I hate routines. I know they make life easier and more organized, but I can't even force myself to do them.
Most highly organized people I know follow routines in their daily lives. Many organizational systems (Fly Lady for example) focus on helping you establish routines. I've tried numerous times, but I just can't stick to them.
Routines make me feel trapped instead of free. They make me feel like I'm stuck in Groundhog Day. And anyway, my life and schedule are unpredictable so routines tend to fall apart, which makes me feel guilty for not following my set routines.
So I finally let go of the guilt of not following routines. And I realized, my reliance on lists is because of my resistance to routines.
I rely on lists like crazy. My daily to-do list, weekly task list, monthly goals list. Home improvements list. Lists of next-action tasks for projects. Household cleaning lists. This is how I know what do to, and when.
On those days when I'm really busy, I just write out my to-do list for the day and work my way through it. When I feel overwhelmed, I just look at my list and remind myself I'm on-task because I'm following my list.
Of course I do some routines: when getting ready in the morning I follow the same general routine of shower-makeup-breakfast-teeth. But for most things I work better with lists. My kids also function better with lists. I posted lists on our door of things they need to have in their backpack for school (lunchbox, water bottle, homework folder, jacket) and what they need to do after school (unpack lunchbox, do homework, etc.). By giving them their own checklist I don't have to constantly remind them of what they need. They can take the responsibility of making sure they have everything they need.
Do you use routines? Or do you rely on lists? Or, a combination of both?
Friday, September 7, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Personal Planner worldwide giveaway!
Many thanks to Personal Planner UK for sponsoring another giveaway!
Personal Planners are completely customized. You choose everything from what size you want, what you want on the cover, weekly layout, if you want lines, times, custom dates, features like goals and lists, and what pages you want in the back. The options are astounding and it's fun to play with their customizer to see all the options! Click here to see my Personal Planner to get some ideas.
And now they have a new A5 size with 40 pages in the back with options for teachers (which I blogged about here)!
And even though they are called Personal Planner UK, they ship all over the world so anyone can get one!
Here are the giveaway details:
1) This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
2) To enter for your chance in the giveaway, post a comment on this post. Only one entry per person please.
3) Entries close at 6pm London time Tuesday September 11, 2012.
4) The winner will be announced here on Plannerisms Wednesday September 12, 2012.
5) The winner will email me, and I will pass your email on to Personal Planner UK so they can email you your code for a free planner of any size that you can customize yourself on their interactive website!
Check out their website at www.personal-planner.co.uk to see all the numerous planner options! And don't forget to Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/personalplanner.
Entries are now closed for this giveaway. Please see the next post for the winner!
Personal Planners are completely customized. You choose everything from what size you want, what you want on the cover, weekly layout, if you want lines, times, custom dates, features like goals and lists, and what pages you want in the back. The options are astounding and it's fun to play with their customizer to see all the options! Click here to see my Personal Planner to get some ideas.
And now they have a new A5 size with 40 pages in the back with options for teachers (which I blogged about here)!
And even though they are called Personal Planner UK, they ship all over the world so anyone can get one!
Here are the giveaway details:
1) This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
2) To enter for your chance in the giveaway, post a comment on this post. Only one entry per person please.
3) Entries close at 6pm London time Tuesday September 11, 2012.
4) The winner will be announced here on Plannerisms Wednesday September 12, 2012.
5) The winner will email me, and I will pass your email on to Personal Planner UK so they can email you your code for a free planner of any size that you can customize yourself on their interactive website!
Check out their website at www.personal-planner.co.uk to see all the numerous planner options! And don't forget to Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/personalplanner.
Entries are now closed for this giveaway. Please see the next post for the winner!
Monday, September 3, 2012
New Poll: Do you use separate planners for work and personal life?
This is a bit of a follow-on to my last poll where I asked everyone if you carry your planner everywhere. Several people said they keep a planner at work and carry a separate planner with them.
Now I want to know specifically if you use a planner at work (whether electronic or paper) and a separate planner for your personal life. I wonder how many people have distinct work lives where they can leave their work planner at work, or if they need to incorporate their work and personal schedules together.
Please vote in the poll in the sidebar! Thanks!
Now I want to know specifically if you use a planner at work (whether electronic or paper) and a separate planner for your personal life. I wonder how many people have distinct work lives where they can leave their work planner at work, or if they need to incorporate their work and personal schedules together.
Please vote in the poll in the sidebar! Thanks!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Winners! Dodo Pad giveaway
Here are the winners of the Dodo Pad giveaway!
Personal size Filofax-compatible insert: JasJan
A4 Acad-Pad insert: Shadow Wolf
A4 Dodo Pad insert: Alison
Wall calendar: MindyandRoo
Congratulations!
Winners: please email me at laurie (at) plannerisms (dot) com and tell me your mailing address so I can mail you your prize!
Many thanks to everyone who participated!
And if you didn't win, don't worry: there are more giveaways coming soon here on Plannerisms!
Personal size Filofax-compatible insert: JasJan
A4 Acad-Pad insert: Shadow Wolf
A4 Dodo Pad insert: Alison
Wall calendar: MindyandRoo
Congratulations!
Winners: please email me at laurie (at) plannerisms (dot) com and tell me your mailing address so I can mail you your prize!
Many thanks to everyone who participated!
And if you didn't win, don't worry: there are more giveaways coming soon here on Plannerisms!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Giveaway! Dodo Pad Personal and A4 diary inserts and monthly wall calendar!
Welcome to the Dodo Pad giveaway!
Today I have the following items to give away (click links to see reviews and detailed photos):
A 2013 Dodo Pad diary that fits a Personal size Filofax (diary insert only, Filofax binder and accessories NOT included):
a 2013 Dodo Planner Calendar (monthly wall calendar):
an A4 2012-2013 Acad-Pad looseleaf diary, and an A4 2013 Dodo Pad looseleaf diary:
all to give away!
Here's how it works, please read the rules:
1) Apologies to my international friends but this giveaway is open only to people with a UK mailing address.
2) Post a comment here stating which product(s) you are interested in winning.
3) Only one entry comment per person please.
4) Entries close at midnight UK time Thursday night (so be quick!).
5) Winners will be determined via random number generation at Random.org.
6) Winners will be announced here on Plannerisms Friday August 31!
7) Winners will then email me your mailing address. Won items will be sent via 2nd class post.
That's it! It is possible for you to win more than one of these, so tell me all the items you'd like to win!
Entries are now closed for this giveaway. Thank you to everyone who participated! Winners will be announced in the next post.
Today I have the following items to give away (click links to see reviews and detailed photos):
A 2013 Dodo Pad diary that fits a Personal size Filofax (diary insert only, Filofax binder and accessories NOT included):
a 2013 Dodo Planner Calendar (monthly wall calendar):
an A4 2012-2013 Acad-Pad looseleaf diary, and an A4 2013 Dodo Pad looseleaf diary:
all to give away!
Here's how it works, please read the rules:
1) Apologies to my international friends but this giveaway is open only to people with a UK mailing address.
2) Post a comment here stating which product(s) you are interested in winning.
3) Only one entry comment per person please.
4) Entries close at midnight UK time Thursday night (so be quick!).
5) Winners will be determined via random number generation at Random.org.
6) Winners will be announced here on Plannerisms Friday August 31!
7) Winners will then email me your mailing address. Won items will be sent via 2nd class post.
That's it! It is possible for you to win more than one of these, so tell me all the items you'd like to win!
Entries are now closed for this giveaway. Thank you to everyone who participated! Winners will be announced in the next post.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Guest post: Paul B's Brush Dance winnings!
Many thanks to Paul B for this guest post showing us the planners he won from Brush Dance in the recent giveaway here on Plannerisms.
Today, my parcel arrived from Brush Dance, with the prize from the Plannerisms competition. Thank you very much to Laurie and to Brush Dance for hosting it! The Concierge said it had been there for a couple of days, but as I was out of the country, I didn’t know. So, expecting a fairly small envelope with a pocket-sized Mindfulness Diary, I was surprised to see a much bigger box.
When I opened it, I saw why.
When I sent my email address to Brush Dance, we ended up chatting about the fact that i was reading a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist Monk from Vietnam who has written a great deal of very accessible books on Buddhism. Brush Dance very thoughtfully included a 2013 Date Book in the parcel as well. It was a really pleasant surprise and I haven’t stopped smiling all days. Sometimes, it just takes the simplest thing to lift our spirits. But let’s look at the pocket book first. This is the front cover. The whole diary is printed on really nice paper.
Each month comes with an inspirational quote to help you to continue living mindfully. Whichever religion you follow, or if you follow none at all, you have to admit, its a noble thing to aspire to. It can’t stay blank forever, so I decided to add my first entry.
And it comes with an introduction from Brush Dance too, to inspire you, and to tell you about their company and, more importantly, about their ethics.
Which brings us to the beautiful Date Book, using quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh. The book has very high quality hard covers front and back. This would survive any amount of damage form being thrown in a bag or being carted around.
Personally, this will stay at home, to be used for recording all those important dates, birthdays, anniversaries, and more importantly.........life plans. On opening the front cover, you find the first of many beautiful images.
It also has an almost imperceptible, paper wallet, a la Moleskine. It was impossible to show on a photo, so I added sheet of vintage 1989 green Filofax notepaper, to show it. Great if you do take this book with you.
I know we all like tabs, and I now some of you will be dying to know if it has them. It does, and they are very aesthetically pleasing, in elongated half-moon shapes. No sharp corners, easy on the eye, almost impossible to bend. In short, a great piece of design.
Each month has a Month To View planner, on the inside cover of the binder.
This is the detail of the book opened for use, showing a week per page. The paper is wonderful quality and I’m sure it will be fountain pen friendly.
And for those who use them, several pages of Contact information at the back of the book. A good place to put most-used numbers for house-related things.
I hope this has been useful, in showing you the inside of their products. The quality really is first-class and I was immediately impressed. Beautiful and high-quality products with inspiring messages that manage to look and feel professional without being overly sentimental. Thanks to Brush Dance for the extra gift, and thanks to Laurie for the competition.
Thanks again Paul! Be sure to check out The Musings of Max ( http://musingsofmax.wordpress.com/ ) and give him some suggestions on Filofax use, and where to live in Italy!
Today, my parcel arrived from Brush Dance, with the prize from the Plannerisms competition. Thank you very much to Laurie and to Brush Dance for hosting it! The Concierge said it had been there for a couple of days, but as I was out of the country, I didn’t know. So, expecting a fairly small envelope with a pocket-sized Mindfulness Diary, I was surprised to see a much bigger box.
When I opened it, I saw why.
When I sent my email address to Brush Dance, we ended up chatting about the fact that i was reading a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist Monk from Vietnam who has written a great deal of very accessible books on Buddhism. Brush Dance very thoughtfully included a 2013 Date Book in the parcel as well. It was a really pleasant surprise and I haven’t stopped smiling all days. Sometimes, it just takes the simplest thing to lift our spirits. But let’s look at the pocket book first. This is the front cover. The whole diary is printed on really nice paper.
Each month comes with an inspirational quote to help you to continue living mindfully. Whichever religion you follow, or if you follow none at all, you have to admit, its a noble thing to aspire to. It can’t stay blank forever, so I decided to add my first entry.
And it comes with an introduction from Brush Dance too, to inspire you, and to tell you about their company and, more importantly, about their ethics.
Which brings us to the beautiful Date Book, using quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh. The book has very high quality hard covers front and back. This would survive any amount of damage form being thrown in a bag or being carted around.
Personally, this will stay at home, to be used for recording all those important dates, birthdays, anniversaries, and more importantly.........life plans. On opening the front cover, you find the first of many beautiful images.
It also has an almost imperceptible, paper wallet, a la Moleskine. It was impossible to show on a photo, so I added sheet of vintage 1989 green Filofax notepaper, to show it. Great if you do take this book with you.
I know we all like tabs, and I now some of you will be dying to know if it has them. It does, and they are very aesthetically pleasing, in elongated half-moon shapes. No sharp corners, easy on the eye, almost impossible to bend. In short, a great piece of design.
Each month has a Month To View planner, on the inside cover of the binder.
This is the detail of the book opened for use, showing a week per page. The paper is wonderful quality and I’m sure it will be fountain pen friendly.
And for those who use them, several pages of Contact information at the back of the book. A good place to put most-used numbers for house-related things.
I hope this has been useful, in showing you the inside of their products. The quality really is first-class and I was immediately impressed. Beautiful and high-quality products with inspiring messages that manage to look and feel professional without being overly sentimental. Thanks to Brush Dance for the extra gift, and thanks to Laurie for the competition.
Thanks again Paul! Be sure to check out The Musings of Max ( http://musingsofmax.wordpress.com/ ) and give him some suggestions on Filofax use, and where to live in Italy!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
I'm featured on Planet Millie! My Desert Island list
Recently Millie (aka Ms Logica) of Planet Millie contacted me to ask what 3 items I would want if stranded on a desert island.
Click here to read my reply!
Many thanks to Millie for featuring me in your "Bloggers on a Desert Island" series!
Click here to read my reply!
Many thanks to Millie for featuring me in your "Bloggers on a Desert Island" series!
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