Tag:

planning

Friday Faves: 5 Best Ways to Plan Effectively

by Kayla Smith January 12, 2018

Do everything you HAVE to do and still have time to do everything you WANT to do!

I love planning. I am definitely a life planner if there ever was one. Lately, I forget EVERYTHING unless I write it down so I rely on planning more than ever. This week, I wanted to share my 5 favorite ways to plan effectively.

Paper Planner

I’ve always loved using a paper planner. There’s tons of scientific research showing that if you write things down physically, you’ll remember it better. I totally believe this and it’s really helped me get everything put together. There’s two planners I recommend: the Mormon Mom Planner and Erin Condren. Both are nearly identical, except for a few key features. First, you do not have to be Mormon or a mom to use the first planner I mentioned. I love it because it is easy to use and has everything in one spot. There’s pages for monthly budgets, meal planning, goal setting and more! Erin Condren planners have less frills, but still do its job. Add a few planner stickers and colorful pens and you have one happy girl!

Google Drive

This is how I plan ALL of my blog content. I lay out captions for Instagram posts, pictures for Pinterest and everything else! It’s one of the best ways I’ve been able to schedule sponsored content and my own posts together in one spot, but still having the ability to switch things around at will.

Magnetic Fridge Calendar

Taz got me this calendar for Christmas and it’s definitely a game-changer! It has dry erase markers and I also have a grocery list to make sure I have it all together. This makes it so easy to scribble down what’s going on during the week and then erase or change what is cancelled or moved. I have two calendars on the fridge at home and three at my desk at work. Can you tell how important this is for me? 😉

Apps

There’s a few apps I use to help plan different things. Trello is a huge one I use both for personal and professional things. It’s free and can organize tasks and other things I have to do and then I can check them off as I go along.

Phone Calendar

This one is a given, but I love using my phone calendar for things that apply to both Taz and I. I get alerts 10 minutes before I’m supposed to start a new task and 30 minutes before I’m required to be somewhere. It connects easily with my Apple Watch too which helps a TON!

That’s how I try to “have it all together.” There’s definitely days where I slip up, but 99.9% of the time, these methods work. Planning ahead of time gives me the ability to plan for things I actually want to do like go out with Taz, go out for a girl’s night or schedule in a movie. I would love to be spontaneous, but planning gives me the peace of mind in being able to live my life. Being able to plan effectively gives me peace of mind and lets me sleep at night instead of constantly being stressed. Doing things one day at a time and knowing what is coming is definitely the best feeling. Let me know if you decide to do any of these methods and how they work for you.

XOXO Kayla

January 12, 2018 4 comments

Lifestyle

The Secret to Balancing Work, Blogging and Family

by Kayla Smith October 24, 2017

written by Kayla Smith

How to do more in 24 hours than most people do in a week!

This sounds impossible right? So many people talk to me and say, “I would love to start a blog, but I just don’t have time.” I totally get it. However, I learned in my short life that if you want to do something bad enough, you’ll make time to do it. This is true for everything, but my specifics are work, my blog, and my family. This is what I decide to do with my 24 hours in a day. Sure, there’s more things I do like go out with girlfriends, workout, and sit in a bubble bath. BUT! These are the first to get cut out when I need to get something done. Sound harsh? Let me explain my reasoning and the secret to balancing work, blogging, and family.

How to Get Started

Pick 2-3 things that you really want to focus on. As you can tell from the title, I decided on work, my blog and my family. Next, make a plan. Where will you work? Will it be full-time or part-time? When will you have time to write a blog post? Who will take your pictures? How will you fit in family time? These are only a few questions I asked myself in the beginning. I know it is completely overwhelming and in the beginning, it’s really really hard. I promise it gets better.

My Life

My husband is a full-time student so I decided to do full-time work in order to provide for our family. Balancing work with his schedule was the hardest part for me. He has to wake up at 4:45 in order to get to Salt Lake City on time for class and then comes home when I leave for work! I’ll be honest, it was the WORST, but after changing my schedule around, I started waking up at 5:30 when he leaves so we have a few minutes to say hi. I get ready super early, (hence my 6:00 AM Instagram stories) and then write all my blog posts before 8:30 when I leave for work. Why am I telling you this? I do it all when he isn’t here so as soon as I get home at 5:30, I can spend all my time with him or whatever else we need to do at home. This made ALL the difference! Now, I have all my posts written out, I’m on time for work, and I still can develop my relationship with my family. Sound too good to be true? Having a plan is life-changing and it definitely isn’t perfect, but now I can do everything I want or need to do AND still have time to spend time with those I love the most. Figure out what works the best for you! Wake up earlier. Make a plan. Prioritize your time. I know I don’t have kids right now, (bless you, mamas!) but I still have A LOT to do each day which is why balancing work, blogging and family is crucial to me. We all have the same amount of hours, but what you do with it makes all the difference.

XOXO Kayla

October 24, 2017 0 comment

Lifestyle

How to Bullet Journal: Turning a Few Minutes into Planned Hours

by Kayla Smith March 17, 2017

written by Kayla Smith

My bullet journal completely changed my life

This week is crazy busy! The only thing keeping me sane is having everything planned out in my bullet journal. Taz got me into bullet journaling a couple months ago which is planning with a twist. It is so easy to personalize and add a piece of your own style into it. In the past couple of months, I learned how to perfect my journal for everyday life.

bullet journal weekly spread

writing in a bullet journal

Outline

The first thing I do is create a page with an outline of the month. I plug in all my school assignments and other things I have scheduled. Along with the outline, I set goals and create a habit tracker. This month, my habits consisted of posting strategies, a gym schedule and goals to cook more and spend less. Every time I completed a task for the day, I highlight the box for the day so I can see how I am doing on a regular basis and if I need to continue the habit during the following month.

bullet journal habit tracker and monthly goals

Plan

After I get all of that done, I plan my week. I draw an outline for the individual days, create a meal schedule, a grocery list, and even write down the weather for the week. This helps since knowing the temperature lets me plan my outfits for the day. I added a column including my to-do list for the week so my projects and appointments are written in another place to ingrain it into my mind since I am convinced I have short-term memory loss. I find satisfaction in being able to check things off which is why this is one of my favorite parts of my day. The beauty about bullet journaling is how customizable this is. Besides my monthly and weekly spreads, I have lists for news reporting ideas, recipes, and other things to make my life easier. People have also included doodles in their own journals but I haven’t reached that level yet. This sounds like a lot but it helps so much. Taking these minutes to plan can save hours during the week.

writing in a bullet journal weekly spread

close up of a bullet journal monthly spread

If you have any questions or need me to go more in-depth don’t hesitate to ask questions. I attached a couple links if you want to get started creating a bullet journal. Don’t forget to make it your own.

XOXO Kayla