.com
6) MaskeLife: http://makselife.com
7) Clean Mama: https://cleanmama.com
You can find Erin (and submit questions to her directly!) through her family's photography account, @lukepearson.photography !
Episode Sponsors:
Jenni Kayne: Find perfect transitional spring pieces at at jennikayne.com. Use code PLANS at checkout to get 15% off your first order and support the show!
Factor: Delicious and fresh already-prepared meals delivered to your door. Head to factormeals.com/plans50 and use code plans50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next box!
PrepDish: Super convenient and delicious meal plans straight to your inbox! Check out PrepDish.com/plans for your first two weeks, FREE!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Planner Peace: Remarkable2 + Digital/Paper Hybrid System with Erin Peth EP 194

Welcome to April's Q&A/Tips episode!
Sarah shares a brief recap of her family vacation (and getting back into life!) and then brings April's Q&A + Tips.
Topics:
1) Quarters in the Southern Hemisphere - an Australian listener reports back!
2) Cool idea for repurposing an unused planner into a paper Second Brain/Collections Notebook/Master Planner
3) App rec for routine building for those with ADHD/time blindness: Brili https://brili.com
4) 5 Year Journal Recs
Midori: https://www.jetpens.com/Midori-5-Year-Diary-Embroidered-Beige/pd/29115
Hobonichi: https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/5year/
Unbound: https://unboundplanner.com/products/five-year-journal
Levenger: https://www.levenger.com/collections/journals/products/5-year-journal?variant=43396629627029#
5) Convincing others to plan and work on routines in a household with multiple members that have ADHD
6) Listener feedback with ideas for planning an international move - use time horizon AND category and try a shared list platform!
7) Idea for life planning workbook for the listener in career transition: The Silk & Sonder Life Workbook: https://www.silkandsonder.com/products/life-workbook

Find show notes + contact info at theshubox.com
Newsletter: theshubox.com/newsletter

Episode Sponsors:
Jenni Kayne: Find perfect transitional spring pieces at at jennikayne.com. Use code PLANS at checkout to get 15% off your first order and support the show!
Factor: Delicious and fresh already-prepared meals delivered to your door. Head to factormeals.com/plans50 and use code shu50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next box!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April Q&A + Listener Tips: A Tool for ADHD/Time-Blindness, Repurposing Unused Planners, 5-Year Journals, Life Planning Workbooks, and More EP 193

Happy new quarter or quintile!!
Today's episode is travel-inspired because Sarah will be returning from a family trip just before it airs. In today's episode, she shares her current travel planning strategies as a parent of kids who are now at ages that are pretty easy to travel with (6, 10, and about-to-be 12!).
She covers her use of Apple Notes as a useful second brain for travel and shares her appreciation for down time and reservations on vacation!
Episode Sponsors:
Jenni Kayne: Find perfect transitional spring pieces at at jennikayne.com. Use code PLANS at checkout to get 15% off your first order and support the show!
Factor: Delicious and fresh already-prepared meals delivered to your door. Head to factormeals.com/plans50 and use code shu50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next box!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Ideal Week EP 190

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