Malena Haas: 5 Steps To Planning Your Most Productive Week EVER! Plus Free Printable

5 Steps to Planning Your Most Productive Week Ever! Plus FREE Printable http://www.malenahaas.com/2018/05/5-steps-to-planning-your-most.html

Have you ever felt completely scattered and overwhelmed, having no clue what day of the week it is or what to tackle first? As a mom who works from home, I know this feeling all too well. In today's post I am sharing the 5 Planning Steps I use to get my self in gear and conquer the week. These five easy steps seriously make me feel like Super Mom!

I like to do this every week on Sunday night after my toddler is fast asleep. This is my time to unwind with a cup of tea and set myself up for the most productive week possible.

Step 1: Review The Upcoming Week In Your Monthly Calendar

This might sound obvious, but this step is crucial. It enables you to differentiate which appointments are "Must Attend" and which holidays or events trigger any crucial "To Do" items. For example, this week we have Mother's Day, this triggers a To Do to send out gifts or cards.

Step 2: Fill In Your Weekly Landing Page (Appointments and To Do Items)

Once you've figured out which appointments and to do's are non-negotiable, you are ready to start mapping out your weekly landing page (this week's Freebie!). The week's landing page is going to be your home base for all major activities and tasks during that particular week (eg. appointments, to do's, cleaning schedule, meals, work schedule, self-care, etc.).

I like to fill in my non-negotiable tasks and appointments in black and then throughout the rest of the week I can go ahead and fill in any other activities around them in a different color. This enables me to quickly see at a glance what days are appointment heavy and which days I can conquer the most To Do items.

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US Letter - Personal - MM - A5 - GM

Step 3: Fill In Your Meal Plan

The next step is to map out your meal plan and shopping list. This is so much easier to do once you've already figured out which days are going to be appointment heavy. For example, since I already know I will be out of the house on Tuesday night I am not going to plan a meal or buy food to make for that day. This in turn saves us money and keeps us from wasting food.

One I've planned my meals I move on to the shopping list. I fill in the list with ingredients I need in order to make the meals I've planned. I like to do this step in front of the fridge or pantry because this prevents me from buying duplicates of items we already have.

Step 4: Fill In Your Cleaning Schedule

The fourth step is filling in the cleaning schedule. I follow a zone cleaning method which you can read about in this blog post here. But essentially you just plan out your cleaning tasks based on how appointment heavy or hectic your days will be.

For example, Tuesday is appointment heavy for me so I will likely plan on zone cleaning "appliance wipe down" instead of tackling something more time consuming like bathrooms. I then like to add the days to the weekly landing page so I know at a glance what I have coming up that day without having to go into my cleaning planner.

Step 5: Fill In Your Self-Care Schedule

The last and most important part of my weekly planning routine is scheduling out my self-care. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup. As a mother who is always caring for others and is always trying to keep the home running smoothly, this is something you can't afford to neglect. Trust me... if you don't recharge in some way, you will end up in the pantry crying your eyes out and having a full blown mommy melt down.

This might seem excessive but I know that I am much more likely to take the time for myself if I plan ahead and schedule it out. If I already know what I am going to do to recharge then it is that much easier to do, giving me much fewer excuses as to why I just don't have the time.

Remember: Self care can be anything from having a bubble bath to scheduling a hot yoga class.

Wohoo! You've just planned an amazingly productive week and if you ever feel overwhelmed, you can just look back to your landing page and get right back on track.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's planning post. Please let me know what tasks or routines you have set in place to make you feel your most productive. As always, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on any future freebies. They are usually only up or a couple of weeks before I transfer them to my shop!