As a busy mom – I know all about juggling the demands of work, home, kids, friends, marriage. And it can all feel very much like trying to solve a puzzle that doesn’t have all the pieces. With SO much on our plates – staying organized and on top of everything might seem impossible but there absolutely IS a way to streamline your chaotic lives. I’m going to be sharing all of my tips, tricks and hacks to digital planning and mastering your calendar and bringing order and efficiency to your daily routine.
Mastering Digital Planning: A Busy Mom’s Guide
Benefits of Digital Planning for Busy Moms:
While a lot of people are paper planner enthusiasts and are terrified to deviate: let me tell you all the reasons digital planning will change your life.
- It provides accessibility and convenience, allowing us to have all our plans and schedules in one easily accessible place, whether it’s on our smartphones, tablets, or computers. This means no more flipping through countless notebooks or forgetting important appointments.
- Digital planning offers flexibility, enabling us to update and adjust our plans on the go, ensuring that we can adapt to the ever-changing demands of our lives.
- The ability to sync our digital planners across multiple devices ensures seamless access and ensures we’re always in sync, no matter where we are – AND the syncing and sharing features mean you can connect everyone in your house to the calendar to ensure you aren’t double booking.
Choosing the Right Digital Planning Tool:
There are SO many tools and I have tried a lot of them. My top recommendations to start would be Trello or Notion. Out of all the digital planning tools out there – these have consistently been the easiest to use with the most features on their free plans. I personally use Notion (but used Trello for years) – and LOVE it. You can read my break down of each and how to select the best one for you HERE.
Getting Started with Digital Planning:
Once you’ve chosen your digital planning tool, it’s time to get started. Begin by setting up your digital planner, inputting essential information such as appointments, deadlines, and recurring tasks. If you’re transitioning from a paper planner, take the time to transfer your existing schedules and plans to the digital platform. Next, customize your digital planner to suit your needs and preferences, adjusting layouts, colors, and categories to reflect your unique organizational style. If you need a launch pad for getting started – I have templates available for both Trello and Notion that will give you plug and play boards to start with. PLUS – the link above gives you 50% Notion, too, if you decide you go that route!
Tips for Effective Digital Planning:
In order for a tool to work – you have to actually use it. I find that the hardest part of implementing a new system is actually being brave enough to get on board to use it. Set aside a two week time period to get yourself situated and used to using the features. Sync the calendar with your partner, add in all of your labels, learn to take advantage of features such a reminders, notifications, to-do lists, and schedulers. Practice integrating different aspects of your life into your digital planner, including work commitments, family schedules, and personal goals, to ensure comprehensive organization.
