How to Create a Cohesive Schedule

Sometimes the thought of creating a schedule or managing your (and your family's) schedule

can be downright overwhelming. If you walk through the planner aisle of a store, there are more things to choose from now than ever before... trust me! As a recovering stationery addict, I have tried {almost} all of them. Emily Ley, Erin Condren, Happy Planner, Filofax, Franklin Covey, daily, weekly, horizontal, and vertical - you name 'em, I've used it all.

In all my years of using a planner, there's one thing I'm sure of... the planner only works if you do. Yep. That's all there is to it. If you make a plan, but you don't put any action behind it, then that planner is just paper. When you put action behind it, then it becomes a whole different thing!

So where do we start? The first step I would recommend is making a list of your top 3-4 priorities. For me, my top three are faith first, family second, & career third. I try to create harmony and balance by keeping those in that specific order.

My second step is letting go of things that don't fit into my priorities. Yep. I just said that too. If something doesn't fit in my top three priorities, then it goes to the bottom of the list. But what if something does fit, but I don't have peace about it? I've learned that sometimes we have to let go of the good to make room for the great. Over the years, I have had to get really good at saying "no", which is hard for a people-pleaser like myself. Often when someone asks me to do something that aren't within the goals our family has set for our priority areas, I will respond with, "thank you so much for thinking of me! What a compliment. I would love to help with ____, but I can't add anything else to my plate right now. I will try to think of someone who might be able to help you."

My third step in creating a cohesive schedule is writing it down. I know. We live in a tech-driven world. But hear me out. There's something about that hand-eye coordination that sears what we write down into our brains. The phones ring, ding, and sing to us all the time, and if you're anything like me, you've probably gotten used to ignoring it or tuning it out. Am I right? I think technology is a good thing, but all too often I've noticed that we can get so absorbed with it that we miss out on the good things happening all around us.

When I tried to go all tech, I missed SO MANY appointments and drowned in my to-do list. Having my calendar and my task list in my phone created chaos for me because I would forget to go click the app or didn't hear the ding on my phone for an appointment. After missing a few appointments, I went back to a paper planner. I am currently using a Filofax (ring-binder) style planner because I love the flexibility of it.

How I plan in my agenda...

I ascribe to the KISS method - Keep it simple sweetie - when I am working on our schedule.

1. Faith - I write in all our faith time - church, small group, bible study, daily quiet time.

2. Family - Next, I fill in anything our family has going on - work / school functions, extra-curricular activities, etc. (I try to make it a priority for our family to eat dinner around the kitchen table at least 3 times per week and have prayer time daily)

3. Career - Lastly, when I am scheduling appointments, then I will add in all of my appointments for my job.

But what about my to do list?

I keep my task list separate from my calendar and this list is essentially a running brain dump. It's a sheet of not paper in a separate section of my planner.

Each day I will pull 6 things off that list to focus on, and I will plan those tasks into my calendar. Sometimes only 2 or 3 get accomplished in a day, and sometimes I knock out a lot more!

This is how I create a cohesive schedule for my family! Truthfully, the main thing is being intentional. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but what makes the difference is how we choose to live out those hours. I am a firm believer that we make time for the things that are important to us.

How will you live out your day today? Will you be intentional? Will you be spontaneous? It's up to you!

• Kimberly •

​BONUS TIP:

• Intentional Space for rest - this tip was given to me by a friend a few years ago and I've found it super helpful. Whenever there's an event that takes the family out of the home (for instance a doctor's appointment or a play date), she doesn't schedule any appointments for the following day! Isn't that brilliant?! Building a day of rest in between is such a smart thing to do, especially if you have small children in the home.