How to Plan your day for Success

I love a plan! I tend to plan everything in life but try to make it a flexible plan, so I can cope with the curveballs that arrive all the time. Planning is essential when running your own busy business, as well as running a family life outside of the business. So how do I do it?

Each day is a new day

I start each day with a new to-do list. I try to keep it short with three/four things that must done in that day. For example, today included: –

• Write one blog post
• Meet Marie for lunch in city
• Go to 2 meetings in city with clients
• Go to Waterloo for Investment presentation

I then add on other things that are smaller and are ‘a nice to do’ for the day, so replying to emails, research into a new app, doing my expenses, chasing up invoices, sort out passport. The list goes on and on. I always end up doing way more than was on my to-do list. Even on a day like today which included many meetings.

Content Planner

I have a content planner where I plan a few weeks ahead. I note down which blogs posts are to go live on which days, sponsored content, regular Monday Money content etc.

Big Ticket Plans Board

I also have a big plans board, with a list of all the big projects I want to/am looking at for Mrs Mummypenny. I pick a couple of these to focus on at a time. These are big ticket projects where I have amazing ideas of what I could do to grow Mrs Mummypenny. Exciting stuff. An example of right now includes a drive to increase traffic up to media vine levels. As well as other secret squirrel stuff.

Planning Ideas from Brilliant Bloggers

I asked in the Blogging Your Way To Riches community on Facebook what they do to plan. Some interesting and different approaches came back. I might adapt my planning in a few ways.

Ruth from Ruth Makes Money

I write my to do list for the next day at the end of the working day, while everything is still fresh in mind, so I can hit the ground running first thing. I’m an early riser too and try to get at least one task ticked off by 8am. If all else fails, progress has been made! Because I work from home, I always try to factor in at least a little time out of the house, even if it’s just popping to the shops or going for a walk.

Emma from The Money Whisperer

I know I am going to have to be more organized when I move away from being employed. Its too easy to get distracted on the things I want to do rather than the things that need doing! I like the idea of blocking out time in my day to include time for exercise, house chores, children and then me/working. I’ve seen highlighter colour coded time slots in bullet journals and am going to aim for hourly slots to keep me motivated!

Charlotte from Charlotte Musha

I’m desperately trying to get up early and get into work for 7 at the moment (managed to get in for half7 today so finish at half 3 👍)
If I have a lot to get done I plan my day out in hour chunks in a list, block out all the time I’m out the house for work, normally 7:30-4:30 and then decide on when I’ll go to bed 10pm usually and then work out what I can get done in that 4:30-10pm gap and write them out!

Clare from Challenge Clare

I’m a teacher, but with a unique role. I teach online from home. So, planning is at the heart of my day! I plan a week at a time, on a Friday for the following week. Then, each morning I check and prioritise my tasks, which I split into 3 categories: work, home and blog. I couldn’t manage without my planner!!

Adam from Money Savvy Daddy

Each day I start with a Post-it size list of To-Do’s written and sometimes started the night before to get ahead of myself (being a night owl). I include a mix of work jobs, daily goals (like workout or step count) as well as house jobs. This helps to mix up my day. I highlight 1-2 work jobs that are priority. If I only get those completed it’s been a good day’s progress. Some of the jobs are quick little tasks which just feel good to highlight as completed. I put my to-do list in the kitchen near the kettle (love a cuppa). It’s a constant gentle reminder of what to aim to achieve that day.

Ellen from E L Feelgood Vintage

I prepare for the mornings the evening before. I too practice LOA, so after being thankful for the wonderful things that have happened during the day, I go through in my head the things I am thankful for that will be accomplished the next day. It’s a sort of rough to-do list. When I get in to work I open a brand new clean page of my notebook. Notebooks are very important to me as I love looking through old ones! I write down what I want to achieve and prioritise. I’m realistic that some might get carried over but as soon as I tick one off I am thankful.

Ken from The Humble Penny

My day starts at 4.30am every day. I’ve gotten used to waking up at this time since I was at university. The day usually starts with a prayer and some reading for about 30 minutes. This is usually the most important part of my day and guides everything else in terms of my state of mind. Then I have two power sessions of 55 mins each, usually listening to Hans Zimmer. Those sessions are completely uninterrupted, and I break for 10 minutes in between.

The actual planning doesn’t actually start at 4.30am, but rather at 9.30pm the day before when I write down exactly what I will do at 4.30am the very next day. I do this using mind mapping. 2 ideas flow out from the centre of my notepad and then I add a few extensions so that the very next day, I simply dive in and flesh out my thought process. 7am, I prep the kids for school and head off to the office usually going the longer route for 45minutes of walking. This time is super important because I listen to my favourite podcasts etc.

Cass from Frugal Family

I have a weekly to do list that I work through rather than a daily to do list or plan. I try to do one thing a day that I don’t really enjoy doing so those tasks are split out over the week. I’m trying to go digital so I’m experimenting with Trello at the moment, but I am missing the satisfaction of drawing a line through things when they’re done.

Laura from Savings 4 Savvy Mums

I plan my day the night before. In bed, I grab my pad and write down everything I want to do the next day. I feel like it’s then taken out my brain and it’s one less thing to think about while asleep. 

Donna from Bobsys Mum

I make a list every morning, even “days off”. But, I put absolutely everything on them, even things like “school run” “get Robyn dressed” which I would obviously do even if I hadn’t written it down! This is in part, so I feel good about how much I’ve got done when I cross the last thing off, and in part so that when husband notices the list when he gets in, he thinks “wow, Donna has had a really tough day. I’ll get her wine!” It works well on both fronts!

Catherine from The Money Panel

I use Magic charts stuck on my walls to organise my day. I use post it notes to stick onto the magic charts which I can remove once I’ve completed the task. Because the boards just stick like cellophane, I can take them down and carry around with me if I need to. I use different colour highlighter pens for tasks in a paper diary, so I can see at a glance how I’m spending my week.   Lynn- I love this idea and am going to buy some magic charts!

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