How to Plan and Stay Organized as a Busy Mom

Moms
Written By Brenda Colon

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Planner for busy mom

Are you a busy mom who works full-time, tries to have a social life, runs a business, and wants to build a relationship with God? But feel like you’re all over the place and can’t keep up with everything.

A businesswoman once told me she uses a planner to block out time for her family and business. I thought, “What a great idea!” This is a great start for a busy mom who needs to plan and be organized.

I started to think about everything I wanted to accomplish and keep track of. The first thing was making time for God. I wanted to pray, study the Bible, and read or listen to devotionals. That was my first and main goal for each morning.

I want to make more time for God but am also a busy mom. This means I must schedule my day and keep track of school closures, dress-down days, early dismissals, doctor appointments, and so much more. Let’s be honest: At times, it can be very overwhelming.

I remember asking myself, “How can I remember all these things when I have so much going on?” You might be asking yourself this same question quite often, too. I’ll share tips on how to plan and stay organized.

5 Tips to Help you Plan and Stay Organized

1. Buy a Planner

A planner will help you prioritize what is essential for you, whether it is for that day, week, or month. Before filling in the planner on a separate sheet of paper, write all your appointments, meetings, kids’ activities, goals, etc. These are just some examples of what you can write in your planner to help you make time for the things that really matter to you. This will help you stay organized.

You can also use a weekly planner. Weekly planners are great! They help you focus on activities or events that are just for that week. Sometimes, seeing the big picture can be overwhelming, so focusing on one thing at a time can make tackling each task easier.

Sunday is reset day! Every Sunday afternoon, I sit with my cup of coffee and weekly planner. This is my “me time,” and I want the same for you.

Imagine yourself sitting in a cozy corner with your warm blanket, coffee, and planner. Maybe play some music in the background and light a candle. Just setting the mood for this time will help send a signal to your mind as a reminder of how good you are feeling. Next thing you know, you will be excited to make time to plan out your busy schedule.

2. Time Block

Intentionally blocking time helps you stay on track. I time block for things like:

  • Prayer

  • Bible study

  • Devotionals

  • Doctor’s appointments

  • Early dismissals

  • Family time

I wanted to spend more time with God for a long time but kept feeling like I wasn’t using my time wisely. I know that starting the day with Him first is important. Making time for God each morning gives me the peace and strength I need for the day ahead. So, why not make time for Him?

Not blocking time will cause you to feel overstimulated and frustrated. As busy moms, we just can’t remember everything. For example, as a mother, when you forget things like dress-down day at school. You get to school late because “all things” happened that morning. Then, you realize all the children at the school are not in uniform. You sit in the car, mad because you forgot all about dress-down day, and your child is in their uniform.

It feels even worse when you remember how excited they were about this day. I remember going through this experience and seeing the disappointment on my kids’ faces. I promised myself never to let this happen again.

If it’s important to you, WRITE IT DOWN!

Plan Reminder

3. Reminders App/ Alarm Clock on Your Phone

Yes! The Reminders app is my best friend, LOL! Unfortunately, even though we try to remember everything, we can’t!

I use the Reminders app and the Alarm clock on my phone to remind me of important things. For example, I set my alarm clock for dress-down days, signing permission slips, submitting documents, and anything else that can slip my mind—just because these things need to be reminded of promptly.

Besides that, my best friend, the Reminders app, comes in handy. I set reminders for appointments, meetings, early dismissals, etc.

Let’s be honest: not every day will go as planned, and you will not have time to check your planner. That is why using these apps to their full advantage will help your day go by smoothly. Give them a try and see if they are helpful for you like they are for me.

4. Be Realistic

Being realistic with your time is very important. Please don’t overdo it! The whole point of a planner is to make your life easier. To make time for those things that need to get done, for those things you love and enjoy doing.

Remember, you are human, and not everything you write in the planner will go according to plan. It is okay not to do everything as scheduled for that day or week. Life happens, and many times, we do not have control over whatever the circumstance may be.

If you want this to work, you have to be determined. Keep in mind that starting this routine and being consistent will take time. If you feel like you’re slacking, start where you left off. Don’t be so hard on yourself!

5. Start Small

Starting small makes it easier to master one thing at a time. Eventually, it will become a routine, second nature to you. Once you have mastered this one thing, it will be easier to time-block for everything else.

When I first started using my planner, I started with something simple: waking up earlier and praying for at least an hour. I focused on this goal for a couple of weeks. Once it became a routine, I continued to time block for other things.

Once I started to schedule my day, I realized how productive I was, and I wasn’t just wasting my time anymore.

Isn’t it a great feeling to be productive throughout the day? At least for me, it is. I’m not wasting time scrolling through social media and wondering where time went.

Different types of Planners

There are so many different types of planners. For example:

  • Daily Planner

  • Weekly Planner

  • Monthly Planner

  • Wedding Planner

  • Budget planner

  • Health and Fitness Planner

These are just some of the planners on the market. Choose which one is best for you. I love this Christian Planner. It has a monthly calendar, weekly writing space, gratitude and prayer space, and a verse and prayer habit tracker. It’s perfect for moms who want to plan their everyday lives and involve God in all their plans.

Now that I have shared my five tips to plan and stay organized. Whatever your goal is for your busy schedule, choose a planner that is best for you. Remember to set a time block for all the things that are essential to you. Make time for all those important people or hobbies you love. Try the reminder app and alarm clock for the urgent things you need reminders for. Please don’t overdo it! Be realistic with your time. The whole point of the planner is to make life easier for you. Not to overstimulate or frustrate you. Starting small is the key to making this routine a success. Lastly, don’t forget to set the mood for writing out your schedule. Make that time a “me time” that you look forward to.

I pray these tips will help you better plan and organize your life, keep track of your time, and use it wisely. Overall, they will help you make time for the things you love and reduce stress! I would love to know if these tips are helpful to you. Let me know in the comments.

Love,
Brenda ❤️

Tip: As a busy mom, finding time for grocery shopping is very hard. I subscribed to Walmart+. Check out their recipes to make dinner time more manageable. You can choose to pick it up or have it delivered for free.

Brenda Colon