Best Laid Plans

In today's episode, Sarah answers a question about Disney planning and then delves into her own current planner peace, with 10 tactics working really well for her in 2026!
You can find images of the tracking spreads she talks about on the show notes page at theshubox.com!
Interested in BLPA2.0 this summer? Course info available at theshubox.com/courses
APRIL SPONSORS:

IXL: Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans
Mint Mobile: Shop affordable cell phone plans at mintmobile.com/BLP
Green Chef: Healthy eating made easy. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get 50% your first month, then 20% off for two months.
PrepDish: Healthy and strategic meal plans to fit your family's nutritional needs! Visit prepdish.com/plans for your first two weeks free!

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In today's episode, Sarah shares 10 tips for getting through a particularly full season of life, inspired by a very travel-heavy spring schedule coming up for her.
Interested in BLPA2.0? Be sure you are getting Sarah's newsletter, out in early April with signup details. Visit theshubox.com/newsletter!

Episode Sponsors

IXL:  Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans

Green Chef:  Healthy meals that fit your nutrition goals (and are delicious too!).  Head to Greenchef dot com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. 

Mint Mobile:  Save money by changing your wireless plan to Mint Mobile!  Shop plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠for a free 2-week

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In today's episode, Sarah answers a question from Nate (who heard Sarah on Cal Newport's Deep Questions Podcast), who asked where it makes sense to START in terms of implementing all of the planning systems she talks about on this podcast (and in her book!). How does one begin to build a system - all at once, or piece by piece?
Useful references mentioned:
Airtight Task Management Episode: https://theshubox.com/2026/02/blp-ep-288-your-guide-to-airtight-task-management.html
Annual Planning Episode: https://theshubox.com/2024/11/ep-226-your-mini-guide-to-2025-annual-planning.html
Seasonal Planning Episode: https://theshubox.com/2024/03/blp-episode-189-diving-into-quintile-2.html
Monthly Planning Episode: https://theshubox.com/2025/05/blp-ep-252-monthly-planning-rhythms-completist-mini-review.html
Weekly Planning Episode: https://theshubox.com/2020/08/day-140-blp-ep-2-weekly-review.html (note: this is the SECOND EVER ep of BLP, so stay tuned for a renewed weekly planning episode coming soon!)
Daily Planning Episode: https://theshubox.com/2021/02/blp-ep-28-daily-planning-routines-and-crowding-out-bad-habits.html
Then, Sarah interviews September Gerety, an CEO in her empty nest phase who has found herself with a thriving community and social life -- and it all started with some planned. She shares her story (as well as a bit about her current systems!). If you have questions for September, you can find her via this episode's show notes at theshubox.com.

Episode Sponsors

IXL:  Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans

Green Chef:  Healthy meals that fit your nutrition goals (and are delicious too!).  Head to Greenchef dot com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. 

Mint Mobile:  Save money by changing your wireless plan to Mint Mobile!  Shop plans at ⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠⁠⁠. 

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, Sarah plans her week on-air! Well, it's a bit of a reenactment (mostly because she needed a quiet house to record), but she goes through all the steps and there are visual aids (please see the show notes @ theshubox.com for photos!).
Steps in her weekly planning process:

Episode mentioned where Sarah clears her email on air: https://theshubox.com/2025/11/ep-278-empty-your-inbox-with-me-and-hemlock-oak-daily-weekly-monthly-planner-review.html

Newsletter: theshubox.com/newsletter

Episode Sponsors

IXL:  Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans

Green Chef:  Healthy meals that fit your nutrition goals (and are delicious too!).  Head to Greenchef dot com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. 

Mint Mobile:  Save money by changing your wireless plan to Mint Mobile!  Shop plans at ⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠⁠. 

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dana K. White is a decluttering expert -- NOT an organizing expert! She shares her mess-free 5-step method in today's podcast, with advice for those who struggle to get started. The 28-day plan she mentions on the episode can be found in her first book, How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind.
You can find Dana at https://www.aslobcomesclean.com, her most recent organizing book is Organizing for the Rest of Us, and her children's book just came out called Winnie's Pile of Pillows!
Prior organizing guests:
Lisa Woodruff (Organize 365): https://theshubox.com/2021/03/episode-33-organizing-your-home-your-paper-and-your-life-with-organize-365s-lisa-woodruff.html
Tyler Moore (Tidy Dad): https://theshubox.com/2025/01/blp-ep-234-tidy-up-your-life-organizing-inspiration-for-2025-with-tyler-moore-aka-tidy-dad.html
Shira Gill (Minimalista): https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-best-of-both-worlds-podca-29945444/episode/organizing-your-home-and-beyond-with-shira-gill-ep-383-244524397 (This one is actually Best of Both Worlds!)
BLP Live Info: theshubox.com/blplive
Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to be notified when the first (pilot) round of BLPA2.0 is open!

Episode Sponsors

IXL:  Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans

Green Chef:  Healthy meals that fit your nutrition goals (and are delicious too!).  Head to Greenchef dot com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. 

Mint Mobile:  Save money by changing your wireless plan to Mint Mobile!  Shop plans at ⁠mintmobile.com/BLP⁠. 

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the March Q&A episode!
Topics discussed include:
- Do Nested Goals work in the work setting, and if so, would you do the planning for both at the same time, or separate things out?
(Episode mentioned: https://theshubox.com/2026/01/ep-285-sextiles-morning-pages-goals-lists-and-more-listener-tips-qa.html)
- How to plan your planning (very meta - but seriously!) - both at larger and smaller time scales
- How to plan for community engagement or activism?
- Seeking help on syncing Outlook and Google Calendar (listener wisdom requested!)
- Suggestions for mood tracking
Plus, listener Stephanie gives her take on Ramona & Ruth Planners: (https://www.ramonaandruth.com)

Episode Sponsors

IXL:  Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans

Green Chef:  Healthy meals that fit your nutrition goals (and are delicious too!).  Head to Greenchef dot com/50bestlaid and use code 50bestlaid to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. 

Mint Mobile:  Save money by changing your wireless plan to Mint Mobile!  Shop plans at mintmobile.com/BLP. 

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica lives in California with her husband and is a mother of 6! In today's episode, she shares her own detailed planned peace, discussing how she keeps things organized in such a large and active household.
Apps/topics mentioned: Apple's Reminders, Things (for task capture), Laurel Denise Anne layout (https://laureldenise.com/products/2026-the-anne-planner-pemberly-gardens), Essential Calendar (https://www.theessentialcalendar.com/ - if you'd like a coupon code, you can enter BESTLAIDPLANS for 10% off)
You can find Jessica on Instagram at @stayathomeista

Our Sponsors

Mint Mobile:  Affordable wireless plans that let you keep your own number and phone.  To make the switch, visit ⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP ⁠⁠⁠

Green Chef:  Visit ⁠⁠⁠greenchef.com/bestlaidgraza⁠⁠⁠ and use code bestlaidgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef and FREE Graza Olive Oil set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes.  

IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠⁠ixl.com/plans⁠⁠⁠.

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠⁠ for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first part of this episode, Sarah shares some listener follow up to the Task Management episode from 2 weeks ago, including use of Apple Reminders voice entry feature, a simple Notes strategy, Teux Deux, and one listener's analog solution.
Then, Sarah delves into her current thoughts on tracking, which have shifted a bit since her initial episode on the topic. She shares ways in which tracking various metrics has been helpful in recent months and presents a unique use case submitted by listener also named Sarah (a martial artist who blogs at sarahbadatrichardson.com).

Our Sponsors

Mint Mobile:  Affordable wireless plans that let you keep your own number and phone.  To make the switch, visit ⁠⁠mintmobile.com/BLP ⁠⁠

Green Chef:  Visit ⁠⁠greenchef.com/bestlaidgraza⁠⁠ and use code bestlaidgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef and FREE Graza Olive Oil set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes.  

IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠⁠ixl.com/plans⁠⁠.

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠⁠ for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This can be a HARD time of year for many! In today's episode, Sarah shares her own February struggles and provides a pep talk for all of us who might be stuck in winter doldrums or feeling less excited about our 2026 goals.
Books recommended: Meditations for Mortals or 4000 Weeks By Oliver Burkeman
Reminder: BLP Live will be Nov 5-7 2026 - be one of the first to be notified by signing up for Sarah's newsletter.

Our Sponsors

Mint Mobile:  Affordable wireless plans that let you keep your own number and phone.  To make the switch, visit ⁠mintmobile.com/BLP ⁠

Green Chef:  Visit ⁠greenchef.com/bestlaidgraza⁠ and use code bestlaidgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef and FREE Graza Olive Oil set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes.  

IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ⁠ixl.com/plans⁠.

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit ⁠prepdish.com/plans⁠ for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah opens up with a little update on how 2026 is going so far (as we head into February!), and then dedicates the rest of today's episode to airtight task management! She talks inboxes (collecting tasks) and creating a strategy for processing all of the to-do items that tend to come our way in all sorts of forms and timelines.

Our Sponsors

Mint Mobile:  Affordable wireless plans that let you keep your own number and phone.  To make the switch, visit mintmobile.com/BLP

Green Chef:  Visit greenchef.com/bestlaidgraza and use code bestlaidgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef and FREE Graza Olive Oil set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes.  

IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.

PrepDish: Healthy meal plans straight to your inbox (and now with easy Instacart ordering!).  Visit prepdish.com/plans for a free 2-week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices